Search Through Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Grants in the U.S.

Charitable Contributions

Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business. Throughout the year we receive a large number of requests from nonprofit organizations striving to make a positive impact, and we are thankful to be able to provide support to a variety of organizations and causes. While we would like to respond favorably to all requests, understandably, the needs are far greater than our allocated resources and we are unable to accommodate them all.

Warehouse Donations:

Warehouse donations are handled at the warehouse level - please consult your local warehouse for up-to-date information regarding their donations contacts and review process.

Grant Applications

If the request is under consideration, you may be contacted by staff for any additional information needed. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, and decisions are made based on several factors, including: type of program; identified community need not otherwise available; indication that evidenced based data will establish measurable results of intended outcomes; community collaboration; broad base of financial support; project budget and operating expenses.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

The George and Sarah Buchanan Foundation was born from the shared vision of its founders, George and Sarah Buchanan, who believed in giving back to the community as a testament to their life’s blessings. Focusing on special needs, military, at-risk youth, education, and faith-based initiatives, the foundation aims to create a ripple effect of positive change across communities. The George and Sarah Buchanan Foundation is dedicated to fulfilling our mission of providing help and support to those in need across all five of our focus areas. By providing grants and partnering with 501 c3 charitable organizations, we hope to improve the lives of all recipients.

Our Grants

The Foundation makes Grants to a wide variety of charitable organizations. Programs vary in grant size and funding priorities. Supporting nonprofit and 501c charitable organizations, we award grants to enhance impactful programs and initiatives, foster innovation, and bolster the capabilities of existing systems and organizations. Nonprofits are invited to apply for grants for these programs. The foundation concentrates its giving on several key areas:

• Military

Partnering with charities that provide essential support to military personnel, veterans, and their families during and after service. Charities supporting the Military community focus on aiding active-duty service members, veterans, and their families. These organizations offer a range of support services to address the unique challenges faced by military personnel, including transition programs for those re-entering civilian life, mental health support, and assistance for wounded soldiers. They also provide housing assistance for veterans and gold-star families. Additionally, they provide financial aid, scholarships for education, and family support initiatives to ensure the well-being of military families, honoring their sacrifice and service to the country.

• Special Needs

Charitable organizations within the Special Needs sector are dedicated to serving individuals with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. These nonprofits work tirelessly to provide a spectrum of services that enhance the quality of life, promote independence, and ensure equal opportunities in all aspects of life. From early intervention programs, therapeutic services, and inclusive education to vocational training and supportive housing, these charities aim to meet the comprehensive needs of those with special needs, advocating for their rights and well-being in society.

• At-Risk Youth

Organizations working with At-Risk Youth are committed to guiding young people who face various challenges, such as poverty, homelessness, family instability, and involvement in the juvenile justice system. These charities offer programs that include mentorship, education and literacy support, after-school and enrichment activities, and career readiness training. Their goal is to provide at-risk youth with the tools and resources they need to overcome obstacles, realize their potential, and build a positive future.

• Education

Charitable organizations in the Education sector strive to ensure equitable access to quality education for children and adults alike. These nonprofits work in diverse settings, from urban to rural communities, providing programs such as early childhood education, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) initiatives, scholarship funds, and teacher training. They aim to close the education gap, foster lifelong learning, and prepare individuals for success in an increasingly complex world through vocational training opportunities.

• Faith-Based Organizations

Faith-based charitable organizations operate on the foundation of Christian values and beliefs, serving communities through a wide array of social, educational, and humanitarian efforts. These charities provide services such as food banks, homeless shelters, disaster relief, and international development projects. Beyond physical aid, they also offer spiritual support and community building activities, aiming to uplift individuals and families.

Global Impact Cash Grants

Cisco welcomes applications for Global Impact Cash Grants from community partners around the world who share our vision and offer an innovative approach to a critical social challenge.

We identify, incubate, and develop innovative solutions with the most impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We’re looking for programs that fit within our investment areas, serve the underserved, and leverage technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services. We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. An initial information form is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application.

Social Investment Areas

At Cisco, we make social investments in three areas where we believe our technology and our people can make the biggest impact—education, economic empowerment, and crisis response, the last of which incorporates shelter, water, food, and disaster relief. Together, these investment areas help people overcome barriers of poverty and inequality, and make a lasting difference by fostering strong global communities.

