PADDC ANNOUNCES NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

The PA Developmental Disabilities Council is pleased to announce two new funding opportunities for organizations and individuals.

The first opportunity is for Community Response Projects. These projects are supported for up to $5,000 over a 6-month timeframe and will be awarded to community-based organizations that provide supports to people with developmental disabilities who have been affected by a local, statewide, or national, natural disasters. This can include, but is not limited to, addressing concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Community Response Projects will support organizations in developing training or increasing accessibility to information for individuals with developmental disabilities and their family members. Eligible categories for application include, but are not limited to the following:

Trainings:

• Conferences developed around major issues (adapting to crisis situations, coping with stress, reducing anxiety, how to take care of yourself during a pandemic/natural disaster)
• Training and seminars for people with disabilities and their families

Projects:

• Creation of plain language documents
• Purchasing of virtual platforms to provide training
• Costs of accommodations necessary for events/meetings (e.g. captioning and sign language interpreter)

The second new funding opportunity is for Leadership, Empowerment, and Advocacy Fund (LEAF) Scholarships. This program provides scholarships of up to $750 per person, per year, to assist individuals with disabilities and their family members to attend conferences, training sessions, and comparable activities directly related to skill development in the areas of self-advocacy, leadership, and education.

To be eligible, applicants must be a resident of Pennsylvania AND an individual with a developmental disability, a family member of an individual with a developmental disability, or a guardian of an individual with a developmental disability. Examples of eligible events include training in self-advocacy, leadership, self-determination; education that expands your knowledge of rights of individuals with disabilities; training that will assist you in accessing services, support, and other assistance; parent training and information; or events that address Council goals outlined in the State Plan.

Both of these projects are subject to the availability of federal funds. More information and application materials may be found at https://www.paddc.org/under the Grants & Funding tab.