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California Communications Access Foundation (Ability Central)

Annual Giving
$1.0M
Grant Range
$10K - $0.2M
Decision Time
2mo

Quick Stats

  • Annual Revenue: $21.2 million (FY 2024)
  • Annual Grant Distribution: $1 million+ (FY 2024)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $200,000
  • Decision Time: Approximately 2-3 months from LOI deadline
  • Geographic Focus: California only
  • Application Type: Fixed annual cycle

Contact Details

Website: https://abilitycentral.org/philanthropy
Email: grants@abilitycentral.org
Address: 2300 Clayton Road, Concord, CA 94520
Pre-application Support: Available by appointment through online scheduling

Overview

Founded in 2003 as the California Communications Access Foundation, Ability Central is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Concord, California. The organization generated $21.2 million in total revenue for fiscal year 2024 and employs 86 staff members. Its philanthropic program, launched in 2010, has awarded 281 grants totaling over $14.3 million to 122 disability-focused organizations. The organization's mission is to serve as a resource, convener, and educator working collaboratively to ensure that people who are Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent can communicate and access information. Ability Central earned a Four-Star rating (96%) from Charity Navigator. In addition to grant-making, the organization manages the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program (DDTP) for the California Public Utilities Commission, providing specialized telecommunications equipment to over 730,000 deaf or disabled Californians.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Communication Access Grants: $10,000 - $200,000 (typically over 1-2 years)

  • Applications accepted through annual fixed-deadline cycle
  • Letter of Intent required before full application
  • Four Focus Areas in 2025-2026 cycle:
    1. Digital Accessibility Software and Applications
    2. Assistive Technology
    3. Workforce Development
    4. Communication

Recent Funding: In January 2025, Ability Central awarded $821,062 to 12 organizations. In fiscal year 2024, the organization awarded more than $1 million to 12 nonprofits. Since 2015, Ability Central has awarded 212 individual grants totaling $11,572,047.

Priority Areas

  • Leadership and Career Development: Programs supporting employment outcomes for people with communication disabilities and their employers
  • Healthcare Training: Projects that train healthcare professionals to increase accessibility and inclusion for people with communication disabilities
  • Digital Innovation: Implementation of emerging technologies, services, and solutions benefitting people with disabilities
  • Communication Access: Projects expanding access to information and communication for Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent individuals

What They Don't Fund

  • Capital campaigns or endowments
  • Projects involving discriminatory practices (including preferential treatment based on race, national origin, ethnicity, physical ability, gender, political affiliation, or religious belief)
  • Organizations with exclusively sectarian purposes
  • Organizations or projects serving populations outside California

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Griffen Stapp - Executive Director. Stapp joined the Board of Directors in 2021 and is an accomplished accounting and operations executive.

Former CEO Barry Saudan - Appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2015 following the previous CEO's retirement. Saudan previously served as Director of Operations with over 30 years of executive management experience. He stated regarding the organization's work: "We are incredibly proud of the work the Cloud Consulting team was able to deliver, and we deeply appreciate the organizations we've had the privilege to support."

Board of Directors

  • Celia C.J. Solis - Chair
  • Sofia M Vergara Ed.D - Vice Chair (joined 2021; Spanish teacher and Director of User Research at The AbleGamers Charity)
  • Sarah Slaughter - Treasurer
  • Andreas Forsland - Director (joined 2021; Founder & CEO of Cognixion, a digital health startup)
  • Cheryl Mitchell - Director
  • Jean Galiana - Director
  • Linda Drattell - Director
  • Dr. Philip Prinz - Director
  • Tim Jin - Director

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Ability Central uses a multi-stage application process:

  1. Eligibility Quiz: First, complete the online eligibility quiz on their website
  2. Consultation Call: Upon passing the quiz, applicants must attend a consultation call before continuing to the application. This is an opportunity for both the applicant and Ability Central grants staff to ask questions and ensure fit
  3. Letter of Intent (LOI): Submit LOI form addressing one of the four Focus Areas
  4. Request for Proposal (RFP): Selected organizations are invited to submit full proposals
  5. Review and Decision: Applications evaluated based on management reliability, project impact, and organizational governance

Important Requirements:

  • Only one project proposal per organization
  • Must clearly address the appropriate Focus Area
  • Organizations must be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit or qualifying college/university
  • Must be headquartered in California and serve California communities

Support Available: Potential and returning grantees can schedule a call with the Ability Central grants team at any time during the application process to discuss potential fit, answer questions, and receive support.