Education Investments

Our strategy is to inclusively invest in technology-based solutions that increase equitable access to education while improving student performance, engagement, and career exploration. We support K-12 solutions that emphasize science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) as well as literacy. We also consider programs that teach environmental sustainability, eliminate barriers to accessing climate change education, and invite student engagement globally to positively affect the environment.

What we look for:

• Innovative early grade solutions using the internet and technology to bridge the barriers preventing access to education for underserved students globally.
• Solutions that positively affect student attendance, attitudes, and behavior while inspiring action by students to improve learning outcomes, whether they participate in person, online, or in blended learning environments. 
• Solutions with high potential to replicate and scale globally, thereby increasing the availability of evidence-based solutions that support student-centricity, teacher capacity in the classroom, and increased parental participation to help students learn and develop.

Economic Empowerment

Our strategy is to invest in early stage, tech-enabled solutions that provide equitable access to the knowledge, skills, and resources that people need to support themselves and their families toward resilience, independence, and economic security.

Our goal is to support solutions that benefit individuals and families, and that contribute to local community growth and economic development in a sustainable economy.

We target our support in three interconnected areas:

• Skills development to help job seekers secure dignified employment and long-term career pathways in technology or other sectors, including environmental sustainability/green jobs.
• Inclusive entrepreneurship with small businesses as engines of local growth as well as high growth potential start-ups as large-scale job creators nationally and internationally, in technology or other sectors, including environment sustainability/green businesses.
• Banking the unbanked through relevant and affordable financial products and capacity building services.

Cisco Crisis Response

We seek to help overcome the cycle of poverty and dependence and achieve a more sustainable future through strategic investments. We back organizations that successfully address critical needs of underserved communities, because those who have their basic needs met are better equipped to learn and thrive.

What we look for:

• Innovative solutions that increase the capacity of grantees to deliver their products and services more effectively and efficiently
• Design and implementation of web-based tools that increase the availability of, or improve access to, products and services that are necessary for people to survive and thrive
• Programs that increase access to clean water, food, shelter, or disaster relief and promote a more sustainable future for all
  • By policy, relief campaigns respond to significant natural disaster and humanitarian crises as opposed to those caused by human conflict. Also by policy, our investments in this area do not include healthcare solutions.

Climate Impact

Our strategy is to invest US$100 million in Cisco Foundation funds over the next decade to help reverse the impact of climate change, working toward a sustainable and regenerative future for all.

The commitment includes both grant and impact investment funding for early-stage climate innovation. Both categories of support will be focused on bold climate solutions, and the grants side will also concentrate on community education and activation. Grants will go to exceptionally aligned nonprofit organizations, while impact investments will go to highly promising for-profit solutions through the private sector and climate impact funds.

Funding comes from the Cisco Foundation and will focus on:

• Identifying bold and innovative solutions that:
  • Draw down the carbon already in the atmosphere
  • Regenerate depleted ecosystems and broadly support the transition to a regenerative future
• Developing curricular initiatives to spur community engagement that can lead to measurable behavioral change and collective action

We will prioritize organizations that can achieve, measure, and report outcomes such as:

• Reduction, capture, and/or sequestering of greenhouse gas and carbon emissions
• Increased energy efficiency and improved mapping and management of natural resources, such as ecosystem restoration, forest treatments, reforestation, and afforestation that also will help repair our water cycles
• Transition to inclusive, just, coliberatory, and regenerative operating models, ways of being, and ways of organizing economies
• Creation of, and increase in, access to green jobs and job training
• Changes in community and individual behavior that lead to carbon footprint reduction, community climate resilience, and localized roadmaps to a sustainable shared climate future for all

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Social Service Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Funding Priorities in Social Service

In the recent past, 15% of total funding has been allocated to Social Service. Organizations with budgets over $5 million have received 60% of funding in Social Service.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted for new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and general support

Funding

Minimum grant size is $100,000.

JTMF Foundation Grant

Our Mission

Improving the lives of people in need

The JTMF Foundation partners with amazing organizations who are meaningfully impacting the lives of individuals today, as well as supporting innovative groups working to solve long-term challenges. We focus our efforts in the Pacific NW with the intent our local efforts will have broader implications.

