Grants for Brain Injury Programs 2026: Who Pays
Quick Answer: If you're running a brain injury support group, clubhouse, day program or state brain injury association, private foundations pay for most of your work, and the main federal program pays your state, not you.
Full answer and how we checked it
Under 42 U.S.C. 300d-52, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) gives Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) State Partnership grants to states and American Indian consortia, and ACL's grantee list (updated July 2024) names 30 states. Those states may pass money to nonprofits through contracts. On the foundation side, Grantsights analysis of 990-PF health grants pulled October 30, 2026 found 34 foundations that gave $1,064,650 to brain injury groups, and many more brain injury grants sit outside any cause tag.
This guide is for executive directors, program staff and board members at brain injury associations and alliances, clubhouses, survivor support groups, residential and day programs, and camps for people living with an acquired or traumatic brain injury. Hospital rehabilitation programs show up here as competitors and partners. If your work is mostly with veterans, grants for veterans organizations covers that funder pool.
Data note: Grantsights searched 990-PF grants tagged to the health cause, pulled October 30, 2026, for recipients or purposes naming brain injury, traumatic brain injury (TBI), head injury or acquired brain injury, and dropped grants mentioning research, universities, colleges, institutes, clinical trials or studies. Of the 29 matched recipient entries read by hand, about 6 were stroke-only, research or unrelated programs, so treat the 34-foundation figure as a ceiling. The search wasn't checked to the 90% standard Grantsights uses for its state-by-state previews, and it's too small for one: just 3 states had 3 or more such foundations. Named grants below were each read in the filings.
In this guide (11 sections)
- How the Federal TBI Program Really Works: 3 Layers
- Is Your State on ACL's Grantee List?
- Who Gave to Brain Injury Programs: What 990-PF Filings Show
- Where the Health Funder List Fits
- What ACL and CDC Don't Tell You About Brain Injury Funding
- Common Mistakes in Brain Injury Grant Requests
- Costing a Brain Injury Day Program
- 5 Brain Injury Projects Foundations Have Paid For
- A 12-Month Funding Plan for a Brain Injury Nonprofit
- FAQ: Common Questions
- Sources
Foundations near you already fund this work. See three in your state that take requests, with how to apply. Free, about a minute.
Foundations that fund this work
43,922 private foundations gave to hospitals, clinics, hospices and health charities
From their own IRS Form 990-PF filings (tax years 2019 to 2025). Pick your state to see who gave there, with one foundation in full. About the list
Across the US, these foundations gave 282,323 grants totaling $48,801,068,047.
Historical giving does not establish an open application or eligibility for your organization. For-profit operators should check each foundation's applicant rules before buying.
The full list names all 43,922, state by state: what each gave, to whom, for what, and a link to its filings. One payment, no subscription.
Brain injury source review, Grantsights, October 30, 2026: Grantsights checked ACL's Traumatic Brain Injury State Partnership program page (opens in a new tab) and its grantee table, the statute text for state TBI grants at 42 U.S.C. 300d-52 (opens in a new tab) and protection and advocacy grants at 42 U.S.C. 300d-53 (opens in a new tab), the CDC's TBI facts and statistics page (opens in a new tab) and 990-PF filings. Where official sources stop: none of them lists which nonprofits hold state TBI contracts, so you have to ask your state's lead agency directly.
How the Federal TBI Program Really Works: 3 Layers
The federal TBI program has 3 layers, and only one of them can pay a local nonprofit, and only indirectly. Grantsights compared ACL's program page with the statute, and the two read differently in a way that matters for anyone hoping to get a state contract.
| Layer | Who gets the money | What it pays for | Where a local nonprofit fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBI State Partnership grants (42 U.S.C. 300d-52) | States and American Indian consortia | Systems that improve access to rehabilitation and other services | Contracts from the state lead agency, seats on the state advisory board |
| Protection and advocacy for TBI (42 U.S.C. 300d-53) | Each state's protection and advocacy system | Information, referrals, advocacy, legal representation, self-advocacy help | Referral partner, not a recipient |
| Foundation grants | Nonprofits directly | Clubhouses, support groups, staff, buildings, camps, equipment | Direct applicant |
What the statute says. Per the text of 42 U.S.C. 300d-52, the Secretary, acting through ACL, may make grants to states and American Indian consortia to carry out projects that improve access to rehabilitation and other services for traumatic brain injury. A state must use the money "directly or through awards of contracts to nonprofit private entities," and the uses it lists include contracts to nonprofit entities for consumer or family service access training, consumer support, peer mentoring and parent to parent programs.
