United States: Quality of Life Grants Program

Deadline: 8-Mar-24

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is accepting applications for the Quality of Life grants program.

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Quality of Life grants program offers a tiered grants strategy awarding Direct Effect (Tier 1) grants to support a wide array of programs and activities. In addition, they have created Priority Impact grants (Tiers 2, 3 & 4) with higher maximum award amounts that focus on targeted high priority issues for people living with paralysis and their families. This enables the Reeve Foundation to continue to support valuable projects and services in communities throughout the United States of America, as well as to highlight, fund and publicize high priority issues and successful solutions. Expanded Impact grants (Tier 5) are expansions of previously awarded QOL programs that have achieved demonstrable successful impact.

Grants are awarded to organizations that address the needs of people living with paralysis caused by spinal cord and other injuries, diseases or birth conditions, including (but not limited to) stroke, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Types of Grants

• The QOL grants program consists of Direct Effect, Priority Impact, and Expanded Impact grants.
  • Direct Effect (Tier 1) is open-focused and awards grants from $5,000 up to $24,999 to support a wide range of projects and activities. Grants fund programs and projects that will clearly impact individuals living with paralysis and their families.
    • Direct Effect grants are offered twice yearly, in the 1st (Spring) and 2nd (Fall) grant cycles.
  • Priority Impact (Tiers 2-4) offers three increasing levels of grant funding. Each tier is targeted to focus on a Priority issue for the community of individuals living with paralysis and their families, as follows (please refer to the full program details for more in-depth information and descriptions):
    • Tier 2 — Grants of up to $30,000 for the following Priority areas:
      • Assistive Technology
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Respite/Caregiving
    • Tier 3 — Grants of up to $40,000
      • Racial Equity
      • Rural Unserved and Underserved Populations
    • Tier 4 — Grants of up to $50,000
      • Employment
      • Nursing Home Transition
      • Priority Impact grants are currently being offered once per year, in the 2nd grant cycle (Fall).
  • Expanded Impact (Tier 5). A grant program developed for previously awarded Quality of Life grantees whose programs and/or projects have achieved demonstrable, successful impact. The Expanded Impact Quality of Life grants program will award approximately four (4) grants of up to $100,000 each and will support significant expansion of strategies and programs that are evidence-based, show innovate promising practices, and/or best practices in the field they serve to improve quality of life for people with paralysis, their families, and caregivers (see full program details).
    • Expanded Impact grants are currently being offered once per year, in the 1st grant cycle (Spring).

Time Line

• Funded projects in Tiers 1 & 2 are expected to be completed in 12 months. Tier 3 projects are allowed 18 months for completion, and Tier 4 & 5 are allowed 24 months.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Reeve Foundation aids local grassroots nonprofit organizations that have an immediate and practical impact on individual lives, as well as established nonprofit agencies, municipalities, schools, parks and recreation departments, tribal entities, and large national nonprofit organizations within the United States of America.
• Quality of Life grant applications are accepted from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations as noted above and other institutions such as community or veterans hospitals. An organization must have its own 501(c)(3) tax status (or be a part of or chapter of a national organization that is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization). Fiscal Sponsors are NOT allowed to apply on behalf of non-501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
• The Reeve Foundation cannot award grants to individuals, but their team of Information Specialists can help identify resources and organizations that can provide financial assistance.
• The Reeve Foundation gives special consideration to organizations that serve returning wounded military and their families, and to those that provide targeted services to diverse cultural communities and/or underserved population groups. This includes (but not limited to): persons at risk of incarceration, current or released prisoners; ethnic minorities; homeless; indigenous or tribal communities; LGBTQ; limited English proficiency; rural residents; migrant workers; low-income and/or poverty populations; and newly injured people with paralysis and their caregivers.
• Requests from organizations not based in the USA are not eligible, and projects outside of the USA, even if the applicant organization is based in the USA, cannot be funded.

For more information, visit Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.