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Developmental Disabilities Initiative |
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Empowering people with special needs to choose and realize their goals— while living life as fully and independently as possible—can make a world of difference for the developmentally disabled as well as for their families. And supporting programs and services that help the developmentally disabled lead better lives in their homes and communities has long been an area of particular interest to the Weingart Foundation.
Beginning in 2004, the Foundation embarked on an in-depth examination of the services and resources available to individuals with developmental disabilities. The purpose of this study was to determine opportunities for providing support that would have a deeper impact in the field.
Following nearly two years of research, outside consultants concluded that while numerous needs existed within the sector, the most immediate necessity was, by far, the building and strengthening of the organizations’ internal capacities. As a result, the Developmental Disabilities Initiative was officially launched by the Foundation in 2006.
The purpose of the Developmental Disabilities Initiative is to build the capacity of organizations that serve people with developmental disabilities by significantly strengthening their leadership, capacity and scope. From the more than 40 letters of inquiry initially received, we ultimately selected 16 organizations for funding. Totaling more than $6 million in funding over a three-year period, the Special Initiative grants spanned all county service areas including Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Orange and Los Angeles. In addition to the grant awards, the Foundation convenes grantees throughout the year, creating a unique opportunity for them to learn from each other and experts in the field about strengthening organizational capabilities.
Each of the capacity-building projects also varied in need, design, complexity and timeframe. For example, some of the organizations requested one-year support for discrete technology upgrade projects. Others proposed multi-year, comprehensive plans that included a range of objectives, such as board, funding and program development. Ultimately, however, all of the projects shared the universal goal of strengthening their internal capacities in order to sustain existing services, while enabling new program growth and development.
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