Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA)

The Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA) is a provincial, registered charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of people in Ontario living with the effects of acquired brain injury (ABI). OBIA provides information, a provincial helpline, personal advocacy, peer support, online support groups, and specialized training and education for families and professionals working in brain injury rehabilitation. In addition to these services, OBIA plays a targeted funding role through dedicated assistance programs.

A key example is the Headway Homes Fund, delivered by OBIA in partnership with the Headway Homes Fund at the Niagara Community Foundation and supported by Headway Homes (Niagara) Inc. Through this fund, OBIA offers up to $10,000 in financial support to individuals medically diagnosed with a severe brain injury who experience ongoing, complex needs. The funding is intended to directly enhance quality of life, for example by covering items, services or supports used by the individual, or by helping family caregivers access conferences or learning activities that strengthen their caregiving role.

The Headway Homes Fund targets individuals who are experiencing slow or prolonged recovery with minimal change in physical or cognitive abilities from month to month and who require significant caregiving support for day‑to‑day functioning. Priority is given to residents of the Niagara area, followed by applicants from the rest of Ontario. Requests for administrative costs or items not directly used by the individual are not considered, reinforcing the fund’s focus on direct, person‑centred benefits.

Applications are reviewed on a first‑come, first‑served basis beginning April 1 each year. Applicants must download and complete an application form, obtain the signature of a registered health care professional, and submit the package by email to OBIA. All applications are acknowledged and kept confidential, reflecting the association’s emphasis on dignity and privacy.

OBIA traces its origins to local head injury associations in Ontario and was formally founded as the Ontario Head Injury Association in 1986, later adopting the Ontario Brain Injury Association name in 1995. Over nearly four decades, it has worked closely with individuals with brain injury, families, caregivers and professionals, combining peer support, public education, research involvement and systems advocacy. Its portfolio of services and targeted funding programs positions OBIA as a key provincial actor in the brain injury support and rehabilitation ecosystem.