ACT Today! and ACT Today! for Military Families grant program (www.acttodayformilitaryfamilies.org)

ACT Today! is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to raise awareness and provide treatment services and support to families to help their children with autism achieve their full potential. Our goal is to introduce and help facilitate early and on-going treatment by providing the necessary resources (including referrals, funding and guidance) to individuals with autism and their families.

ACT Today! is proud to offer a grant program for assessments, treatments, and life supports that may not otherwise be covered privately or by other third-party funding sources such as school districts, county programs, insurance, and/or other grant making entities.

Applicants who meet the following grant program criteria and complete the Grant Application will be considered for ACT Today! grants. Since in most cases, the applicantrsquos parent or guardian will be completing the application, it is understood that the applicant will be the individual receiving the benefits of the grants.

We review the following items when considering approval of a grant request:

• Completion of grant application ndash The application must be completed in its entirety to be reviewed. Partially completed applications will be kept on file for one year and additional information may be submitted to make the application complete within that timeframe.

• Amount of grant request ndash Typical grants awarded range between $100 – $5,000.

• Household income ndash While we have not set an income level cap, incomes below $100,000 per year are reviewed first.

• Type of treatment requested ndash Our mission is to fund effective treatments, assessments and needed life supports.

• Numbers of family members with ASD diagnosis ndash Applications from families with multiple children with ASDs are reviewed first.

Grant Making Philosophy

ACT Today! grants are designed to provide access to individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders. Grant payments will be made directly to pre-approved treatment providers, assessors or materials vendors.

We will not fund:

• Transportation requests (cars, car repair, transportation passes, air travel)
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
• Personal Needs (rent, utilities, family vacations)

Amount Requested

Grants will be allocated based on annual fundraising activities. The Board of Directors will determine the number and amounts of each grant at the beginning of each term. Requests for endowments or multi-year grants will not be accepted. Each application is kept in our system for two consecutive grant cycles after which the applicant must re-apply.

The grant deadlines for 2012 are as follows: