FUNDRAISING AND GRANTS
Fundraising
When you sustain a spinal cord injury you don't have time to wait for a check. Suddenly you need money for everything. Loved ones need money for fuel and hotels so they can be at your side. They likely have to miss work as well. Then there are the bills back home that won't stop coming in even when you stop working.
You or your loved ones can hold fundraisers to help pay for expenses. Sometimes people want to help when there is a tragedy, but they aren't sure how. Relief from financial worries during this time is one way others can help. Expenses add up quickly while hospitalized, even if hospital bills are covered.
My own family needed money for fuel and hotels so they could visit me in the hospital in the city, an hour from home. My brother quit his job to stay with me and he needed money for food. A local bar in my rural Arizona hometown did a benefit fundraiser for me and my daughter's school did a raffle.
Many people raise money using a social media campaign. For-profit companies charge a payment-processing fee on each donation but they are easy to use and can be shared quickly. Unfortunately, funds raised in your name and placed in your bank can affect your benefits.
As a safe alternative, check out Help Hope Live, a fundraising platform where funds raised for medical equipment, services, and anything else related to SCI life will not affect your income or assets for the purpose of government benefits.
Grants
Equipment & Quality of Life Grants
These organizations provide funding for essential items like wheelchairs, vehicle modifications, and daily living supplies.
Triumph Foundation: Offers the Keep Moving Forward Grant to help individuals obtain adaptive equipment for daily living, home modifications, and therapeutic activities. They also provide an Employment Achievement Award up to $5,000 for starting a business or returning to work.
Bryon Riesch Paralysis Foundation: Awards grants specifically for equipment or home/transportation modifications to increase accessibility.
Joseph Groh Foundation: Provides assistance for durable medical equipment and home accessibility services, though they do not offer direct cash assistance.
Rally4Reilly Wellness Fund: Quarterly grants for people affected by SCI to cover wheelchairs, ramps, vans, in-home help, and even basic bills.
High Fives Foundation: Their Empowerment Fund supports athletes who have suffered life-altering injuries (SCI, TBI, etc.) with funding for living expenses, health insurance, and adaptive equipment.
Adaptive Sports & Recreation
Funding for active individuals seeking specialized sporting gear.
Kelly Brush Foundation: The Active Fund provides grants for adaptive sports and recreation equipment (like handcycles or mono-skis). Deadlines are typically biannual in April and September.
Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF): Offers a grant program for adaptive sports equipment, training, and competition costs.
IM ABLE Foundation: Awards grants for hand-cycles and other adaptive athletic gear to help people with disabilities stay active outdoors.
SCORE (Spinal Cord Opportunities for Rehabilitation Endowment): Assists people paralyzed specifically during sports or recreational activities with medical care and home amenity costs.
Education & Scholarships
Craig H. Neilsen Foundation: The Neilsen Scholarship Program provides tuition, fees, and supplemental financial support for students with SCI at designated colleges and universities.
AvaCare Medical Scholarship: An annual $1,000 scholarship for students in the healthcare field, with preference given to those with physical disabilities.