Funding Opportunities for Handcycles, Recumbents, & Adaptive Cycles
Funding For Children
The Make-A-Wish Foundation® – Through the act of granting one wish, 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 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.
Children’s Wish Foundation International is a non-profit wish granting organization founded on the premise that seriously ill children regardless of race, color creed, religion, or economic status, are not able to experience a normal, carefree childhood. Children’s Wish Foundation International provides an experience of a lifetime in the form of a favorite wish. It will fulfill the favorite wish for any child having a limited life expectancy with medical-science as we know it today. Each wish will be complete while the child is healthy enough to fully enjoy it. The immediate family is included in the wish fulfillment so that the child and family can share in the experience and create happy memories together.
The Dream Factory is the largest all-volunteer driven children’s wish-granting organization that does not limit its mission to children who have life-threatening illnesses. The organization believes children with chronic illnesses and disorders also suffer from substantial emotional and physical pain. They believe in granting wishes to help children obtain happiness in the best way possible.
Sunshine Foundation’s sole purpose 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.
The Marty Lyons Foundation’s Wish 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.
The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF) is a 501 c 3 charitable organization that provides medical grants to help children gain access to health-related services not covered, or not fully covered, by their family’s commercial health insurance plan. Families can receive up to $5,000 annually per child ($10,000 lifetime maximum per child), and do not need to have insurance through UnitedHealthcare to be eligible.
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.
The Eric Fund is a Washington, DC-based organization that purchases needed but often expensive assistive technology and equipment to help children and adults of all abilities live on their own terms in the community.
Fund It Forward – the mission is to ease the burdens of families with children of all abilities by raising money for adaptive equipment not covered by health insurance. Families who have received help will in return raise funds for another family in need — FUNDING IT FORWARD.
Ride to Give is a 501 c 3 public charity that turns athletic ability into fundraising power for families with children of all abilities, injured or ill.
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.
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
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.
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.
Wheels With Wings can provide financial support to individuals who have suffered a spinal cord injury and are in need of services or equipment. From wheelchairs to the vehicle and home modifications to rehabilitation – Wheels With Wings offers grants for those in need. Individual grant awards, education, resources, awareness and advocacy are ways the organization works to improve the lives of people with this injury, helping them to become independent, productive and truly make a difference.
https://www.abilities.com/community/wheels-with-wings.html
Blood Brothers Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides financial support for vehicle modifications for individuals living with spinal cord injuries.
Funding For Spinal Cord Injuries
Veterans Funding
The Honor Group has built an alliance with the philanthropic community, faith-based organizations, and school districts. Our vision encompasses all branches of the military. Our values are rooted in the tradition of generosity, loyalty, and honor. Make no mistake, we are a group of individuals and like-minded people who leave a legacy of hope every place we go. We provide practical help for those re-entering civilian life.
The Semper Fi & America’s Fund Specialized and Adaptive Equipment 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.
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.
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.
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.
Supportabilities programs are designed and adapted for individuals of all ages, abilities, developmental and/or physical disabilities. Additional modifications are made to ensure fun and success for all participants. Supportabilities strives to accommodate all individuals, regardless of diagnosis, or socioeconomic status.
Supportabilitiesfoundation.org
Crossroads Adaptive Athletic Alliance is an interactive, collaborative, searchable network and community that provides tips and best practices to adaptive athletes and their coaches. Their most enthusiastic desire is to work as an advocate for adaptive athlete inclusion in sports and fitness worldwide. It is the only nonprofit organization of its kind in the USA – building a stronger community for adaptive athletes and their coaches. They help athletes with permanent needs participate in life-changing fitness opportunities through education, grants, and competition.
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.
Funding For Injured Athletes
Funding For Individuals with Disabilities
Team Surfgimp Charitable Foundation – the mission 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.
IM Able Foundation Grants are awarded to disabled individuals and supporting organizations and provide hand-cycles, adaptive skis, and instructional training programs for those in need. Our purpose is to unleash the potential in physically challenged children and adults to be more active, enjoy the benefits of physical fitness, and spend more time in the great outdoors.
The Eric Fund is a Washington, DC-based organization that purchases needed but often expensive assistive technology and equipment to help children and adults of all abilities live on their own terms in the community.
National Association of Injured & Disabled Workers (NAIDW) is a nationally recognized 501 c 3 public charity whose purpose is to provide unlimited resources, support, guidance, and short-term financial assistance to injured & disabled workers and their families as a result of injury, illness, pain, or disability.
The USC Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund – Swim with Mike. The goal is to help pave the way for individuals to overcome their tragedies and strive for a brighter future. Founded and hosted at the University of Southern California since 1981.
The Antonio V. Glassberg Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization. Building upon its first decade-plus of work, the updated mission of the Foundation is to provide tuition scholarship grants to educational institutions for the benefit of academically promising physically disabled students with financial need in order for those individuals to attend primary and secondary (K – 12) private schools
antonioglassbergfoundation.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.
ThreeSixtyFive Foundation – the mission is to provide, through financial and non-financial means, assistance to physically challenged individuals in returning to an active lifestyle during the first year of their recovery.
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.
When asking for financial assistance to purchase an adaptive cycle, it will be helpful to include answers to the following questions:
- Why is it important for you and/or your family to be able to get this piece of equipment?
- 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.
- 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.
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.
*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.