Focus Areas

Our key areas of giving

Solving problems is a dynamic and evolving process. Our goal is to be flexible and search for the best opportunities to help people with their immediate needs while also attempting to eliminate the root cause of issues plaguing those we support. We are guided by our Catholic values as we seek out areas where we can have the largest impact. Our four key areas of giving are children, older adults, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and veterans.

• Empowering Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities - We believe individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are some of the most loving and special people you will ever meet. We look for opportunities to assist these individuals in their journey to be included, productive, happy members of their communities.
• Helping Older Adults- As our community members age, new and unique challenges emerge. We support organizations who are working to eliminate diseases, hunger, loneliness and other issues faced by older adults. Of particular importance to us is finding ways to prevent, detect and treat those with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
• Assisting Veterans - Individuals who have served our country, particularly those who were put in harm’s way, deserve our gratitude and support. Our foundation partners with organizations to help address the physical and mental well-being of our retired military as they cope with their experiences.
• Enabling Children - We think all children should grow up healthy, happy and able to chase their dreams. To assist in this, we seek organizations that help develop young individuals and position them for success. We particularly look for those that serve a diverse population and lower income families.

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

About

The Audacious Project is a collaborative funding initiative catalyzing social impact on a grand scale. Every year we select and nurture a group of big, bold solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges, and with the support of an inspiring group of donors and supporters, come together to get them launched.

Housed at TED, the nonprofit with a long track record of surfacing ideas worth spreading, and with support from leading social impact advisor The Bridgespan Group, the funding collective is comprised of several respected organizations and individuals in philanthropy.

Our goal is to match bold ideas with catalytic resources.

• We encourage the world’s inspirational changemakers to dream bigger than ever before.
• Help shape their best ideas into viable multi-year plans.
• Present those solutions in a compelling way to potential supporters.

The Process

Every year, The Audacious Project works with proven change-makers to surface their best, boldest ideas for tackling global problems.

Sourcing & review

Projects are sourced from public applications and a global network of partners and donors. They are narrowed down to a group of finalists whose ideas are representative of a broad range of geographies and issue areas while elevating leaders with proximity to the communities they serve.

Idea shaping & investment support

Each finalist project goes through a rigorous ideation, due diligence, and investment support process, to ensure their proposal is achievable and compelling.

Funding & launch

Finalist projects are presented privately to groups of donors and are then publicly unveiled at TED. Funded projects then pursue their plans and share regular updates on key milestones reached with donors and the public.

Is Your Idea Audacious?

• Are you a changemaker with a bold vision?
• Are you a non-profit with an experienced team equipped to receive large scale philanthropic support?
• Is your idea a proven concept that aspires to create a better world?
• We look for ideas that cover a wide range of issues, from global health and climate change, to social justice and education.

What Makes An Idea Audacious?

Inspire

• Transformative vision
  • Your idea should capture a bold vision for tackling one of the world's most urgent topics.
• Creating a better world
  • It is your opportunity to take a giant leap forward; you may be tempted to think incrementally, but remember for it to be bold, your idea should offer significant, enduring impact.
  • This vision should bring us much closer to your version of an ideal world in a matter of years rather than generations.
• Innovative and original
  • There should be a unique aspect or creative element to your approach that challenges convention or status quo or changes the narrative for the greater good.

Convince

• Proven concept
  • There should be evidence that the idea will have impact based on a track record of past success, a demand from those that would be affected, and justified confidence that results can be sustained in the future.
• A bold vision that has clear outcomes
  • There should be a sense of where you will be at the end of a multi-year funding term and the strategy, resources and timeline required to achieve it. We want to hear about the changes that would take place because of your idea, not just the components that go into implementing it.

• Established support
  • You and your capable and confident team have the backing of a nonprofit, NGO, or institution (or is part of a collaboration between multiple such entities). This organization should be able to receive philanthropic funds and have the core infrastructure necessary to support the work. (Note: Past projects have had an annual operating budget of $1 million or more.)

Please refer to FAQ for additional guidelines.

Helping Build Better Futures

Our mission is to deliver great value to our customers every day. For over four decades, our deep commitment to the principles of providing value and caring for others has helped define our culture. It extends beyond the walls of our stores, distribution centers, and offices, and into our local communities around the world. The intersection of these principles defines our global community mission:

Deliver great value to our communities by helping vulnerable families and children access the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future.

