Grant and Funding Programs Offered by KidsAbility Centre for Child Development Foundation

KidsAbility Centre for Child Development Foundation is the charitable arm of KidsAbility, a children’s treatment centre serving children and youth with disabilities and developmental delays in Waterloo Region and Guelph-Wellington, Ontario. The foundation mobilizes individual, corporate and legacy giving to enhance pediatric rehabilitation, therapeutic programs and specialized education delivered through KidsAbility’s centres and school.

Through campaigns such as monthly giving, tribute and memorial gifts, corporate partnerships, fundraising events and legacy gifts, the foundation channels donor support into equipment, programs and innovations that help children learn, move and communicate. Donor impact is highlighted through stories of impact, gratitude reports and dedicated donor communications.

Beyond program support, KidsAbility Foundation directly administers financial aid to young people connected to KidsAbility. The flagship example is the Carol Shantz Bursary Award, which provides a minimum of $1,000 in bursary funding to current and former KidsAbility clients who are graduating from high school and pursuing college, university or trades training. The award is competitive, with clear eligibility, an application form, supporting documentation requirements and fixed deadlines, and has been administered by the foundation for over 20 years.

Through such bursaries, the foundation helps reduce financial barriers to post-secondary education for youth with disabilities, recognizing perseverance and learning potential as key selection criteria.

The foundation offers many ways for donors to contribute, including one-time and monthly donations, fundraising by individuals and companies, memorial and celebration gifts, gifts of securities and other planned giving options. Legacy giving tools include bequests in wills, donations of publicly traded securities, life insurance policies and naming the foundation as beneficiary of RRSP, RRIF or TFSA accounts. These mechanisms are designed to align donors’ tax and estate planning objectives with long-term support for KidsAbility.

Funds raised and stewarded by KidsAbility Foundation primarily benefit children and youth from birth to high school exit who live with communication, physical, developmental or learning challenges, as well as their families. By sustaining therapy services, school-based programs, resource centres and targeted bursaries, the foundation contributes to earlier interventions, smoother school transitions and improved participation in home, school and community life.

Working alongside board members, staff, volunteers and community partners, KidsAbility Foundation plays a central role in maintaining and expanding the continuum of care and opportunities available to children in the region.