New grants to spur educational programs for people with Down syndrome

Global Down Syndrome Foundation and National Down Syndrome Congress commit $75K in grants per year   Proposal deadline is May 3, 2012
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 (Denver, Atlanta) – Global Down Syndrome Foundation and National Down Syndrome Congress announced the establishment of new grants intended to spur educational programs for people with Down syndrome.  The two organizations are pooling resources to co-manage and co-fund the “Global Down Syndrome Educational Grants” (Grants).  Five grants, up to $15,000 each will be offered to National Down Syndrome Congress affiliates over the next year.

The grants were first announced at a workshop at the recent Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action Conference held in Washington DC.  At the workshop the two organizations gained important feedback to help inform the final version of the grant application.

Michelle Sie Whitten, executive director of Global Down Syndrome Foundation was excited about this new collaborative grant. “We are grateful to the National Down Syndrome Congress for providing us market research that highlighted a need in their local affiliate community for more educational programming and funding.  Our hope is that we can provide these grants each year to seed programs that can then use proof of concept results to find sustainable funding elsewhere.  If successful perhaps we can help launch dozens if not hundreds of programs in the future.”

“The Down syndrome community is truly coming together in a wonderful collaborative spirit and this is a perfect example of that.  Our affiliates do wonderful work but funding is difficult, especially for new programs.  We are so pleased to be working with the Global Down Syndrome Foundation to address this need and supply much needed funds to people who work tirelessly towards improving the lives of people with Down syndrome,” said David Tolleson, executive director of National Down Syndrome Congress.

The grant application will be posted on the website of both Global Down Syndrome Foundation and National Down Syndrome Congress.  Applications should be downloaded, filled into the form and emailed to both info@globaldownsyndrome.org and info@ndsccenter.org.  The deadline to submit the application is 5pm PST May 3, 2012.

About the Global Down Syndrome Foundation
The Global Down Syndrome Foundation is a public non-profit 501(c)(3)  dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with Down syndrome through research, medical care, education and advocacy.  Formally established in 2009, the Foundation’s primary focus is to support the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the first academic home in the US committed to research and medical care for people with the condition. Fundraising and government advocacy that corrects the alarming disparity of national funding for people with Down syndrome is a major short-term goal.  The Foundation organizes the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show – the single largest annual fundraiser benefitting people with Down syndrome.  Programmatically the Foundation organizes and funds many programs and conferences including the Dare to Play Football and Cheer Camps, Global Down Syndrome Educational Series, and Global Down Syndrome Multi-Language Resource Project.  The Foundation is an inclusive organization without political or religious affiliation or intention.

About the National Down Syndrome Congress
Founded in 1973, the National Down Syndrome Congress is the country’s oldest national organization for people with Down syndrome, their families, and the professionals who work with them.  A 501(c)(3) non-profit advocacy organization, the NDSC provides free technical support and information about issues related to Down syndrome throughout the lifespan, as well as on matters of public policy relating to disability rights.  Best known for its annual convention – the largest of its type in the world – the National Down Syndrome Congress is a grassroots organization recognized for its “family” feel, its “We’re More Alike than Different” public awareness campaign, and, its outreach to individuals from diverse backgrounds.

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