About the Program:
Ask anyone who knew Ed and they’ll tell you that he always had a smile on his face. He had a big heart and an upbeat personality that brought out the best in all of us. As a father of 3 young children, Ed was a family man who still found time to volunteer and help out with programs benefiting children. The Ed Walsh Foundation was created in 2014 to continue Ed’s legacy and keep his spirit alive. The Smile-On Grant was established by the Ed Walsh Foundation as a way to spread his joy and put a smile on the face of children, especially those confronting challenges in life.
The Smile-On Grant Program awards grant funds to parents, teachers, therapists, specialists and coaches who work with children. Priority will be given to those who work with children who have learning disabilities, processing disorders, developmental delays or an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The funds for this program come from contributions made to the Ed Walsh Foundation by donors who want to help us keep Ed’s spirit alive and spread his positive attitude to others.
Grant Guidelines:
We accept applications on a rolling basis, and we award grants throughout the year. At a minimum, we will award grants once each year; however, the Foundation reserves the right to award grants at any time, particularly when a request is time-sensitive. Grants of varying amounts (typically $250-$1,000) will be awarded, and the number of recipients will vary throughout the year. Our goal is to help as many people as possible through our Smile-On Grant Program.
Grants will help cover the cost of equipment, educational toys, resources, or programs used to support children in the classroom, at home, or on the field. We also support teachers and parents who want to further their personal or professional development (“PD”) by attending a workshop, participating in a local conference, or taking online classes. The following outlines a few examples of acceptable grant requests:
- The purchase of furniture, equipment, toys, or supplies that facilitate learning and assist with the development of:
- Active Play
- Fine Motor Skills
- Gross Motor Skills
- Language & Communication
- Positioning & Mobility
- Sensory Integration
- Sensory Spaces
- Programs and services not covered under a school’s budget. This may include specialty programs that only exists if parents are willing to chip-in to cover the cost.
- Attending a conference, participating in a workshop, or taking a class to expand one’s knowledge and learn new teaching methods to apply at home or in the classroom.
- Equipment request for a specialty athletic program, or school-based physical education curriculum for children with disabilities.
- Requests by parents to cover the costs of recreational or structured play programs that promote physical fitness and motor skill development.
- AV-Equipment that promotes interaction and aims to help student performance.
- Training for parents or teachers on how to use Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) with a child who has an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
These are just a few examples of items that we would consider for a Smile-On Grant. Every child is unique, and that means that their individual learning experience is unique too. Our program celebrates this uniqueness and will consider all applications that positively impact a child with disabilities.
Thank you for your interest in our grant program. Applications are accepted throughout the year and may be submitted online via our Smile-On Grant Application.