Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Drew Foundation (DREW)

The Drew Foundation, also known as the D.R.E.W. (Discovering Recreation & Exploring Wildlife) Foundation, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with physical and financial limitations enjoy outdoor recreation. Based on its website, the foundation channels donations and fundraising revenues into the purchase and delivery of tracked wheelchairs and other specialized equipment that allow disabled individuals to access hunting, fishing, hiking, boating and wildlife experiences that would otherwise be out of reach.

Rather than operating like a traditional grantmaking agency with complex calls for proposals, the foundation focuses on direct support: providing equipment and organizing outdoor adventures for its beneficiaries. Its primary area of intervention is adaptive outdoor recreation, with an emphasis on enabling independence and mobility in natural environments.

The foundation serves people with disabilities of all ages, including disabled veterans, accident victims and individuals born with conditions that restrict their access to the outdoors. The mission statement stresses enabling those with limited physical and resource abilities to experience the uniqueness and beauty of nature. By using donations to cover the high cost of tracked wheelchairs and similar devices, the organization reduces financial barriers and opens up activities such as hunting, fishing, bird watching and hiking.

Past events described on the site, such as pheasant hunts, turkey hunt weekends and other fundraising outings, illustrate both how funds are raised and how the foundation integrates beneficiaries into outdoor activities. This dual focus on equipment provision and real-world experiences underlines its impact on quality of life and community inclusion.

The Drew Foundation depends on individual donations and special fundraising events. Contributions, including online PayPal donations, are explicitly earmarked to help pay for tracked wheelchairs and to create outdoor adventures for participants. In practice, this means the organization functions as a small, targeted funding provider: it converts financial support into in-kind assistance through the purchase and delivery of adaptive equipment and the organization of nature-based activities.

Although the website does not present highly formalized application procedures, it clearly positions the foundation as a resource for people seeking help to realize their outdoor dreams. Supporters are invited to propose fundraising ideas, reinforcing the collaborative, community-driven nature of its work.

The foundation’s mission centers on enabling mobility, independence and joy in the outdoors for people facing significant barriers. Inspired by the experiences of Drew Foster, whose story is highlighted on the site, the organization promotes resilience, generosity and inclusion. Its activities demonstrate how targeted financial and in-kind support can transform access to nature for individuals with disabilities.