Beloved community members,

We hope you are finding opportunities for care and rest, and we witness how many of us are constantly deprived of and prevented from accessing care and rest at the same time.

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

We've received record-breaking numbers of applications in the last several months, and done our best to keep fundraising to meet the enormous need in our community.

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

Autistic people of color must fight constantly to survive both ableism and racism, which threaten our continued existence daily.

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

We've updated part of our website to share more information for those seeking to apply for themselves, and for the increasing numbers of non-autistic parents who have applied for their autistic children:

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

First and foremost, this fund is meant for autistic people of color applying for themselves – autistic youth of color and autistic adults of color. (This includes when an autistic person asks a trusted person to help fill out the application.)

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

We also receive many inquiries from parents or caregivers of autistic children who’d like to apply for help with their child. Sometimes, we do approve applications sent by parents/caregivers on behalf of autistic people of color.

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

Please note this important information if you are a parent/caregiver:

* Our fund gives money to be used for the autistic person of color, no matter who helps with the application.

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

We strongly prefer applications that emphasize the autistic person’s individual wants, needs, desires, preferences, choices, interests. For example, we’d love to know if your child wants help with math, is interested in art, wants to learn a sport, loves bouncing on trampolines.

* We sometimes approve applications for help for a child’s therapy, but only if this is therapy that the child actually wants. We never approve applications to pay for ABA because our community widely understands ABA to be abusive and unhelpful.

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

* If you are applying for help with things affecting your whole family (e.g. rent, groceries, utility bills), we will still consider this application, since children rely on their parents to take care of necessities like rent and bills.

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

* If you have more than one autistic child in your family, and you are applying for household help (e.g. rent, bills, etc.), we will consider your children as part of a single application for the family.

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

* If you are applying for help for yourself as a parent/caregiver, you will not be eligible. For example, if you are looking for funds to give yourself a respite day from childcare, this would not be an eligible request.

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

* On the other hand, if you are looking for funds so your autistic child can have a weekend respite from family, then this would be an eligible request.

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

If you are in a crisis right now, and need a shorter application, you can send us an emergency request. Crisis usually means that you are currently in danger of losing housing, health care, or food, or that you are in a dangerous or abusive situation.

https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

We continue to need donations to support the dozens of applications we receive weekly, sometimes even in single day. You can donate at https://www.awnnetwork.org/donate  or PayPal to [email protected]. Please add the note "APOC." (On the webform, the designation is on the 2nd page.)

You can also mail a donation by check. Please make out the check to "Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network" and write "APOC" in the memo line. You can mail your check to Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, 5100 Van Dorn Street, Suite 6633, Lincoln, Nebraska 68506.

We welcome donations as small as a couple dollars and as large as thousands. Your donations are tax-deductible as our fiscal sponsor, the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network @awnnetwork_, is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.