SAMPLE LETTER TO REQUEST FUNDING HELP FROM LOCAL CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Some service clubs and groups may be able to help you with funding.  It is best to ask for a dollar amount to help with a specific thing.  For example, you can ask for camp fees, costs associated with home renovations, a period of ABA/IBI home programming or a computer.  The following is a sample letter to a club asking for help.  We've included some information on autism as it effects this child.  Please feel free to use this as a guideline only.  To find addresses of clubs, try doing an Internet search.

Good luck!

DATE

 Dear _______________ 

This is a very difficult letter for me to write but many avenues seem to have been closed to me so I hope you can take the time to read my story.

I am the mother of a three-year-old boy named ****.  **** is beautiful, he looks like an angel and has a smile that lights up the world.  His laugh never fails to be contagious to all within earshot.  He is loved by many people and is adored by his daddy, big sister and myself.  We are totally devoted to him.

**** is severely autistic and has a developmental delay.  For the first two and a half years of his life, **** screamed and sobbed as if in intense pain for hours per day, sometimes days on end.  Although we tried everything within our power, nothing helped and **** due to his inability to communicate (there was zero communication, not even by gesture or pointing) appeared to be in constant agony.

As soon as we began researching autism and educated ourselves, my husband and I realized that in order for **** to become functional and able to communicate, he would require many hours of intensive one to one therapy.  Unfortunately, we were told this therapy could become terribly expensive.  That means nothing, we just want to help our baby.

Firstly, a search ensued for a professional who could provide a written diagnosis for ****.  This was needed by the government in order for them to accept our family for funding and benefits.  Most physicians refuse to provide such documents for one so young (he was under two at the time) in order to avoid “labeling”, however all research indicates early intervention is the only key to helping these kids.  Therein lies the dilemma – how to get money to get early intervention.

We learned various treatment techniques, plus I learned everything I ever wanted to know (and a lot I never wanted to know) about autism and developmental delay. 

Nobody really knows what causes autism and there is no cure.  We can treat the behaviors and the developmental delay.  The encouraging news is that some autistic people go on to lead very fulfilling lives.  Some graduate college and university and perform almost to a point where one cannot really tell there was ever a problem.  Every single autistic adult I have met has been intelligent regardless of the functionality level.  Every successful adult with autism I have met has had early intervention.

This letter is not intended to be a sad one.  **** has now had almost a year of ABA therapy and the results are astonishing!  Even the professionals have been amazed at his progress and I have been asked on several occasions to speak to various groups about setting up a home program on a budget and ****'s remarkable progress.  My incredible son has been the subject of papers and presentations and I can’t tell you how proud I am of this wonderful little boy!

This brings me to the reason for my letter.  Although we have received some help from the government and although I have worked hard to bring costs down by undertaking much of his therapy myself, it is not enough.  _______________(governmental funding organization) informed me in our last telephone conversation that I shouldn’t hope for more funds this year.

I am very anxious by this news due to ****'s progress.  Obviously the therapy is working.  I have included letters indicating his initial diagnoses and more recent ones so that you can see for yourself the changes.

I have been told by different sources that your organization has been known to sponsor worthy causes in the past.  This is why this letter is so difficult to write.  The thought of turning to strangers for help is beyond my experience but your group has a well-known reputation of thoughtfulness and kindness.  My son and his cause is of such importance to me that I am prompted to contact you with our story.

With this in mind, I would like to ask if you could help me fund my son's ABA therapy.  $_______ would go such a long way toward helping him.  I would not approach you but I've tried many other options with no luck.   

I would be more than happy to come to your meetings to speak about this subject. I know this is not much in return for your consideration but I hope this story will give you pause regardless.

Please consider this request with my gratitude.

Sincerely

XXXXXXX