What ACL's page adds. According to the ACL TBI program page, State Partnership grants can't be used for primary injury prevention, research or the provision of direct services, though they may pay to educate the public about TBI. ACL also lists the barriers its grantees work on: screening, a trained workforce, information and referral, and resource facilitation. That's narrower than the statute's list. In practice, the contract a nonprofit is most likely to win is for peer mentoring, resource facilitation, training or outreach, not for running a day program.
The match. Per the statute, a state may get the grant only if it puts up at least $1 of non-federal money for each $2 of federal money, in cash or in kind, including plant, equipment or services. Grantsights' honest take: that rule makes a nonprofit with documented volunteer hours and donated space useful to the state, and it's worth saying so when you ask for a contract.
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Is Your State on ACL's Grantee List?
ACL's grantee table, marked updated July 2024, lists 30 states, and the lead organization varies more than most applicants expect. ACL's own page still describes a funding cycle running FY2021 to FY2026, so check with your state before you count on a contract into 2027.
| State | Lead organization on ACL's list |
|---|---|
| California | California State Department of Rehabilitation |
| Colorado | Colorado Department of Human Services |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Department of Vocational Rehabilitation |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission |
| Florida | University of Florida |
| Oregon | University of Oregon, Center for Brain Injury Research and Training |
| Georgia | Georgia Department of Public Health |
| Missouri | Missouri Department of Health |
New York and Texas weren't on the July 2024 list, and both have active brain injury nonprofits that raise money privately. If your state isn't listed, the federal layer offers you little this year, and foundations become the whole plan.
The statute also requires each funded state to keep an advisory board that includes public and nonprofit health organizations, members of an organization or foundation representing people with TBI in that state, and a substantial number of people with TBI or their family members. A seat on that board is the most direct way a local group learns when contracts open.
Who Gave to Brain Injury Programs: What 990-PF Filings Show
Foundations reporting on IRS Form 990-PF are a main source for brain injury nonprofits, though they're spread thin. Grantsights analysis of 990-PF health grants pulled October 30, 2026 found 34 foundations that made 50 grants to brain injury groups, totaling $1,064,650. California, Colorado and New York were the only states with 3 or more of those funders, with 6, 7 and 6.
That count understates the market. A wider search of all 990-PF grants, with no cause filter, matched about 303 foundations, but most of those grants carry no cause tag at all. Grantsights didn't check that wider set by hand, so it isn't a verified count, and those grants won't appear on any Grantsights cause list. These grants, each read in the filings, show who's giving:
| Foundation | Brain injury group | State | Amount | Filed purpose | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Sherwood Foundation | Brain Injury Association of Nebraska, Lincoln | NE | $307,033 | Brain injury screening and support for youth in the justice system | 2025 |
| Feinstein Health Fund | Head Injury Foundation, Hauppauge | NY | $200,000 | General support | 2023, 2024 and 2025 |
| Hilltop Foundation | Craig Hospital Foundation, Englewood | CO | $200,000 | Operation TBI Freedom for veterans with brain injuries | 2023 and 2024 |
| The Luther and Susie Harrison Foundation | Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse, Stone Mountain | GA | $100,000 | Support for 3 families in rehabilitation | 2023 |
| The Moody Foundation | BIND Brain Injury Network of Dallas, Plano | TX | $85,000 | Clubhouse operational expansion | 2023 |
| H and H Lee Charitable Foundation | High Hopes, Tustin | CA | $60,000 | Brain injury equipment | 2024 and 2025 |
| Patricia Bragg Foundation | Jodi House Brain Injury Support Center, Santa Barbara | CA | $60,000 | General support | 2025 |
| The William G. Irwin Charity Foundation | Marin Brain Injury Network, Larkspur | CA | $48,200 | Building repair and garden access | 2024 |
For example, the Brain Injury Association of Nebraska received $307,033 from the Sherwood Foundation in 2025 for screening and support for young people in the justice system. That's a brain injury group winning a large grant by tying its work to a system the funder already cares about. The D. F. Dillon Foundation also gave the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska $30,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for programs.
