Best Buddies Grant Proposal

To: Best Buddies of Utah

From: Professional Writing 3015 Students: Sydney Chan, Caleb Ham, Riley Ostler, William
Tjaden

Summary of request
As an international non-profit organization that strives for the inclusion and integration of people
with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) into society as a whole, Best Buddies
formally and respectfully requests the amount of $______ from (committee, corporation, etc.).
As an expanding non-profit organization that is based solely around volunteer work and
donations, Best Buddies is a thriving group that focuses on one-to-one friendships and
relationships for people with IDD, helping to provide job, school, and social opportunities in
order to create a better quality of life.

Where does the money go?

For every donation received by Best Buddies, exactly 81% goes toward the expansion,
development, and funding of each of the 6 individual programs within the organization that
directly integrate people with IDD. 14% of donations received go toward other means of
fundraising such as friendship walks, the annual Best Buddies Ball, rallies, campaigns and
others of the sort. While the remaining 5% of donations are put toward administration.
As a contributor and a supporter of Best Buddies, you will be helping to provide people with
intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to be a included in our society,
whether it be through employment, education, or social interactions. Opening these doors to
persons with IDD promotes the equality of others in todays world. Not only will you be helping
this generation of people with IDD, your consideration may influence other employers who will
then consider accepting someone with another learning disability into their place of work and
providing this opportunity to them along with others. Donating to Best Buddies can directly and
indirectly better the community in its effort for inclusion of people with these disabilities.
Best Buddies Mission

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization, founded by Anthony Shriver, that strives to establish
integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities ( IDD) and create a global volunteer movement to form one-to-one
friendships. Our organization wants to give people with IDD a chance to secure rewarding jobs,
live independently, become inspirational leaders and make lifelong meaningful friendships and
connections. Best Buddies goal is to better integrate people with IDD into society and have
them become a major part of their community, state, and country. Individuals with intellectual
and developmental disabilities tend to be excluded from their communities and underestimated
by others. Best Buddies seeks to change societys perception of people with IDD by helping
them establish sincere and supportive friendships, allowing them to live life with more
confidence and comfort. The organization also wants to get individuals with intellectual and
developmental disabilities involved with leadership and expose them to resources and teachings
that will help them make positive contributions to themselves, the workplace and other roles in
the community. Overall, Best Buddies wants to assist individuals with IDD get so integrated in
their communities that eventually its services will no longer be needed and the individual will be
essentially self-sustaining.
In 2011, Best Buddies created the 2020 initiative, with the goal of opening offices in all 50
states, expanding into 100 countries, and impacting 3 million people with and without intellectual
and developmental disabilities by the end of 2020.These actions includes plans to teach and
train 4,000 Buddies Ambassadors, develop 1,000 jobs for people with IDD around the globe and
increase the number of school based chapters to 2,500.
Impact/effectiveness of project
Best Buddies is composed of eight programs (more details listed in the Program Dynamics
section) that have positively impacted nearly 900,000 individuals with and without disabilities.
The programs have changed many lives in all 50 states and in 50 countries internationally.
Individuals with IDD have had many positive results from their involvement in the program such
as gaining more independence, obtaining secure employment, forming strong connections with
other people in the society and gaining the knowledge and resources to become strong leaders
in their local communities and countries. Best Buddies helps people with IDD achieve their
dreams and fulfill their potential.
Although Best Buddies has tremendously advanced in the short amount of time since its
creation, many areas of the country and other regions of the world still lack programs that
supports and assists people with IDD become a part of the mainstream society. With this in
mind, Best Buddies is implementing the 2020 initiative (as stated earlier) which will oversee and
track the organization's growth and impact, both domestically and overseas.
Program Dynamics

Best Buddies fosters one-on-one friendships and inclusion for people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities (IDD) through middle school programs, high school programs, college
programs, citizens programs, e-buddies platforms, job partnerships, and ambassador trainings.
Middle School: Best Buddies starts their mission for inclusion within middle
schools in order to foster an inclusive environment for those with intellectual
and developmental disabilities in education. Starting at such a young age is
crucial for building the confidence of those with and without disabilities.
These one-on-one friendships limit social isolation and help adolescents
within the program build self-esteem before they begin their next educational
chapter of high school.
High School: High school is a time of heightened social and emotional
development for many students. This program reinforces the mission of
inclusion at the pinnacle for adolescents before one is considered an adult.
High schools aim to prepare students to be successful in whatever their life
endeavors may be. Having an intellectual or developmental disability should
not limit these life endeavours, leading to college and citizens programs.
College: College is an excellent environment to strengthen social skills and
build life-long friendships. This program promotes one-on-one friendships
between college students and adults with intellectual and developmental
disabilities. This is a great opportunity to get involved on campus and
community life for those with disabilities. Specifically, the Best Buddies
Chapter at the University of Utah strives to promote inclusion by attending
both on campus and off campus activities as a group. For example, previous
monthly activities consisted of University of Utah basketball games, movie
nights at Gateway Megaplex, barbeques at Liberty Park, and Buddy Ball
dances. Each one of these activities is one step closer to accomplishing the
Best Buddies mission of inclusion. Necessary funding is imperative to
facilitating large group activities and spreading awareness throughout the
community.
Jobs: This employment program develops partnerships with employers,
assists in hiring processes, and provides additional support for those with
IDDs looking for future employment. Employment is a privilege that should
not be taken away from an individual due to disabilities if the person is able
to perform necessary tasks. This program provides the framework for those
with IDDs to showcase their skills and abilities.
E-Buddies: This electronic platform provides those with and without IDDs
the opportunity to communicate over long distances. Unfortunately, there are
regions within the United States that dont have Best Buddies chapters but
this should not hinder one from sustaining one-on-one friendships.

