OVERVIEW: The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation supports organizations that improve the quality of life for people with paralysis in New Jersey and beyond.
FUNDING AREAS: Quality of life for people with paralysis
IP TAKE: Although large national organizations often see this funder’s support, it is also interested in funding local groups that have immediate and practical impacts on people living with paralysis.
PROFILE: With roots dating back to 1982, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is a New Jersey-based funder supported by Christopher and Dana Reeve. Best known for his acting roles in the Superman movies, Christopher Reeve was born in New York City and spent his childhood in Princeton, New Jersey. He was paralyzed from a severe spinal cord injury in an equestrian competition in 1995 and passed away in 2004 at the age of 52. His wife, Dana, was an actress and a founding board member of the foundation who won many awards for her work. She passed away from lung cancer in 2006 at the age of 44. The foundation is “dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy.” Grantmaking seeks to improve the quality of life for people with paralysis.
The foundation supports nonprofits with its quality of life grants program and in three key areas: Actively Achieving, Bridging Barriers, and Caring and Coping. It supports groups that “address the needs of people living with paralysis caused by spinal cord and other injuries, diseases or birth conditions, including (but not limited to) stroke, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).” It awards grants also for initiatives focused on caregiving and supporting family members who take care of individuals who are paralyzed.
Grants tend to be between $5,000 and $8,000, with maximum grant amounts around $50,000. View a list of past quality of life grantees on the funder’s website. Tri-State grantees include Reach Your Potential USA in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the Gateway Family YMCA in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and the Angelica Patient Assistance Program in New York City. Although this funder awards grants nationwide, a substantial number of grants stay in the Tri-State area. In addition to nonprofits, the funder also supports municipal and state governments, school districts, recognized tribal entities, and hospitals that serve veterans.
The foundation accepts unsolicited letters of intent from nonprofits for its quality of life grants program. In the past, letters of intent have been due at various times between February and April based on the relevant tier. Direct grant-related questions to the staff at QoL@christopherreeve.org or 800-225-0292.
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