The clubhouse pattern
One kind of program shows up again and again in the larger gifts: the brain injury clubhouse, a day program where survivors work side by side with staff. One organization in Texas, BIND in Plano, drew $85,000 from the Moody Foundation and $54,000 from the Meadows Foundation in 2023, both to grow its clubhouse, including a new program serving Tarrant County. In Georgia, the Scott Hudgens Family Foundation gave Side by Side $25,000 in 2024 for its day program for adult survivors of pediatric brain injury.
California's brain injury funders
California shows how many small and mid-size funders back brain injury work. In Marin County alone, the Marin Brain Injury Network drew $25,000 from the Firedoll Foundation in both 2023 and 2024, $22,500 from the Bothin Foundation in 2024 for technology at its center for adults with acquired brain injuries, and the $48,200 Irwin grant. The George H. Sandy Foundation gave the Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery, also in Larkspur, $25,000 in 2023 and $30,000 in 2024 for brain injury services.
Where the Health Funder List Fits
Brain injury sits inside the health cause on the Grantsights health funder list, next to clinics, hospices and other health charities. With only 34 health foundations naming brain injury groups, there's no brain injury filter for this guide's preview. A brain injury program buying the list is buying the wider pool of health funders in its state, and it has to make the case that brain injury belongs in their giving. A single state list costs $29; the $99 option covers every cause for a year, and either is refundable for 30 days.
| State | Health grants filed | Foundations giving to health | Taking requests | Median health grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 27,604 | 6,824 | 1,451 | $10,000 |
| New York | 34,563 | 9,879 | 2,025 | $5,000 |
| Texas | 15,645 | 3,926 | 1,182 | $6,875 |
| Colorado | 5,596 | 1,769 | 440 | $8,000 |
| Georgia | 7,534 | 2,642 | 686 | $5,000 |
| Nebraska | 1,336 | 357 | 136 | $10,000 |
Source: Grantsights analysis of 990-PF health grants by state, pulled October 29, 2026. Nebraska is small by count, with 357 health funders, but its $10,000 median matches California's, so a Nebraska group should ask for more than a New York group typically would.
What ACL and CDC Don't Tell You About Brain Injury Funding
These 5 points come from reading the federal pages next to the filings.
- The need number is large, and funders want yours. According to CDC data, there were more than 69,000 TBI-related deaths in the United States in 2021, and falls lead to nearly half of TBI-related hospitalizations. ACL cites research finding 1.56 million TBIs sustained in a year. Neither breaks it down by county, so pull your state's hospital or injury data before you write.
- Rehab hospitals are in the same funder files. Craig Hospital, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and the TIRR Foundation all drew brain injury grants. The Wilshire Charitable Foundation gave Shirley Ryan AbilityLab $100,000 in 2024 and again in 2025 for brain and spinal injury rehab. Don't compete on rehab; pitch what happens after discharge.
- Veterans programs pull separate money. Hilltop's Operation TBI Freedom grants went to a hospital program for veterans. If you serve veterans, apply to those funders too.
- Statewide groups get national-style gifts. The Mentor Network Charitable Foundation gave the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators $40,000 in 2023 for a public 50-state brain injury services guide. Infrastructure work can win if it's useful to many states.
- Housing is fundable. The Michael and Jody Petrie Foundation gave Villa Licci in Brownsburg, Indiana, $25,000 in both 2023 and 2024 toward a residence for people with traumatic brain injuries.
Contrary to popular belief, a brain injury group doesn't need a hospital partner to win sizable grants. Most of the gifts in the table above went to stand-alone community nonprofits.
Common Mistakes in Brain Injury Grant Requests
These 5 mistakes come up when brain injury groups write to health funders.