Our Social Impact Areas

We bring our community relations mission to life around the world by focusing our giving on four social impact areas where we believe we can have the most impact and are critical to helping families and children succeed and thrive.

Basic Needs

We are passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations that help fill critical basic needs such as a warm meal, clean clothing, and a safe place to sleep for vulnerable families.

Education & Training

Our efforts have focused on quality enrichment and extracurricular programs that provide skills, resources, and opportunities to support school and career success for children, teens, and young adults.

Patient Care & Research

We support organizations that deliver services to families and children facing health challenges and life-threatening illnesses.

Empowering Women

We support programs that provide services ranging from help for those fleeing domestic violence, to others that offer education, training, and job placement resources.

Our Mission

The Hansen Family Foundation provides opportunities to domestic, international, secular, and non-secular organizations that support the American way of life, which is defined by the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” 

Causes

Children

The Hansen Family Foundation supports causes dedicated to helping children both home as well as abroad. Learn More

Education

The Hansen Family Foundation believes that a decent education should be made available to everyone, young or old, the world over. Learn More

Animals

The Hansen Family Foundation believes in helping those who cannot speak on their own behalf. Learn More

Environmental

The Hansen Family Foundation is dedicated to preserving the world we all share. Learn More

Humanitarian

The Hansen Family Foundation views the plight of our fellow man as an opportunity to actively engage and effect change. Learn More

Arts & Culture

The Hansen Family Foundation supports all forms of artistic and cultural endeavors. Learn More

About Us

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is an independent, nonprofit research organization that seeks to empower patients and others with actionable information about their health and healthcare choices. We fund comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER), which compares two or more medical treatments, services, or health practices to help patients and other stakeholders make better informed decisions.

Since its authorization by Congress in 2010, PCORI has awarded more than $3 billion to fund nearly 2,000 research and related projects (explore our research portfolio). PCORI-funded research studies produce important results that are published in leading medical journals and presented at major scientific meetings. Results from studies we have funded are also taken up in a variety of clinical guidelines. We post results from every study we fund, with versions for both patients and clinicians. 

In 2019, PCORI’s funding was reauthorized, with additional research priorities—intellectual and developmental disabilities and maternal morbidity and mortality—and a mandate to consider, as appropriate, the full range of outcomes data, including the potential burdens and economic impacts of the use of medical treatments, items, and services for different stakeholders in the research we fund.

PCORI is committed to transparency and a rigorous stakeholder-driven process that emphasizes patient engagement. PCORI uses a variety of forums and public comment periods to obtain public input to enhance its work. PCORI helps people make informed healthcare decisions and improves healthcare delivery and outcomes by producing and promoting high-integrity, evidence-based information that comes from research guided by patients and other stakeholders.

The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation focuses on impactful and direct lines of support through our four mission pillars: Individuals with Special Needs, Junior Golf, Military Families and Veterans and Pediatric Cancer. All grant applicants' primary work must fall very specifically within one or more of these areas. For each initiative we support, JSFF seeks to fund achievable ideas that aim to help remove barriers and/or provide opportunities that directly impact individuals and families within our mission focus. Ideally the primary work of each grant should take place within the 2025 calendar year. 

Individuals with Special Needs

The Foundation seeks to partner with programs that close the gap for those with cognitive or neurological special needs, ensuring these children and young adults have access to developmental programming and vocational opportunities to expand their communication, self-help, and social skills. We focus on pursuing partners that create developmental opportunities and promote inclusion for the intellectually disabled.

Junior Golf

We believe the game of golf can be a conduit for many life skills and an on-ramp for expanding youth horizons. The Foundation will focus on junior golf programs that are diverse, emphasize outreach and remove potential socio-economic barriers to the game. We also pursue partnerships with groups that utilize golf as an avenue to furthering education and/or mentorship opportunities.

Military Families and Veterans

In an effort to honor those military members who have served our country, the Foundation pursues established grant partners who directly impact service members and/or their families through financial aid opportunities, familial respite support, mental and physical therapies and avenues that look to provide long-term support mechanisms.

