A guide to grants for disability organizations, including ACL, ED, DOL, foundation, and corporate funders for disability rights, services, and inclusion work.

Disability organizations, including Centers for Independent Living, Protection and Advocacy systems, University Centers, disability-rights nonprofits, and direct-service providers, have access to a substantial and specialized funding ecosystem.

This guide covers the main sources of grants for disability organizations and disability-serving nonprofits.

TL;DR: Quick Answers

Who funds disability work? ACL, ED, DOL (especially ODEP), HHS, HRSA, foundations, and corporate funders.
Who can apply? Centers for Independent Living, Protection and Advocacy systems, University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), nonprofits, schools, healthcare providers, and partnerships.
What do they fund? Independent living, employment, education, healthcare, housing, transportation, civil rights, and inclusion.
Where do most start? Through ACL formula and competitive programs, state agencies, and ED-funded special education programs.

Major Federal Disability Funders

Administration for Community Living (ACL). The most disability-focused federal agency. Programs include Centers for Independent Living, Protection and Advocacy systems, State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), Projects of National Significance, Lifespan Respite, and others. See ACL grants.

Department of Education. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) funds discretionary grants supporting research, training, and demonstration in special education and related services. Rehabilitation Services Administration funds vocational rehabilitation. See Department of Education grants.

Department of Labor. Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) runs grants supporting disability employment. Workforce programs include WIOA, which has explicit disability components. See DOL grants.

Social Security Administration. Funds work-incentive programs.

HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Funds disability-related programs through LEND and others, see HRSA grants.

Department of Justice. Civil-rights enforcement and some disability-related grants, see DOJ grants.

State developmental disabilities agencies sub-grant federal funding.

Major Foundation and Corporate Funders

Foundations supporting disability work include the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation (selected), the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Special Olympics Foundation, the WITH Foundation, and many regional and family foundations.

Corporate funders include major tech and healthcare companies, especially those funding employment, accessibility, and inclusion work. See corporate giving programs.

Major Program Types Funded

Disability grants commonly support:

Independent living services and Centers for Independent Living.
Employment (job training, transition, supported employment, accommodations).
Education (special education, transition, postsecondary access).
Healthcare and behavioral health integration for people with disabilities.
Housing accessibility and home-modification programs.
Transportation accessibility and mobility services, see DOT grants.
Civil rights and advocacy (mostly foundation- and ACL-funded).
Inclusion and community participation.
Caregiver and family support.
Research on disability and rehabilitation.

What Disability Funders Look For

Disability-led design. Increasingly required, programs designed by and with people with disabilities.
Accessibility. All program materials and services must be accessible.
Cross-disability or specific-disability fit. Some funders prioritize broad disability work; others fund specific disability communities.
Person-centered, community-living orientation. Particularly for ACL-funded programs.
Civil rights framing where appropriate.
Evidence-based practices for employment and intervention programs.
Equity within disability. Reach to BIPOC, LGBTQ+, low-income, and other multiply marginalized disability communities.

How to Win Disability Grants

1. Center disability voice. Lived experience and disability leadership in design.

2. Use disability-specific data. ACS disability data, state DD agency data, NTIDE employment data, see using data in grant proposals.

3. Document accessibility of programs, materials, and outcomes.

4. Coordinate with the disability network. State DD Councils, P&A systems, UCEDDs, CILs.

5. Address civil rights and inclusion authentically.

6. Build strong logic models and evaluation plans.

7. Plan sustainability, especially as ACL-funded grants often emphasize systems integration over time.

Where Most Organizations Start

For most disability-serving nonprofits:

State developmental disabilities agency sub-awards.
ACL programs matching your work.
ED OSEP discretionary grants where relevant.
DOL ODEP for employment-focused work.
State and community foundation grants.
National disability-focused foundations for major and innovative work.
Corporate accessibility and inclusion funders.

How Grantboost Helps

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Grants for Disability Organizations and Disability-Serving Nonprofits