Decision Timeline

Annual Grant Cycle Timeline:

  • October 1: Letter of Intent form becomes available
  • October 31 (5:00 PM): LOI deadline (no exceptions)
  • November: Selected organizations respond to Request for Proposal (RFP)
  • Late November: Proposals due
  • Late December: Grant recipients notified and grants awarded

Total timeline from LOI submission to notification: Approximately 2 months

Success Rates

Since 2015, Ability Central has awarded 212 individual grants from their annual cycles. The organization has made:

  • 14 awards in 2024
  • 16 awards in 2023
  • 19 awards in 2022
  • 27 awards in 2021

Specific acceptance rates are not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants is not explicitly documented on public-facing materials. Organizations are encouraged to contact grants@abilitycentral.org or schedule a consultation call to discuss reapplication opportunities.

Application Success Factors

Key Success Criteria from Ability Central

Management and Governance: Ability Central prioritizes groups that demonstrate proper and effective governance standards based on the size and maturity of their organization. Preferred organizations have an independent board of directors, a whistleblower policy, and document retention policies. Management must be overseen by reliable, ethical, and experienced personnel.

Demonstrated Impact: Project plans must demonstrate the ability to achieve results and measurable impact. For career training programs specifically, applications should include:

  • Outcomes and evaluation methods to assess program effectiveness and impact on participants' employment outcomes
  • Understanding of unique challenges faced by people with communication disabilities in accessing career and leadership development opportunities

Sustainability and Scalability: Strong applications include:

  • Plans for sustainability beyond the grant period
  • Strategies for long-term funding, partnerships, and ongoing support for participants
  • Description of the project's scalability and potential for expansion and replication in other settings or regions

Budget Considerations: The 2024 funding cycle included specific options for organizations with budgets less than $1 million, indicating Ability Central's commitment to supporting smaller organizations.

Examples of Recently Funded Projects

2025 Grant Recipients (focused on leadership/career development and healthcare training):

  • Kidpower's Workpower Program: Expansion to provide advocacy and personal safety skills for getting and keeping jobs, including training more paid presenters and developing employer training and sexual harassment prevention programs
  • Leonardo/ISAST CripTech Incubator: Implementing labs focused on haptics and A.I., centering disability innovation and creating platforms for disabled artists to remake creative technologies through the lens of access
  • Pacific Hearing Connection: Training and education for those in the community who work directly with the under-served and under-insured

2024 Grant Recipients (focused on healthcare training, leadership development, and digital accessibility):

  • Institute for Exceptional Care (IEC): $100,000 joint digital accessibility project with this national nonprofit working with coalitions of clinical organizations and healthcare providers

Process Tips

  • Focus Area Selection: Carefully select the correct Focus Area and clearly address it throughout your application
  • Early Engagement: Take advantage of the mandatory consultation call to clarify questions and demonstrate organizational readiness
  • Clear Communication: Be clear and focused about how funds will be used
  • Eligibility Quiz: Complete the eligibility quiz thoughtfully as it serves as an initial screening mechanism

Grantee Expectations and Support

Mandatory Participation: Grantees are required to participate in at least one in-person grantee gathering during the year of their grant award, and another one the following year. These gatherings facilitate community building, idea sharing, and collaborative learning among funded organizations.

Ongoing Communication: Ability Central encourages regular communication and knowledge exchange among partners through grantee meetings throughout the grant period.

Visibility and Recognition: The organization highlights grantee impact through digital presence, conferences, newsletters, and annual impact reports.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • California-only focus: Ability Central exclusively funds nonprofits headquartered in California serving California communities—this is non-negotiable
  • Communication access is core: Every project must demonstrably expand communication or information access for Deaf, disabled, or neurodivergent populations
  • Consultation is mandatory: The consultation call after passing the eligibility quiz is required and provides valuable opportunity to strengthen your proposal
  • Governance matters: Strong governance structures are prioritized, particularly for larger grants; smaller organizations (under $1M budget) may have different expectations
  • Plan for sustainability: Applications must articulate how the project will continue beyond the grant period
  • Commit to community: Be prepared to attend at least two in-person grantee gatherings over two years—this is a requirement, not optional
  • Focus area alignment is critical: Choose your focus area carefully and ensure every aspect of your application clearly addresses it

References

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