Short Hills-based Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation announced the distribution of more than $1.7 million in grants to 47 nonprofit organizations nationwide, marking the final award cycle of its current five-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL).
As the operator of the National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC), the Reeve Foundation remains the only federally funded entity dedicated to directly supporting the paralysis community. Since its inception in 1999, the foundation’s Quality of Life Grants Program has awarded over $52 million to 4,100 projects aimed at increasing independence and improving the daily lives of those living with paralysis.
The latest round of funding supports a wide array of programs designed to remove barriers to accessibility, health, and social connection. According to the foundation, this cycle saw over $3.6 million in total funding requests—a surge attributed to a broader decrease in available federal funding opportunities.
Selected projects receiving support this cycle include:
- United States Adaptive Golf Alliance (Westmont, IL): Received $100,000 to implement 30 adaptive golf clinics nationwide over the next 24 months.
- Working Dogs for Vets (Lawrenceburg, TN): Awarded $24,999 to support its “Double Rescue” model, which trains shelter dogs as service animals for veterans living with paralysis-related disabilities.
- Thomas E. Smith Foundation (Marblehead, MA): Granted $23,475 for “The Access Series,” a virtual workshop program focused on the systemic and financial challenges of living with paralysis.
- Kids Dance Outreach: Awarded $16,250 for “FLOW” (Fueling Life on Wheels), a tuition-free adaptive dance program for children.
Over the course of the current five-year ACL agreement alone, the Quality of Life Grants Program has invested more than $17 million into nearly 1,500 programs. These initiatives have provided tangible resources, ranging from Hoyer lifts and transfer boards in medical schools to the installation of accessibility ramps in community venues.
“Over two decades, the Quality of Life Grants Program has supported innovative programs designed to increase independence and the ability of people with paralysis to lead active, engaged lives,” the foundation stated in a press release.
Beyond physical infrastructure, the program has increasingly focused on the holistic needs of the community, including suicide prevention for veterans, financial literacy training for those navigating post-injury income loss, and dedicated support services for caregivers struggling with burnout.
