Philadelphia Autism Project 2025–26 Seed Award Launch
Join us as we celebrate this year’s Seed Award recipients and the incredible impact they are making in the autism community. Connect with fellow recipients, partners, and supporters while recognizing the innovative projects and initiatives driving meaningful change across Philadelphia.
During this gathering, participants will:
- Learn about the innovative projects and initiatives being funded through this year’s Seed Award initiative.
- Connect with fellow award recipients, community partners, and stakeholders committed to advancing autism initiatives in Philadelphia.
- Strengthen connections within the Philadelphia Autism Project network and explore opportunities for ongoing engagement.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, August 20, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Refreshments will be available beginning at 9:30 a.m., and the program will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.
Location:
MacAlister Hall
City View Lounge (6th Floor)
3250 Chestnut Street
Philadelphie, PA 19104
Additional Guests
If you’d like to invite additional guests, please share the event flyer or registration link with them so each attendee can register individually.
Transportation & Parking
Guests are asked to arrange their own transportation to the event. If you plan to drive, parking is available in nearby garages or at metered street parking, where available.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact the Philadelphia Autism Project at phillyap@drexel.edu or 215-571-3209.
This event is hosted by the Philadelphia Autism Project, in partnership with the Office of Councilmember Mike Driscoll, the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), and Community Behavioral Health (CBH).
Who can apply for seed award grants?
Eligible applicants/organizations must be:
- Philadelphia residents or Philadelphia-based organizations
- 18 years or older
- The project or activity is in Philadelphia, focused on Philadelphia residents
Please note for academic institutions: The seed award grants are not meant to fund academic institutions. However, we understand that the development of autistic student groups can be a helpful resource. Thus, we have funded these groups in the past with the goal of creating a mutual support space within a university/college environment. Other groups/programs based within a university/college environment will be reviewed and evaluated on an individual basis.
Please note for Drexel-based applicants: In the past, we have declined all Drexel applicants. If a community-based organization would like to work with a Drexel-affiliated program to apply for this grant, and if the project is approved, the funds will go to the community-based organization.
Four Pillars of Impact:
- Emerging Needs: Projects that focus on evolving needs that arise. In the past, this has included projects related to the impact of COVID-19, healthy relationships and sexuality, criminal justice interactions, employment, and more.
- Lived Experience: Projects that center the needs of the people closest to the issues that we seek to address.
- Plaidoyer: Projects that support learning about self-advocacy, advocacy, and/or policy change with the goal of improving the lives of autistic individuals and their support networks.
- Connection: Projects that focus on community programs, support groups, events, and/or opportunities to foster relationships and connections.
The seed award grants prioritize projects that:
- Serve diverse audiences.
- Meet the needs of under-resourced and under-served communities.
- Centers people with lived experience.
- Are community focused.
- Are new applicants. If returning applicant, have completed the final report.
Funding Amount
Award amounts will vary based on your project needs and have typically ranged from several hundred dollars to $1,000 in seed funding. Limited opportunities may allow for additional funding for larger projects.
The money can be used for things like:
- Supplies
- Materials
- Speaker costs
- Other program costs
The money cannot be used for things like:
- Individual camp grants or individual needs
- Fundraising events
- Treatment costs
- Research projects
We encourage you to reach out to your local non-profit organization, local county resources and the ASERT Collaborative to explore additional grants and funding streams. For more information about ASERT, please visit www.paautism.org, email info@paautism.org or call 1-877-231-4244.
Award Review Process:
The Philadelphia Autism Project organizes a Seed Award Review Committee to review and score applications. Committee members come from a variety of backgrounds and include autistic individuals, previous award recipients, community members, and others. All applications are reviewed by at least two Committee members. Review criteria vary based on whether it is a grassroots project (a new organization/project without a previously established network and/or resources) or a more experienced organization/group (have the organizational resources and structure in place to do the project). If you are interested in joining the Seed Award Review Committee, please contact us at phillyap@drexel.edu. Please note, if you are part of the Seed Award Review Committee, you will not be able to submit a seed award application.
Application:
Explore our blank application and an example application to help guide your submission. This application is provided only as an example to show the level of detail we expect for each question. It is meant to be a guide for applicants and should not be seen as the only type of project we will fund. All applications will be reviewed based on their own strengths, and funding decisions will depend on how well each project matches the Seed Award Initiative’s goals and requirements.
Timeline
Below is a typical timeline for the grant process.
- November/December: Application opens
- February: Due date for applications
- March: Applications are reviewed
- April: Applicants are informed of their funding status
- May: Due date to return completed seed award paperwork
- Summer: Attend launch event to connect with others and share your work.
- January: Final Progress Report due
