The Council has funding available to help New Jersey residents with developmental disabilities and their families attend conferences, seminars and other advocacy training and information building activities they may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend.
The funds are targeted to individuals who have had limited experiences of these kinds. It is designed to help those who might not otherwise get to take advantage of these kinds of opportunities because they are not connected with other funding sources and/or do not have the funds themselves to be able to pay for the full costs of attending. The purpose is to increase training and information gathering opportunities to broader numbers of advocates with developmental disabilities and their immediate family members.
The fund is not designed to support regular attendance to annual conferences and caps are $250 per person per year. Out of state activities are not typically covered. Applicants will be required to submit a short report to the Council about their plans to disseminate new/learned material with other families/individuals with I/DD within 30 days of the end of the event before final reimbursement is made.
Individuals apply directly to the Council and must meet certain criteria in order to receive funding. You must provide the Council with information about the event; the reason you want to attend; why you need the Council’s support (for instance, other funding that you applied for and were denied or those funds were not enough to allow you to participate); and other information that will help us make a good decision about your request.
In addition to costs directly associated with the event—such as registration, travel and accommodations—you may also ask for help with other related expenses, such as personal care, child care and assistive equipment. Costs for personal attendants will be evaluated independently and will not count against the cap for an individual’s request.
All applications are evaluated and approved at the discretion of Council staff. Interested individuals may download the application form Leadership Training Support Fund Application. English | Espanol