Pediatric Cancer

Our goal is to fund programs that offer direct care for children fighting cancer and their families. This includes supporting child life services, emotional and social therapies, familial respite, and avenues to overcome financial burdens on families when facing a diagnosis. Additionally, the ultimate goal of the JSFF and our partners would be to eradicate pediatric cancers, and we welcome grant applications for research and clinical trials.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Rapid advances in genotyping and next generation sequencing technologies have led to the identification of genetic variants that are associated with a wide variety of congenital defects including human congenital anomalies (HCAs), intellectual developmental disabilities (IDDs) and inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs). Large quantities of genomic data collected from pediatric congenital anomalies cohorts are available to the research community through several databases such as the Database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP), the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource Portal, the European Genome-Phenome Archive and Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen). The purpose of this initiative is to promote the screening, functional validation and characterization of congenital anomaly-associated genetic variants identified through public facing databases and individual efforts using in-silico tools, appropriate animal models, in vitro systems or multi-pronged approaches. This initiative addresses a challenging gap between identifying sequence variations of potential interest and recognizing which of those variations have functional effects on the phenotype of interest.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) intends to issue a PCORI Funding Announcement (PFA) on Dec. 2, 2025, Improving Health Decision Making With Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research in Cancer, Pain, Substance Use, Maternal Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Sensory Health, Endocrine and Metabolic Health, Mental and Behavioral Health, and Rare Diseases: Retrospective Observational Studies Leveraging Existing Data Sources.

This PCORI Funding Announcement is seeking to fund well-designed, methodologically robust retrospective observational patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) studies that will produce timely, impactful and patient-centered results to inform healthcare decision making and improve health outcomes. This preannouncement provides potential applicants with additional time to identify collaborators; obtain patient and stakeholder input; secure data access; and develop responsive, high-quality proposals. 

All proposed applications must respond to at least one of the following Topic Themes approved by the PCORI Board of Governors:

• Addressing Cancer
• Improving Outcomes for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
• Preventing Maternal Morbidity and Mortality
• Improving Mental and Behavioral Health
• Improving Metabolic and Endocrine Health
• Managing Pain
• Addressing Rare Diseases
• Addressing Sensory Health
• Addressing Substance Use 

About The Enterline Foundation

The Enterline Foundation’s sole focus on the intellectual and developmental disabilities sector for over two decades has allowed the organization to dig deep into the needs of individuals, their families, and the organizations that serve them. The sector-specific work and volunteer experience of its Board and staff ensures that richer conversations and connections can happen between The Foundation and its grantees. This unique perspective and lived experience allows The Foundation to make meaningful contributions that go beyond writing a check.

Mission

The Enterline Foundation leverages resources, relationships, and experience to promote a sustainable system of service and support that improves the lives of individuals with IDD.

Vision

The Enterline Foundation envisions an adequately resourced, efficient, and innovative system of support and services leading to an improved quality of life for all persons with IDD, their families and the professionals who support them.

Funding Priorities

The Enterline Foundation’s overarching funding priority is to increase access to services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Believing that an adequate direct support professional (DSP) workforce is essential to ensuring the provision of services, The Foundation will focus its giving in 2025 on initiatives that support the recruitment and retention of DSPs. Although not limited to these examples, initiatives could include:

• Internship programs
• New hire welcoming, orientation and coaching 
• Training and professional development including certification programs
• Establishment of career ladders
• Connection to community resources for nonwork related needs of DSPs
• Improvements to organizational culture
• Communication and feedback soliciting initiatives
• Recognition and appreciation activities
• Front line supervisor coaching and development
• Technology needed to support data collection and employee experience

Funding Amount

Not to exceed $25,000. One year in duration.

Project CASK Grant Program

Project CASK, in collaboration with the Orphan Disease Center, is seeking proposals to advance research that supports therapeutic development for CASK gene disorders.

Background

The X-linked CASK gene provides instructions for making a protein called calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK), which is primarily found in neurons and helps control the expression of other genes involved in brain development. Mutations on the CASK gene are currently associated with two disorders, microcephaly with pontine and cerebellar hypoplasia (MICPCH) and XL-ID with or without nystagmus. The spectrum of neurological phenotypes associated with CASK variants is broad and includes global developmental delays, intellectual disability, epilepsy, or other seizure disorders, hypotonia, swallowing or feeding challenges, hearing and vision issues, and other neurological symptoms. 

Funding

Proposed funding period is one or two years, beginning about one month after full applications are received.  

