Doug Flutie Grants for Autistic Children
Doug Flutie is a famous quarterback who retired from football in 2005 and has dedicated his retirement years to helping children with autism and their families. The foundation named after his son, Doug Flutie Jr., works in various ways to improve the quality of life of effected children. The public charity provides grants, organizes events to raise awareness and brings families together.
Other People Are Reading
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Doug Flutie
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Douglas Richard Flutie is a quarterback who had an exceptional career at Boston College, National Football League, and the Canadian Football League. During his college years, he was awarded the Heisman Trophy and is remembered for his touchdown pass against Miami in 1984. In later years, Flutie played for the Chicago Bears, and New England Patriots in the National Football League. The quarterback spent the next eight years playing for various teams in the Canadian Football League, returning to the NFL with the Buffalo Bills in 1998. Flutie's last season as an active player was with the New England Patriots before his retirement in 2005.
The Fundation
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Today, Doug Flutie spends most of his time raising awareness for autism to help children affected by the disorder through the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation. The foundation gives grants to organizations that support families with autistic children and engages in other activities to improve the quality of life of children and families impacted by the disorder. The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity, which means that donations are tax deductible. Doug Flutie Sr. devotes a considerable amount of time to both raise funds for the foundation named after his autistic son, and to bring his message of hope to larger audiences.
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Grants
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The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation provides grants to schools and other organizations that help support children with autism. The awards are provided for projects involving education, advocacy, financial support of kids with autistic disorders and academic research. Guidelines are made public on the foundation's home page in July of every year. Proposals can be submitted July until the last Friday of September and recipients are announced in December. To qualify for grants, the applicant must be an IRS approved 501(c)(3) organization located in New England, New York, New Jersey, Southern California and Canada. The foundation does not provide direct help to families or individuals, as it believes it can do the most good by concentrating its resources on other non-profit organizations.
Financial Guidelines
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The average grant size is between $10,000 and $20,000. The foundation does not award grants exceeding $20,000. Applications for endowments or multi-year grants are not considered and organizations with multi-year projects are encouraged to re-apply each year. The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation grants are intended to fund no more than 10 percent of the total project budget. Applications for a larger portion of a project's funds are not considered for funding.
Selection
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When awarding grants, the Grant Committee looks for various qualities. A well thought-out proposal that clearly outlines how the goals will be achieved, and the importance of the issue addressed with the project are primary considerations. Unusual projects that address unmet needs have a distinct advantage. In addition, the urgency of the need for funds is taken into account, together with the sustainability of the program. Where possible, the committee encourages applicants to share the program's costs with other similar organizations.
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