Resources

Cycle Funding

Find perfect funding opportunities for financial assistance with handcycles, recumbents, & adaptive cycles.

Table of Contents

Funding Opportunities for Children

  • The Make-A-Wish Foundation ®

    Through the act of granting one wish, The Make-A-Wish Foundation ® enriches the lives of children and teens who have life-threatening medical conditions. The Foundation’s mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish® experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors, and entire communities.
    Make-A-Wish.org

  • Friendship Circle

    Friendship Circle is a non-profit organization that provides programs and support to the families of individuals with special needs. In addition to assisting individuals with special needs, Friendship Circle brings together teenage volunteers and children with special needs for hours of fun and friendship. These shared experiences empower the children, our special friends, while enriching the lives of everyone involved. Friendshipcircle.org

  • Sunshine Foundation’s

    The sole purpose of the Sunshine is to answer the dreams of chronically ill, seriously ill, physically challenged, and abused children ages three to eighteen, whose families cannot fulfill their requests due to financial strain that the child’s illness may cause.Sunshinefoundation.org

  • The Marty Lyons Foundation’s Wish

    This program is for any child between the ages of three (3) and seventeen (17) who has been diagnosed as having a terminal or life threatening illness by their attending physician and confirmed by the Foundation’s medical advisors as eligible. It operates 10 Chapters granting wishes in 13 states: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
    martylyonsfoundation.org

  • First Hand Foundation

    The First Hand Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps children with health-related needs when insurance and other financial resources have been exhausted. Its mission is to directly impact the health status of a young life.

    firsthandfoundation.org

  • Variety Club

    The Variety Club has been helping children in need since 1927, and it all begins with people like you. At the heart of Variety’s achievements are the remarkable contributions of people in the community, and it is only through their time and effort that we are able to do so much for special children everywhere. Variety’s impact is felt year round in the lives of children of each community where we have a local chapter. Each Board of Directors is made up of altruistic business men and women working at the grassroots level to bring money and assistance where it is needed the most. Because each chapter is the best judge of the needs in its own community, Variety encourages local chapters to create their own fundraising events and decide how to spend the money raised.
    usvariety.org

  • Save the Kid

    Save the Kid provides children with disabilities an array of resources. Thanks to the generous donations from the community they are able to facilitate programs that cover medical expenses, therapies, adaptive bicycles and equipment. Save the Kid serves to enrich the lives of children and young adults with disabilities up to age 22 in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Florida.
    savethekid.org

Funding Opportunities for Spinal Cord Injuries

  • The Kelly Brush Foundation

    (KBF) is dedicated to making active lifestyles a reality for those who have experienced a spinal cord injury. We offer the inspiration to believe and the grants to enable anyone to buy the equipment they need to get out and go. But the KBF funds more than just recreation, because when you’re out there on the hill, road or trail, as your heart rate rises and you feel the wind on your face, disability fades away. An active lifestyle forges connections with others — both new friends and old, in and out of a chair.

    kellybrushfoundation.org/about-us/

  • Spinal Cord Opportunities for Rehabilitation Endowment

    (SCORE) aims to assist young people who have been injured while participating in sporting events or athletic recreation. SCORE endeavors to improve the quality of life for people with a spinal cord injury, assisting with the substantial out-of-pocket costs associated with obtaining the best medical care, home amenities, and transportation. The end goal is to facilitate rehabilitation and independent living.

    scorefund.org

  • Triumph Foundation’s

    Triumph Foundation’s mission is to help children, adults, and Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder (SCI) to triumph over their disability and to inspire them to keep moving forward with their lives by pushing themselves to get better every day. Triumph Foundation provides resources, hope and security to people living with paralysis – not just initially when the injury occurs, but as a lifelong support network. We are the go-to organization for people living with mobility impairments in Southern California.

    triumph-foundation.org

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  • Getting Back Up

    Getting Back Up exists to help improve the quality of life for individuals living with a spinal cord injury. They provide qualified and selected individuals with funding for participation in EXERCISE-BASED RECOVERY PROGRAMS and the purchase of ADAPTABLE PRODUCTS.

    gettingbackup.org/apply/

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Funding Opportunities for Veterans

  • The Semper Fi & America’s Fund Specialized and Adaptive Equipment Program

    This program grants cover any equipment that can improve the quality of life for service members with disabilities. Grants have included visual-enhancement devices for the visually impaired, software programs for those who cannot type, specialized wheelchairs for those who are unable to ambulate and therapeutic mattresses for those with multiple injuries and burns.

    semperfifund.org

  • The Independence Fund’s Mobility Program

    provides catastrophically wounded Veterans the chance to regain their independence through the use of all-terrain wheelchairs. The program is open to Veterans of all eras who have undergone a severe loss of mobility from a service-connected catastrophic injury or illness. To qualify, Veterans must provide documentation from the VA showing a service-connected catastrophic injury or illness that affects their mobility over half of the time.

    https://independencefund.org/pages/apply-for-assistance

Funding Opportunities for Injured Athletes

  • The High Fives Foundation

    The High Fives Foundation is dedicated to raising money and awareness for athletes that have suffered a life-altering injury while pursuing their dream in the winter action sports community.
    Highfivesfoundation.org

