Funding Assistance for Adaptive Equipment
| November 2011(Updated April 2024)
Sometimes it can seem impossible to find funding for a piece of adaptive equipment you know will vastly enrich and enhance your child or client’s life. Start by reading the online guides listed below to check that you have tried all the options that may be available to you. In particular, if you are a parent or pediatric therapist, be sure to read Funding Adaptive Mobility Equipment for Young Children with Disabilities which includes a visual algorithm of funding sources.
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Online funding resource guides:
- Funding Adaptive Mobility Equipment for Young Children with Disabilities
- Making it possible to care for children with significant disabilities at home
Many funds and foundations have been set up to help with funding for disabilities, but will often only consider an application once all other sources have been exhausted. Some national organizations provide diagnosis-specific assistance, so make sure you know which ones might apply to your situation. Religious and community organizations may also be a source of funding assistance. This list, although by no means exhaustive, is a good starting point. Another place to turn could be your community’s library and/or social service agency, who may know of other local sources of funding for adaptive equipment.
If you know an organization not listed here that provides help with funding adaptive equipment, or if you have feedback on those recommended on this page, please email info@rifton.com.
The following funds and foundations are focused on answering the needs of children and/or adults with disabilities in helping to fill the “funding gaps” where specialized equipment is needed:
- Athletes Helping Athletes
- ATI Foundation (AK, AZ, CA, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, MA, MD, MI, MS, NC, NB, NM, NV, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, WA, WI)
- Cerner Charitable Foundation
- Chive Charities
- Friends of Man
- Friendship Circle (yearly competition for adaptive tricycles)
- Fund It Forward
- Help Hope Live
- HALO (Help a Little One) Foundation
- Helping from Heaven: The Lexi
Kazian Foundation - Holton’s Heroes
- Reach Your Potential
- Ride for Kids
- Ride to Give
- Special Kids Fund, Inc.
- Speedway Children’s Charities
- Wheel to Walk Foundation
- Wheelchairs 4 Kids
- Colorado: Two Angels Foundation, Inc.
- CT and Westchester County NY: Mollytango.org
- Florida (Northeast): JT Townsend Foundation
- Georgia: FOCUS
- Greater Cincinnati area: A New Chance Foundation
- Greater New Orleans area: Addie’s Angels
- Illinois: Thumbuddy Special
- Indiana:
- Iowa: Josh’s Ride (funds adaptive tricycles only in Le Mars and Plymouth Counties)
- Kansas: The Jones Foundation
- Kentucky: Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky
- Maine: Robbie Foundation
- Massachusetts: REquipment DME Reuse Network
- Michigan:
- Beaumont Bike Day (funds adaptive tricycles only)
- Children with Special Needs Fund
- Lori’s Voice
- Missouri: The Sarah Lopez Waiver (MOCDD)
- Montana: Marshall & Mary Brondum Special Assistance Foundation
- New Jersey:
- Embrace Kids Foundation – New Jersey/New York City metropolitan area
- National Disability Institute
- New York:
- Dake Foundation for Children – 80 mile radius to Saratoga Spring
- Embrace Kids Foundation – New Jersey/New York City metropolitan area
- Footsteps of WNY – Western New York community
- Italian Welfare League (funds equipment for children of Italian descent)
- Jake’s Help From Heaven – 100 mile radius to Saratoga Spring
- Joey’s Friends Too
- Matthew’s Giving Tree
- National Disability Institute
- Share the Voice – funds tricycles in Nassau, Suffolk, Middlesex, Monmouth, Union and Somerset counties
- North Carolina: Assistance League of Charlotte
- Ohio: Adaptive Sports Connection
- Pennsylvania:
- Brighter Journeys
- Golden Rays of Hope
- Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Association
- Peyty Foundation
- PA, WV (specific counties): Variety Children’s Charity Pittsburgh (funds bikes, strollers and communication devices only)
- Texas: Be an Angel
- Utah: Utah Assistive Technology Foundation
- Virginia:
- Children’s Assistive Technology Service (facilitates re-use of pediatric rehabilitation equipment at no cost, with four branch locations in Virginia)
- FREE Foundation for Rehabilitation Equipment Endowment
- The Noblemen (local funding source for children)
- REACHcycles (funds adaptive tricycles only)
- Washington:
- Elevations Spokane: A Children’s Therapy Resource Foundation (serves Spokane County only)
- Sisu Children’s Fund (funding source for children and young adults up to 25)
- Wisconsin: Kindred Kids
Community and religious organizations may also be a source
National organizations may provide funding assistance for diagnosis–specific AT or therapy needs, and/or help parents request pro–bono durable medical equipment.
- Arthritis Foundation
- Civitan International
- Darrell Gwynn Foundation (Spinal Cord Injury)
- Easterseals
- Kids Wish Network
- Make-a-Wish Foundation
- March of Dimes
- Muscular Dystrophy Association
- Random Acts
- Shriners Hospital for Children
- Travis Roy Foundation (Spinal Cord Injury)
- United Cerebral Palsy
- UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (Medical Grants)
- United Way
- Variety the Children’s Charity
Or do it the fun way: sign up at Tadpole Adaptive, create your own fund drive and get your friends and family on board to help raise funds for the equipment you need.
Here are a couple other online fundraising websites you may want to check out. These sites can help you quickly set up a fundraising campaign that is easy to share with your friends and acquaintances through social media:
Chive Charities is in a class by itself and assists in raising both funds and awareness for rare conditions, veterans’ needs, and underfunded special education initiatives.
HuTerra is a highly successful fundraising approach that is rewards-based. Supporters shop at participating local and online name brand businesses.
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