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

The Engagement Award Program is now accepting Letters of Intent (LOIs) for the Engagement Award: Capacity Building funding opportunity. This opportunity aims to build the capacity and skills of patients and stakeholders to engage in all phases of patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER).

Award

You may propose projects that will last up to two years and cost up to $300,000.

About PCORI

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is the nation’s leading funder of patientcentered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER). By comparing two or more health or healthcare approaches, CER generates evidence that helps people make better-informed decisions and improves healthcare delivery and outcomes. PCORI takes a holistic approach to its work, ensuring that patients and other health decision makers are engaged as partners throughout the research process, supporting dissemination and implementation of results in practice, and strengthening clinical research infrastructure to advance patient-centered CER. PCORI is an independent, nonprofit organization authorized by Congress.

Summary

This Topical PFA seeks to fund high-quality, high-impact, patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) projects that focus on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). IDD is a broad term that encompasses a variety of conditions, and those conditions exhibit much heterogeneity, with different individuals experiencing varying levels of support needs. PCORI recognizes the variety of terminology used within the disability community, including both person-first (i.e., person with a disability) and identity-first (i.e., disabled person) language. PCORI acknowledges that preference for either form of language varies, and both are acceptable in response to this funding opportunity.

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Background

Governmental public health (GPH) is a fundamental system for protecting and improving population health in all communities. This system works toward preventing and eliminating health inequities while responding and meeting emergency and emergent needs. Transforming governmental health to address structural barriers to health and advancing an equitable system where governmental public health and communities work in collaboration and share power fosters health equity and helps communities thrive. Non-governmental organizations, power-building organizations, and public health professionals are crucial components to this transformation by supporting the priorities, meeting the needs, and holding public health accountable to communities they serve while protecting the integrity and historic health justice orientation of the governmental public health system. The connected systems of both public health and healthcare systems have often failed to provide adequate consideration for the needs of adults with developmental disabilities, resulting in many experiencing these systems as a source of harm and mistrust. These systems can have a disparate impact on populations that have experienced systems of oppression, including ableism1. Society has traditionally looked at disability through a medical model of inability and dependence. These structural barriers are further intensified for individuals experiencing multiple systems of oppression, as racism and ableism1 mutually reinforce each other. There are medical professionals and disability advocates who are actively involved in and leading change toward more equitable public health and healthcare systems. WITH Foundation (WITH) promotes comprehensive healthcare for adults with developmental disabilities in the United States that is designed to address their unique and fundamental needs. WITH embraces an intersectional approach, centers the expertise and leadership of those most impacted by this injustice, is committed to cultural humility5 and addressing power imbalances, and values innovation. In alignment, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime. To get there, we must work to dismantle structural racism and other barriers to health. Through funding, convening, advocacy, and evidence-building, RWJF works side-by-side with communities, practitioners, and institutions to achieve health equity faster and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

RFP Advancing Disability Justice in Public Health—New Funding Opportunity

This is an invitation for collaborative proposals that advance disability justice6 in public health and center the goals, perspectives, and needs of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in Communities of Color. The efforts supported through this RFP will contribute to a public health system that is fair and just, treats all people with dignity and respect, and rectifies past harms and prevents future ones. Proposals should prioritize one of the following approaches:

Implementation: Support implementation of models, i.e., testing and advancing solutions to enhance governmental public health in being trustworthy, accountable, truly collaborative, and anti-racist. Models should support the leadership of and power sharing with adults with intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Communities of Color, or those with a demonstrated track record of working with Adults with I/DD in Communities of Color;

Educational resources: Developing public health curriculum and/or training resources with Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Communities of Color, and/or creating/leveraging networks supporting resource dissemination and utilization within public health and disability justice6 ecosystems, helping public health systems become more accountable to Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Communities of Color – communities that have been historically marginalized.

Advocacy, Power and Bridging: Support regional or national advocacy, community power building to build and shift power, and bridging between governmental public health with entities such as grassroots organizing groups, social movement groups, movement-building organizations, community-based organizations, community organizing groups, and base-building groups related to the care that Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Communities of Color receive within public health; and

Research: Identify and close gaps in knowledge and inform efforts to improve health related to the care Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Communities of Color receive, i.e., community-based or community-led research that assists disability-led organizations in illuminating and addressing structural barriers within the governmental health system that are experienced by Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Communities of Color.