Foundation for Developmental Disabilities

Mission

The Foundation for Developmental Disabilities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation to raise and distribute funds to benefit people with developmental disabilities in San Diego and Imperial Counties when funds are not available from public or private resources.

FDD provides support for individuals with developmental disabilities (and their families), and to raise and distribute monies to promote creative and innovative programs that enhance quality of life when needed services are not available from entities such as governmental or private resources.

Services Provided

Foundation for Developmental Disabilities provides funding for:

• Affordable housing access and development
• Micro-enterprise job development and creation
• Emergency assistance for persons with developmental disabilities
• Scholarship opportunities for students entering the field of developmental disabilities
• Training opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities and their families
• Funding for innovative community programs

How Many People Reached

The Foundation provides funding to organizations in San Diego and Imperial Counties that serve people with developmental disabilities. These organizations serve over 30,000 people with developmental disabilities all of whom would otherwise not be able to access these services. Some of the organizations that they have given grants to include:

• Autism Society of San Diego for their summer camp programs
• Sports for Exceptional Athletes for their various sports programs including a floor hockey program
• Options for All for their microenterprise program that assisted in the creation of a coffee cart at the San Diego Botanic Garden and job training for people with developmental disabilities
• Job training programs with the National Foundation for Autism Research (NFAR)
• Accessibility van for Mountain Shadows Foundation

How Donations Are Used

Any donations that are collected go directly towards our programs that provide emergency relief. If specified, donations can also be redirected towards our scholarships which aims to increase and improve the workforce that would eventually work with people with developmental disabilities.

Project Spotlight

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic its emergency help fund has been especially strained. Since 1986, the Foundation has provided over $2,000,000 to directly assist clients of the San Diego Regional Center in emergency situations to avoid homelessness and provide necessities such as water and electricity.

In the last three months alone, they have given more than $75,000 to this help fund due to the unprecedented effects of COVID -19 on people’s daily lives. Here are the stories of some of the families that the Foundation has helped during the pandemic:

Brian, a 6-year-old boy diagnosed with Autism; he lives with his mom and 3 older brothers. His mother is a single mom and the only provider for the family. She was working at a restaurant but was laid off in March due to COVID-19. She recently transitioned from a women’s shelter, living there for over a year due to domestic violence experienced in their own apartment. Brian’s mother has tried to access different community resources such as SDIRC Immigrant Relief Fund and CalFresh; but she hasn’t heard back from either due to the overwhelming demand of these services. She has tried very hard over the past months to get her family a decent place to live and provide her children a better life after their past trauma. The Foundation stepped in and helped her with her rent – and in turn helped Brian and his family from being homeless.

David and Carlos - two siblings who are very smart, sweet, and friendly. Both boys are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder; in addition, they suffer from a rare blood disorder, Thrombocytopenia, which causes them to suffer frequent emergency visits for platelet transfusions due to severe bleeding. Both children also suffer from Eosinophilic Esophagitis, which causes difficulty swallowing, constant heartburn, chest pain, and vomiting. Both children follow a special diet and eat small amounts of foods to prevent choking. These past weeks have been very stressful for the family since their father was laid off from work in March due to Covid-19 crisis and he has not been able to find a job since then. He is the only provider for the family. The boys’ parents are trying their best to care for the home and their three children. Family has limited resources and supports since their only relatives are also dealing with their own economic struggles due to having a special needs child of their own. Because of the help fund they were able to pay their rent and use their money for food.

Awards and Accreditations

In 2019, the Foundation for Developmental Disabilities was awarded the “Outstanding Grantmaking Organization” award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals San Diego (AFP).

Interesting Fact

In 2018, the Foundation for Developmental Disabilities provided a $750,000 grant to the Southern California Housing Collaborative to complete the funding package for a twelve-unit affordable housing project for the developmentally disabled. The project called Pacifica at Playa del Sol in Otay Mesa, San Diego included 42 affordable apartments for qualifying tenants with 12-units specifically for residents with developmental disabilities. The project was completed in 2019 and all 12 units have been occupied. The Foundation is passionate about affordable housing and believe that people with developmental disabilities deserve to be a part of the affordable housing conversion.