  • The Adaptive Sports Fund

    (ASF’s) main objective is to raise funds that will allow us to purchase the necessary adaptive sports and recreational equipment.  Furthermore, ASF aims to provide grants to individuals for various adaptive sports equipment, as well as adaptive sports prosthetics to aspiring athletes. Ensuring that all people with physical disabilities can live life without limitations.

    adaptivesportsfund.org

  • Challenged Athletes Foundation

    The Challenged Athletes Foundation assists, supports, and provides opportunity to people with physical challenges, so that they can lead active lifestyles and compete in athletic events. Their mission is to serve people with physical disabilities through sport and fitness with meaningful grants. Over the last 27 years, they have given over 30,000 grants to individuals with permanent physical disabilities worldwide through various grant programs. A challenged athlete is an individual with a permanent physical disability pursuing an active lifestyle through physical fitness or competitive athletics. The individual’s permanent disability must impair mobility, affect the neuromuscular system, impair balance or motor control. Hearing impairments, Intellectual and developmental disabilities do not qualify for support through CAF.

    https://www.challengedathletes.org/

Funding Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities

  • Team Surfgimp Charitable Foundation

    The mission of Team Surfgimp is to support, through financial grants, individuals with disabilities who require assistance to participate in desired physical activities. Sometimes a disabled individual needs assistance from other people to experience their greatest adventures. Their vision is to help facilitate these adventures by providing support for some of the extra expenses that can be incurred such as equipment modifications, team gear, accessible rental vans, and more.

    Teamsurfgimpfoundation.org

  • Team Possibilities

    The purpose of a PossAbilities grant or scholarship is to provide support for our members to improve the quality of life, assist in the reintegration of those with disabilities into the community and society, and to meet the specific needs of our members.

    teampossabilities.org

  • GoHawkeye Enabling Grant Program

    The grant program is open to adaptive individuals and organizations in the United States and consists of adaptive sports equipment and adaptive sports experience grants. The grant cycle is biannual ending May 1 and November 1.

    GoHawkeye.org/grants

  • Victoria’s Victory

    Victoria’s Victory Foundation provides resources and hope to those with mobility related disabilities due to life-altering injuries or diagnosis. VVF gives the gift of HOPE! Victory Scholarships are committee approved assistance gifts for the following areas of needs: activity based training sessions, caregiver hours, mobility equipment and home & vehicle modifications. The VICTORY program allows those with mobility related disabilities to have access to the resources they need to lead more independent lives.

    victoriasvictory.org/application

  • Move United

    Victoria’s Victory Foundation provides resources and hope to those with mobility related disabilities due to life-altering injuries or diagnosis. VVF gives the gift of HOPE! Victory Scholarships are committee approved assistance gifts for the following areas of needs: activity based training sessions, caregiver hours, mobility equipment and home & vehicle modifications. The VICTORY program allows those with mobility related disabilities to have access to the resources they need to lead more independent lives.

    victoriasvictory.org/application

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Community Support

There are numerous civic organizations such as: churches, Knights of Columbus, Kiwanis Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Shriners, Jaycees and Lodges that raise money for people with disabilities to purchase mobility and recreational equipment, and or have programs that may support your purchase. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how willing people in your own community will be to support something as compelling as getting people of all abilities out bike riding.

There are also a few Federal and numerous State agencies that will pay for all or most of the cost of mobility equipment. In a large percentage of states there is a Medicaid Waiver program to purchase equipment that is usually not covered under Medicaid guidelines. Equipment such as bicycles and exercise equipment are products that improve the quality of your life but are not medically necessary.

You can create your own fundraising campaign by using online funding sites such as: GoFundMe, YouCaring, Indigogo, Crowdraise, GiveForward. 

We have listed our funding partners here for your reference, as well as other funding sources dedicated specifically to funding mobility equipment for people with disabilities. However, there are hundreds if not thousands of grants available for people in need.  If the Maddiline handcycle or Van Raam OPair Wheelchair Bicycle is the product you want but cannot afford, be proactive and reach out to these organizations.

*Please note the intent of this information is to provide tips and ideas on how to effectively approach potential funding sources as a guide that may assist you in your pursuit of additional funding supporters. It is not a definitive source and cannot guarantee success. Rather, it is more of a starting point of a process that may be affected by a variety of local conditions and legal requirements by the funding source.

When asking for financial assistance to purchase an adaptive cycle, it will be helpful to include answers to the following questions:

  1. Why is it important for you and/or your family to be able to get this piece of equipment?
  2. What are the benefits to you and/or your family to be able to receive this equipment? Be sure to note the important features of the cycle, for instance on the OPair wheelchair bike by Van Raam, that the wheelchair can disconnect from the bicycle and can be independently used not just aiding in recreation but the OPair is a fully functioning wheelchair as well. Mention benefits of cycling, inclusion and physical activity whether it’s physical or passive recreation.
  3. Why do you need financial help? Explain the financial hardship that results from spending extra money on a piece of adaptive equipment that is necessary in order to participate in recreation.

Help with Medicaid Waivers

Medicaid waivers for children are unfortunately quite confusing. Not only that, but it is impossible to find information about them. This project, coordinated by Complex Child Magazine, is intended to simplify the process as much as possible. The first goal was to create a full list of current Medicaid waivers for children. They then created individual state pages that provide additional information and links for each program. 

 www.kidswaivers.org provides a comprehensive resource of all Medicaid waivers for children, including 1915(c) HCBS waivers, 1115 demonstration waivers, TEFRA/Katie Beckett programs, and state-based programs. 

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