Targeted Disparity Small Grant Opportunity: Bronx and Chautauqua Counties

The NYS Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) is offering funds for eligible organizations in New York State located in either Bronx or Chautauqua Counties to address the needs of low-income people with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families and caregivers identified by a community needs assessment. In 2024, the NYS CDD conducted a community needs assessment in partnership with the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), which identified areas of need for both the Bronx and Chautauqua Counties. In response, the NYS CDD is making funding available to organizations to select an identified need and enact a project or initiative that addresses the need in Bronx or Chautauqua Counties.

The aims of this grant are:

• To support eligible organizations in Bronx and Chautauqua Counties to address the needs of people with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families and caregivers.
• To increase the resources available to low-income people with DD and their families and caregivers in Bronx and Chautauqua Counties.

Please note there are different focus areas for each county.

Small Grant Focus Areas

Bronx County
Below are the small grant focus areas for Bronx County. We understand that this is a small grant opportunity, so it may be difficult to address the scale of the need with a small grant opportunity. However, we welcome applications that propose innovative program ideas, develop trainings, materials, programs, and informational resources addressing the areas of focus.

• Expanding community-based supports for families and people with developmental disabilities
• Ensuring aging in place for people with developmental disabilities
• Reducing barriers to independent living or expanding housing options

Chautauqua County

Below are the small grant focus areas for Chautauqua County. We understand that this is a small grant opportunity, so it may be difficult to address the scale of the need with a small grant opportunity. However, we welcome applications that propose innovative program ideas, develop trainings, materials, programs, and informational resources addressing the areas of focus.

• Expanding social opportunities for people with developmental disabilities
• Expanding community-based supports for families and people with developmental disabilities
• Enhancing transportation access

CDD and CSH Community Needs Assessment

If you are interested in reading the full Community Needs Assessment that informed this small grant initiative, you can read it here: cdd-community-needs-assessment-final-2025.pdf

Important Dates:

Grant Period:

The grant period will be for one year with an anticipated start date of January 15, 2026.

Award Amount:

Eligible organizations in New York State can apply for a maximum of $10,000 and a minimum of $5,000.

Application Information Session:

The CDD will be hosting an information session to provide additional details and answer questions about this opportunity. The information session will be held on November 14, from 10:00AM-11:00AM. A recording of the information session will be posted to this webpage after the session is held. 

View the PowerPoint in the Opportunity Documents Section.

View the Recording Here

Overall Grant Expectations:
If selected for award, grantees will be expected to complete the following activities:

• Carry out activities over the course of 1 year to address the area of need you selected in your grant application.
• Collect satisfaction surveys from people who benefit from the work of the grant.
• Complete the NYS CDD Final Report and share data and feedback collected using the satisfaction survey within the Final Report.
• Adhere to CDD’s financial guidance as outlined in Allowable and Unallowable Expenses.
• Meet the minimum federal match requirement as outlined in Match (Cost Sharing).

 Eligible organizations:

• Nonprofit organizations (note: the lead applicant cannot be a for-profit organization; however, for-profit organizations may serve as subcontractors)
• Public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, or hospitals
• Disability-service organizations
• Community-based organizations
• Tribal organizations
• Local or county governments
• Consortia, groups, or partnerships among organizations 

Eligibility requirements:
All applicants must be a registered Vendor in the NYS Statewide Financial System (SFS). Proposals received from eligible applicants who have not been registered will be disqualified from further consideration.

Please note: We do not accept applications directly from individuals, only nonprofit organizations can apply for this opportunity.

All applications must be submitted electronically in Qualtrics by December 5, 2025. Documents referenced in the application can also be found in the 'Opportunity Documents' section below.
 

Designated Agency Contact:

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact the CDD’s Designated Agency Contact for this funding announcement.

Jacqueline Hayes, 
Program Planner
Phone: 518-486-7505
Email: [email protected] 

Apply for the Opportunity Here

Note: Documents referenced in this section are located in the Opportunity Documents at the bottom of this webpage.

Terms and Conditions: Please review all Standard NYS and CDD Terms and Conditions found in the Grant Award Letter of Agreement.

Underserved Communities: According to the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, the term un-and underserved communities “includes populations such as individuals from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds, disadvantaged individuals, individuals with limited English proficiency, individuals from underserved geographic areas (rural or urban), and specific groups of individuals within the population of individuals with developmental disabilities, including individuals who require assistive technology in order to participate in and contribute to community life." Per the DD Act, priority will be given to proposals that reach underserved members of the developmental disabilities community. Reference: https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/about-acl/2016-12/dd_act_2000.pdf

Timeline & Award: The grantee must spend the grant funds within one (1) calendar year of award.

Application Review Process: CDD will review all eligible applications. See eligibility requirements for more information. Upon completion of the review, applicants will receive notification of either award or declination via email. If awarded, grantees must complete a Grant Award Letter of Agreement and agree to the Standard NYS and CDD Terms and Conditions.

Reimbursement: Grant funds will be disbursed primarily via reimbursement and grantees can request a 25% advance of grant funding at the start of the grant period. Grantees must provide documentation of all expenses, including both grant and match expenses. Documentation of expenses include, but are not limited to payroll, timesheets, invoices, receipts, subcontractor agreements, etc.

Reporting: To receive grant reimbursement funds, grantees must submit a Final Report which outlines the activities, number of people who benefited from CDD grant funds, how people benefited from CDD grant funds, and includes final expenditure information and backup fiscal documentation.

Budget & Matching Funds: In the application form, you must provide a detailed budget that reflects how you intend to utilize CDD funds. Your budget must include an outline of your organization’s match funds to the project. Match funds must be at least 34% of the total award. For example, if you request $10,000 from the CDD, you will need to have $3,400 in Match funds. Match funds can be in-kind dollars that will be provided from sources beyond CDD funding and other federal funds. For more information on the CDD’s Match requirements, please see Match (Cost Sharing). Applicants cannot include nonallowable expenses in their budget in either grant or match expenses. Please see Allowable and Unallowable Expenses posted with this solicitation for additional guidance.

CDD Acknowledgement: Any materials created by a contractor, under a contract with the CDD, must acknowledge the funding support of the CDD. For example, “This document was produced in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Administration for Community Living through the New York State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy or the opinions, interpretation or policy of the NYS CDD.”

CDD Reserved Rights: The NYS CDD reserves the right to:

• Reject any or all applications received in response to this opportunity.
• Withdraw or reissue this opportunity at any time, at the sole discretion of CDD.
• Reject any application if, in the sole discretion of CDD, it determines the applicant is not a responsible vendor.
• Change any of the scheduled dates stated in this opportunity.
• Fund only one portion or selected activities of the selected applicant’s proposal and/or adopt all or part of the selected applicant’s proposal based on federal and state requirements.
• Rescind awards for failure of awardees to meet grant expectations as outlined in the overall grant expectations section.