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Ability Central Announces Second Year of Rapid Response Grants

ByGrant Barringer

Up to $5,000 available to enhance accessibility for individuals with communication disabilities

Oakland, California – June 30, 2023 – Ability Central, a foundation working to expand inclusion and accessibility for individuals with communication disabilities, today announced the availability of Rapid Response Access Improvement Grants. These grants, offered on a rolling basis from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, aim to support California-based organizations and projects focused on serving people with communication disabilities.

The mini grants, first offered in 2022, range from $1,000 to $5,000, and provide short-term funding with an expedited turnaround of approximately one month from application receipt. Access Improvement Grants from Ability Central aim to expand the capacity of smaller nonprofits (particularly those with a budget of less than $1 million) to enhance the participation of people with disabilities in their events and programs.

Expenses eligible for funding through the Access Improvement Grants include staff accessibility training, audio description of materials, ASL interpreters, DeafBlind co-navigators, captioning, sensory or tactile experience rooms for socio-emotional learning, and more.

“We are thrilled to once again offer Rapid Response Access Improvement Grants to support California organizations in their efforts to create more inclusive, accessible environments,” says Ability Central Program Officer Jessie Galloway. “By offering short-term funding with a quick turnaround, we hope to empower nonprofits to increase the participation of individuals with communication disabilities in their activities.”

Rapid Response Access Improvement Grants Quick Facts

  • Exclusively available to California-based organizations
  • Grant range: $1,000 – $5,000
  • Rolling cycle; applications accepted from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024
  • Maximum award per organization: $5,000 per cycle
  • Estimated 4-week turnaround for application review by Ability Central
  • Organizations with budgets less than $1 million are prioritized
  • No matching funds required

Applicants are encouraged to submit their proposals promptly to take advantage of this funding opportunity. For more information about the Rapid Response Access Improvement Grants and to access the application, please visit https://philanthropy.abilitycentral.org/what-we-support/grant-opportunities/#rapid-response.  

Headquartered in Oakland, California, Ability Central is the philanthropic division of the California Communication Access Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003. Ability Central is committed to serving as a resource, convener, and educator working collaboratively to ensure that people who are Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent can communicate and access information. Ability Central also offers technical support to other nonprofits working to help people with disabilities and provides online information and resources for people with questions about disabilities and communication access. Since 2010, Ability Central has granted more than $12.5 million to 200+ projects, serving more than half a million people with disabilities.