Grants

Grants for Ohio residents with disabilities and nonprofits

Grants

Types of Grants

Community Fund offers grants to nonprofits that serve Ohio residents with disabilities. Community Fund also offers three types grants to individuals who reside in Ohio and have a disability. The individual grants are:

  • Special Needs Grant with Financial Hardship is for an Ohio resident with a disability who receives SSI, Medicaid, or any HCBS Waiver.
  • Special Needs Grant is for an Ohio resident with a disability who does not receive SSI, Medicaid, or any HCBS Waiver.
  • Grant for Former Community Fund Beneficiaries is for an Ohio resident who was a Community Fund client (beneficiary), but whose trust has closed.

 

Grant Forms and Instructions

The instructions and eligibility requirements for each grant are located on the application form. You may download the application form by clicking on the applicable link below or you may call our office at 216.736.4540 and ask for a paper form to be mailed to you.

Please note that applications that do not comply with the instructions will not be considered. Additionally, applications submitted for the following items will not be considered:

  • Food and/or shelter expenses (rent, mortgage, utility bills, groceries, etc.)
  • Items unrelated to the applicant’s disability or that are not medically necessary
  • Nursing home expenses
  • Caregiving payments to family members or friends of the applicant
  • Reimbursement payments to the applicant

 

Grant Application Deadlines

While applications may be mailed or faxed to Community Fund at any time, our Committee meets to review applications at specific times throughout the year and decisions will be issued within 45 days after the review deadline. The review deadline for individual grants is different than the review deadline for nonprofit grants.

Applications for individual grants will be reviewed quarterly. The quarterly deadlines are March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. A decision will be provided within 45 days after the end of the quarter in which a complete application was received by Community Fund. For example, a complete application received in August will be reviewed after September 30 with all other third quarter applications and a decision will be issued within 45 days after the end of the third quarter (i.e., by November 14).

Applications for nonprofit organizations can also be submitted at any time but will be reviewed twice per year. Complete applications received between January 1 and June 30 will receive a response by August 14 and completed applications received between July 1 and December 31 will receive a response by February 14.

 

How Grants are Funded

A person who establishes a Community Fund Master Trust or Pooled Medicaid Payback Trust has the option to leave trust assets remaining at the beneficiary’s death to Community Fund Ohio.  Community Fund Ohio uses those funds to make grants to nonprofits that serve people with disabilities and for the benefit of Ohio residents with disabilities.