Staatsburg, New York…The leadership team and trustees of Anderson Foundation for Autism today announced the recipients of its 2024 year-end grantmaking cycle.
The latest list of Anderson Foundation grant award winners includes: Autism at Face Value, located in Dover, Pennsylvania ($5500); Eastern Marshall County EMS, located in Wenona, Illinois ($1200); and Rock Autism, Inc., located in Buffalo, New York ($5000).
This news comes on the heels of Anderson Foundation’s October announcement, when recipients of its first-ever set of grant awards were named: Bluepath Service Dogs (grant award: $5000), Bring On The Spectrum (grant award: $6000); Flower Petals Adaptive Dance Studio (grant award: $4200), and Project Ready (grant award: $6500).
Said Kevin Kollar, Chair of Anderson Foundation for Autism’s Board of Trustees: “The work of each of these nonprofit organizations aligns beautifully with our mission at Anderson, which is to optimize the quality of life for individuals with autism. We are so pleased to be able to help them make some of their goals a reality and continue their stellar work in our field.”
Explained Patrick Paul, CEO/Executive Director of Anderson Center for Autism: “Initially, our Foundation was developed with the goal of building a rainy day fund for Anderson. We were successful in doing so, and the Foundation has now grown to the point where we’re able to ‘pay it forward’ to other organizations in the field who are furthering our mission. It is very gratifying for all of us to position others for success in this way, and we look forward to seeing the impact of these awards as time goes on.”
President of Autism at Face Value, Angela Kot, said of her organization’s grant award: “Autism at Face Value is grateful to Anderson Foundation for Autism for seeing the value in our work using tabletop roleplaying games (RPGs) as a unique and impactful tool for social and emotional growth. These activities have shown remarkable benefits for individuals facing challenges such as autism, anxiety, and depression, as they provide both a safe space for self-expression and a dynamic environment for skill-building. With this grant, our community outreach will grow and more individuals living with autism will benefit from our enrichment programs.”
Other grant recipients likewise expressed gratitude for the grants and are working to plan initiatives made possible by the funds. Said Jacy Ahrens, Assistant Supervisor and Training Coordinator for Eastern Marshall County EMS, “This award is being utilized to host an Autism Awareness Course for police, fire and EMS agencies in our area. The grant will allow our area first responders to gain knowledge in autism and related disorders to help benefit those within the communities we serve. We are looking forward to our upcoming course in March!”
Paul noted that the next grantmaking cycle is now underway and that Anderson Foundation for Autism has reserved up to $50,000 in total for its 2025 awards.
Eliza Bozenski, Chief Development Officer at Anderson Foundation for Autism, said: “We are in awe of the wide range of projects and geographic regions represented in the proposals we’ve received – and now that our 2025 online submission form is online, we’re excited to see what comes our way in the months ahead. Interested nonprofits must complete their applications before June 30th, at which point our committee will begin the proposal review phase. Our plan is to make decisions before September 30th and notify all applicants of our decisions by December 31st.”
Bozenski stated that applications will be reviewed by members of Anderson Foundation for Autism’s Board of Trustees and grant committee members. Employees of Anderson Center for Autism are not included in the review and selection process. Grantees will be required to provide outcome updates to Anderson Foundation for Autism following award disbursements.
Anderson Center for Autism (ACA), founded in 1924, which also receives funds from Anderson Foundation for Autism, offers evidence-based educational, vocational, residential, and consulting/training programs, drawing students and residents from all over the United States to experience its school and residential offerings. Its affiliate, Anderson Center International (ACI), hosts scholars from countries throughout the world for a 12-18 month training program at Anderson’s Staatsburg campus (today, that includes 26 scholars from 10 countries). During this experience at Anderson, scholars gain the education needed to improve schooling, workplace environments, and overall therapy and care for people with autism upon returning to their home countries. Another Anderson Center for Autism affiliate, Anderson Center Consulting and Training (ACCT), has, among other activities, delivered training needed for over 150 businesses to gain designation as being “Autism Supportive.”
Anderson also runs Early Learning Academy programs (in Pine Plains, NY and Latham, NY) and The Anderson Center Clinic (Latham, NY).
For more information, contact Eliza Bozenski, Chief Development Officer of Anderson Foundation for Autism at (845) 889-9594 or by email: EBozenski@AndersonCares.org.
Grant applications must be submitted on or before June 30, 2025 using this link: https://forms.gle/dvhpeCPNR6mER5z89 .
Visit https://www.andersoncenterforautism.org/afagrants/ for further details.
For more information about Anderson Center for Autism, visit andersoncenterforautism.org. And to learn more about Anderson Foundation for Autism, visit andersoncenterforautism.org/giving/.
About Anderson Center for Autism
Our mission at Anderson Center for Autism is to optimize the quality of life for individuals with autism.
About Anderson Foundation for Autism
Through grantmaking, fundraising, and marketing initiatives, Anderson Foundation for Autism helps support, sustain, and expand upon Anderson Center for Autism’s efforts to optimize the quality of life for individuals with autism.