 Ambassadors: This program offers educational and group training sessions

to build leadership and public speaking skills. Not only are these skill sets
crucial to making an impact within ones community, they are imperative for
self-advocation. The University of Utah has numerous Best Buddie
Ambassadors that consistently develop their leadership ability at conferences
in order to spread their desire for inclusion.
Citizens: This program fosters one-on-one friendships for people with and
without IDDs. This program is crucial in order to promote inclusion within
mainstream society. It is unacceptable to support barriers for those with
IDDs for any circumstance and it is our job to provide equality for all.
Promoters: This program is all about empowering students who do not have
special education programs at their schools with awareness with regard to
the disability rights movement. These students can then pass on their newly
acquired knowledge and enthusiasm for the movement to hundreds of kids
around them.
Budget Justification/Statistics:
The inclusion of individuals with IDD into our society is an inspiring tale, one that requires
monetary support from companies like yours. IDD success stories are the reason we come to
work every day and move forward with such determination. One such example comes from one
of one of Chicagos largest law firms, Seyfarth Shaw. The Chicago Tribune describes Shalonda
Sanders, who suffered brain damage when hit by a car as a child.
Shalonda takes on package delivery and cleaning duties at Seyfarth Shaw. She had tried for
years to acquire paid-work, unsuccessfully, until she was connected with this opportunity
through Best Buddies Illinois.
Best Buddies mission to find competitive jobs for IDD individuals isnt just a good thing to do,
but good for the bottom line wrote the Chicago Tribune. Best Buddies Illinois alone has placed
14 people into paid- jobs they couldnt have found otherwise.
The employment numbers for those individuals nationwide with intellectual disabilities hovers
around , while the numbers for those without intellectual disabilities are above . Around 11%
of IDD individuals are looking for work but unable to find it while still others are part-time or
underemployed. The key is job training which organizations such as Best Buddies focus on in
preparation for getting IDD individuals into positions that fit their skill set.
Demographics and population served
Best Buddies positively impacts nearly 900,000 individuals with and without disabilities
worldwide. Its programs stretch across all 50 states, to the rainforests of Latin America; from the

savannahs of South Africa to the bustling metropolises of Hong Kong and Beijing; from cities
high in the Alps to the desert oases of the Middle East. Its footprint is truly vast and growing with
every donation.
Best Buddies Chairman and Founder Anthony Kennedy Shriver has praised NBA commissioner
Adam Silver for employing adults with IDD at the league offices. Most recently, Shriver met with
athlete Tom Brady, food-celebrity Guy Fieri, actors Dane Cook, Michael Chiklis and Hublots
Ricardo Guadalupe in Boston in an event expected to raise over $5 million toward Best Buddies
cause.
Volunteers
Best Buddies is a volunteer-based organization who relies on the support and dedication of
amazing volunteers. There are multiple programs that volunteers can choose from to help make
a difference in the lives of people with disabilities, as well as their own. There are many fun
activities for volunteers and their buddies to get involved in; including, participating in group
activities, bowling, classrooms visits, reading, or even sharing a lunch.
The benefit of having dedicated volunteers and multiple programs is that almost every age
groups offered in the program will get a chance to take part in the mission to help give
individuals with IDD a chance to live a comfortable and accepting life. Overall, Best Buddies
volunteers contribute supportive services that equate to more than $168 millions U.S dollars
( with no cost to their communities).
What makes Best Buddies unique?
The ultimate goal of our organization is to terminate Best Buddies completely. Best Buddies is
unique in a way that we strive to make integration of people with IDD in the workforce and
leadership roles that it will become a normal occurrence and, therefore, putting Best Buddies
out of business. Acceptance and inclusion of people with IDD should be a staple in every
community, meaning that there should be absolutely no need for an organization, such as Best
Buddies, to have to fight for people with IDD to get a job, to get involved in school programs or
others of the sort. Funding and donations for Best Buddies now could make for a future that
accepts people with these disabilities unconditionally.