Applications for Kessler Foundation‘s 2020 grant programs for people with disabilities are due soon. Signature Employment Grants applications are due February 14, 2020, and Community Employment Grants applications are due by April 6, 2020.

Inquiries are accepted for Special Initiative Grants on a rolling basis, Kessler Foundation notes in a media release.

Kessler awarded more than $2.4 million in 2019 in grants to organizations across the US to support initiatives that create or expand job training and employment programs for people with disabilities. Since 2000, the Foundation’s distribution of more than $46.7 million has led to improved job skills and paid employment for thousands of individuals with disabilities, the release continues.

“On July 26, 2020 it will be 30 years since the ADA was passed addressing discrimination against people with disabilities in education and employment,” says Rodger DeRose, president and chief executive officer of Kessler Foundation.

“While we have come a long way, much work still needs to be done. Our grants support model initiatives that help pave new directions for increasing inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace, examine techniques and procedures, and improve participation rates of people with disabilities in integrated, competitive employment.”

Signature Employment Grants

More than $1.5 million in Signature Employment Grants—the Foundation’s largest grants—have been awarded to launch four initiatives with projects in four states. Signature Grants can range from $100,000 to $500,000 over a 2-year period. These awards support pilot initiatives, demonstration projects, or social ventures that lead to the generation of new ideas to increase employment among people with disabilities. Recently awarded Signature Employment Grants:

  • JEVS Human Services (Philadelphia) – $450,000 grant for its Road to Employment program that will create a new mechanism for motivating people with disabilities to pursue employment, connecting them to supports, and reducing public benefits dependence. After the pilot proves the intervention’s effectiveness, JEVS Human Services will scale it across Pennsylvania’s managed care system to maximize its reach.
  • New England Business Associates Inc (Springfield, Mass) – $380,000 grant to support four cohorts of 12 youth with disabilities in attaining Level 1 and Level 2 advanced manufacturing training and OSHA certification through an intensive eight-week instructional program. This will allow the participants to enter the manufacturing field, which has significant openings for entry-level employment, in an entry-level position that offers opportunities for career growth and economic sustainably.
  • State of Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (Waterbury, Vt) – $450,000 grant to support Social Security Disability beneficiaries, to increase their earnings and transition to better lives. To achieve this goal, the Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation will implement a combination of interventions, including a modified vocational rehabilitation service package, intensive benefits counseling, and short-term financial support after the cessation of benefits.
  • University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH) – $250,000 grant to investigate the experiences of recent college graduates with disabilities as they transitioned into the workplace, including experiences related to career planning, searching for a job, interviewing with potential employers, disability disclosure, salary, onboarding, and accommodations.

“Job opportunities for people with disabilities have never been greater than they are now,” states Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC-SLP, senior vice president for grants and communications at Kessler Foundation. “The fact that people with disabilities are not working in significant numbers during a period where the labor market is extraordinarily tight is puzzling and a loss for employers. We still see individuals working at minimum wage jobs that are not self-sustaining, relying on a combination of benefits and low earnings.”

Community Employment Grants

Community Employment Grants advance job training and employment opportunities for New Jersey residents with disabilities. The Foundation has distributed awards totaling $493,500 to 16 programs in 2019. These programs focus on high school youth and adults living with a range of disabilities. Initiatives include job sampling, soft skills training, job coaching, travel training, and developing a guide for traveling independently to work that can be used individually or for organizations teaching clients the rights/rules/responsibilities in using various transportation modes. Community Grants range from $25,000 to $50,000 over two years.

Special Initiative Grants

Special Initiative Grants support a variety of efforts in New Jersey to improve the lives of people with disabilities. The Foundation has distributed $125,000 to 11 programs. Initiatives include culinary training for students, cooking and nutrition lessons for female veterans, adaptive horseback riding for people with MS, leadership training for young people with disabilities, equipment and uniforms for Paralympic track and field athletes, and support for a disability-related film festival, to name a few. Special Initiative Grants applications are by invitation only and the awards range from $5,000 to $20,000 for a period of 1 year.

For more information, visit Kessler Foundation.

[Source(s): Kessler Foundation, PRWeb]