Enriching Lives and Empowering Communities

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) often meet pernicious barriers in society such as discriminatory attitudes and limited access to inclusive employment opportunities. These barriers collectively create significant challenges affecting their personal growth, independence and overall quality of life.

Since 1986, the Foundation for Developmental Disabilities (FDD) has kept an unwavering commitment to enhancing the quality of life for individuals with IDDs and their families in San Diego and Imperial Counties.
Over the past five years, through grant opportunities and strategic partnerships, FDD has provided approximately two million dollars to over one hundred nonprofit organizations, enabling the expansion of their services and overall reach. Organizations such as the Autism Society San Diego, National Foundation for Autism Research, Noah Homes, Options for All, and San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum have all received grants from FDD, strengthening their ability to serve individuals with IDDs and their families.
In addition to grant opportunities, the Foundation offers Special Gifts of up to $100,000 for capital, social enterprise and start-up funding to organizations that provide job placement, job training, and self-advocacy opportunities to individuals with IDDs. Since 2018, FDD has supplied over $400,000 to fund programs that effectively boost economic impact. This year, FDD awarded Blissful Seeds and Merakey, two notable nonprofit organizations, Special Gifts of $100,000 each for their job training and placement solutions.
The Foundation has also made substantial progress over the years through its funding of affordable housing developments, providing over $1 million for two large-scale developments, Pacifica in Playa del Sol and Girasol in El Centro, both with units set aside for individuals with IDDs and their families. This has furthered FDD’s commitment to providing safe and affordable housing for the population that it serves.
FDD also works with the San Diego Regional Center to provide financial assistance to its 37,000 clients through the Foundation’s Help Fund and Adopt-a-Family Programs. These programs were created to aid individuals with IDDs and families facing financial hardship, directly benefiting our community. The Help Fund and Adopt-a-Family Programs are made possible through the Foundation’s annual fundraising events including its Day at the Races fundraiser.
The Foundation supports holistic initiatives for individuals with IDDs such as affordable and permanent housing development, educational attainment through scholarship provisions for students pursuing the IDDs fields, emergency funds and job development and placement programs. By assessing, financing and evaluating innovative and community-led organizations and initiatives, FDD has left an indelible impact on the community.
Join FDD’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life for individuals with IDDs and their families. Support the Foundation’s Help Fund Program by donating or buying tickets to its Day at the Races fundraiser which will be held on Thursday, August 31, 2023, at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
Visit www.foundationfordd.org/events to learn more.