April 20, 2005 | Read Time: 1 minute
Q. My daughter just completed a college project that involved developing technology to assist the blind. The project won an award, and news about it was published in an academic journal. It would be great to see it utilized to help people. Can you direct me to some foundations that focus their grant making on giving assistance to the disabled?
A. Here is a short list of foundations that provide money to charitable organizations that provide services to the blind or the disabled:
The Anschutz Family Foundation, in Denver; the Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation, in Pleasantville, N.Y.; and the Lavelle Fund for the Blind and the Blanche T. Enders Charitable Trust, both in New York City.
Since foundations usually award grants to assist nonprofit organizations that want to start programs, you might also consider directly approaching some of the many charities around the country that work with and for the blind or disabled. Such charities may be able to create programs that use your daughter’s invention and then apply for grants to help subsidize their programs. National organizations like the American Foundation for the Blind, Lighthouse International, and the National Federation for the Blind are good places to start. You can search for additional charities in your area by going to the GuideStar Web site, which collects data about organizations nationwide.
Before you talk to too many people about your daughter’s idea, however, be sure to protect it from being copied by other manufacturers. If you haven’t done so already, apply for a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Check the agency’s Web site for more information.
Got a question about job hunting, recruiting, or managing in the nonprofit world? Send it to us at hotline@philanthropy.com.
