Stronger Together Grant Program

Geographic Scope: United States (has supported individuals across 25 states to date)

Focus Areas:

• Physical therapy and rehabilitation support
• Home modifications
• Vehicle modifications
• Assistive equipment and adaptive technology
• Wheelchairs and mobility equipment

Target Population:

• People with disabilities living with paralysis due to spinal cord injury (SCI)
• All ages welcome
• Must demonstrate financial need

Eligibility Criteria:

• Person with a disability living with paralysis due to spinal cord injury
• Demonstrate financial need through supporting documentation
• Have not received TESF funding in the past 12 months
• Located in the United States
• Cannot provide grants for political or religious purposes

What TESF Funds:

• Home Modifications: Must own your home
• Vehicle Modifications: Must own your vehicle
• Equipment: New (not used) therapy or adaptive equipment only
• Physical Therapy: Must be enrolled in a physical therapy facility; TESF will not pay costs typically covered by insurance
• Assistive Technology

What TESF Does NOT Fund:

• Used therapy or adaptive equipment
• Personal needs or general living expenses
• Costs already paid or existing debt (no reimbursements)
• Equipment from individuals (only from vendors/suppliers)

Application Requirements:

• At least one vendor estimate or quote required for all requests
• For home modifications: must own the home
• For vehicle modifications: must own the vehicle
• Supporting documentation of financial need
• Applications without vendor documentation cannot be reviewed

Review Process:

• Applications reviewed on a rolling basis
• Applicants may be contacted for follow-up interview within three weeks
• Applicants must respond within two weeks of scheduling notification or application closes
• Review committee includes people with lived experience from spinal cord injury
• Grant funds issued directly to vendors/therapy facilities, not to individuals

Contact Information:

• Email: info@thomasesmithfoundation.org
• Phone: (617) 996-0623
• Address: PO Box 46, Marblehead, MA 01945

Additional Notes:

• Can combine support from multiple funding sources
• Each applicant limited to one grant request per calendar year
• Applications accepted from people nationwide, not just Massachusetts
• Can apply even if received grants from other organizations
• Foundation has distributed over $2,000,000 to benefit people affected by spinal cord injury and paralysis

How to Apply for Stronger Together Grant

Application Process:

1. Complete online application form at thomasesmithfoundation.org/grant-application/
2. Provide all required information (see application requirements below)
3. Submit with vendor documentation
4. TESF reviews application on rolling basis
5. If selected for further review, applicant receives scheduling email
6. Respond to scheduling email within 2 weeks to schedule interview
7. If interview scheduled, applicant meets with TESF team
8. TESF makes funding determination based on available resources

Required Application Information:

Contact & Personal Information:

• Applicant's name and email
• Preferred contact phone number
• Date of birth
• Full address (street, city, state, ZIP, country)
• Relationship to applicant (if applying on behalf of someone else)

Medical/Injury Information:

• Date of injury or diagnosis (select from options: <3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 1-3 years, 3-5 years, >5 years)
• Level of spinal cord injury (C1-C8, T1-T12, L1-L5, S1-S5)
• Description of what caused the injury or diagnosis

Support Services:

• Whether working with a social worker or case manager
• If yes: name, email, and phone number

Vendor Documentation (REQUIRED):

• At least one vendor estimate or quote for requested therapy, equipment, or modification
• Must include for: home modifications, vehicle modifications, wheelchairs, therapy sessions, equipment, assistive technology
• Applications without vendor documentation cannot be reviewed

Financial Documentation:

• Supporting documentation demonstrating financial need

Application Restrictions:

• All applications submitted online only
• Assistance available: someone can complete the application with or on behalf of applicant
• If assistance needed, note challenges within the application itself

Timeline & Response Requirements:

• Applications reviewed on rolling basis
• Response time for status updates may take several weeks
• If scheduled for interview: must respond within 2 weeks or application closes
• Calendar invitations automatically adjust to applicant's local time zone

Interview Details:

• Not all applicants receive interviews; only those selected for review
• Applicants encouraged to provide comprehensive information in application
• Committee reviews written applications when interviews not possible

After Application:

• Applicants notified via email of application status changes
• Grant funds issued directly to therapy facilities or vendors, not to individuals
• If circumstances change after submission, contact info@thomasesmithfoundation.org