How to Apply
Before submitting a grant proposal, please thoroughly review the foundation's Grant Guidelines:
- Mission statement
- Definition for developmental disability
- Geographic area review
Grant applications must be in our office by the due date. The annual application form is posted on the website no later than January 15th. Please answer all the questions on the application form and be sure to include all requested attachments with your proposal.
Download the 2026 Grant Application
If your proposal arrives incomplete, we will notify you of its missing components. You will have three days from the due date to provide the missing information. Special Kids Foundation has a two-stage review process. First, all applications are read and evaluated by the volunteer Grant Committee. At our meeting, held in the Spring, the committee determines which applications will proceed to the second stage, a site visit. Site visits are conducted throughout the summer. Final meetings are held in July and/or August to make the final grant decisions. Grant checks are awarded at an event in September.
2026 will be the 100th Anniversary of the Dorothy Kahn Club for Crippled Children, the organization which began the journey to who we are today, the Special Kids Foundation. Special Kids Foundation is offering one Special Grant in celebration of our 100th Anniversary. The amount of this grant will be $100,000.00. Our goal is that the funded project be purposeful while enhancing the functional growth of the children served. The funds can be used for an indoor or outdoor renovation project, such as a sensory room, independent skills learning room, playground, garden/landscaping, etc. Additional qualifications can be found on the grant application.
We ask that you contact us prior to completing the Special Grant Application to assure that the project meets our requirements. An agency can apply for both a regular grant and the special grant. And, as always, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the special grant or the regular grant applications.
Download the 100th Anniversaray Special Grant