- Pitching research. A request fails because a family foundation reads "brain injury" and assumes it's medical research it can't judge. Say in the first line that you provide services, not research.
- Treating the state grant as yours. A common mistake is listing "federal TBI funds" as revenue when your state holds the grant and hasn't contracted with you. Funders spot that.
- Underestimating staffing. Clubhouses and day programs run on trained staff, and groups often underestimate the cost of the second staff member. Put the real ratio in your budget.
- Ignoring caregivers. Family members carry most of the load after discharge. A red flag for health funders is a proposal that never mentions them; the grants for respite care programs guide covers funders who pay for caregiver breaks.
- Blind asks. Read how to read a 990-PF and size each request to what that foundation has given, not to your budget gap.
Costing a Brain Injury Day Program
Before you ask a foundation for a clubhouse or day program grant, build this table from your own numbers. It's illustrative, not data: wages, rent and transport costs vary by region.
| Cost line | Why funders ask about it | Often left out? |
|---|---|---|
| Program staff and the staff-to-member ratio | Safety and quality depend on it | No |
| Transportation to and from the program | Many survivors can't drive | Yes |
| Cognitive and adaptive tools | Tablets, software, memory aids | Yes |
| Accessible space and repairs | Ramps, bathrooms, garden paths | Yes |
| Caregiver and family sessions | Families need support too | Yes |
| Outcome tracking | Funders want proof members return to work or volunteer | Yes |
The High Hopes equipment grants in Tustin and the Marin network's building repair grant show that equipment and space are easier asks than general operating money for a first-time funder.
5 Brain Injury Projects Foundations Have Paid For
Each of these 5 projects matches grants Grantsights read in the filings.
- Clubhouse expansion into a new county. BIND's Moody and Meadows grants did exactly this.
- Screening in another system. The Nebraska association's justice system screening grant shows the model.
- Camp for survivors. The Creel-Harison Foundation gave the Walton Foundation for Independence in Augusta, Georgia, $30,000 in each of 2023, 2024 and 2025, partly for Camp TBI subsidies and adaptive sports.
- Technology for members. Bothin's 2024 grant to the Marin network bought technology for its center.
- Statewide association operations. The Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust gave the Brain Injury Association of Louisiana $27,000 in 2023 and again in 2025.
Survivors who return to sport and recreation share funders with grants for adaptive sports programs, and programs that serve older adults after a fall overlap with grants for adult day centers. Several veterans' groups that place trained dogs with survivors of a traumatic brain injury are profiled in grants for service dog organizations, which is worth reading if you refer clients to them.
A 12-Month Funding Plan for a Brain Injury Nonprofit
This plan splits the year between the state and foundation tracks so neither is an afterthought.
| Month | Action |
|---|---|
| January | Count members served, days attended, hours of peer mentoring and caregivers reached |
| February | Ask your state lead agency (from ACL's list) about contracts and advisory board seats |
| March to May | Send 8 to 10 foundation requests, half to health funders and half to family or disability funders |
| June | Report results to current funders |
| July to September | Document volunteer hours and donated space that could count toward a state match |
| October to December | Ask for equipment and building gifts before year-end giving |
The Grantsights grant database tracks open federal and state notices, including disability and rehabilitation programs where a brain injury group may join as a partner. Groups serving people with several disabilities should also read grants for disability services.
FAQ: Common Questions
Can a local brain injury nonprofit apply for the federal TBI State Partnership Program? No. States and American Indian consortia apply, and they can contract with nonprofits.
Which states have an ACL brain injury grant right now? 30 states on ACL's list updated July 2024; New York and Texas weren't on it.
Do foundations fund brain injury support groups and clubhouses? Yes; they're the main source, from Moody in Texas to Feinstein on Long Island.
How many health foundations gave to brain injury groups? 34 in Grantsights' search of 990-PF health grants pulled October 30, 2026.
What's the match on a state TBI grant? At least $1 of non-federal money for each $2 of federal money, cash or in kind.
Is there federal money for legal help for people with brain injuries? Yes, through grants to each state's protection and advocacy system.
Sources
- ACL: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) State Partnership Grant Program (opens in a new tab)
- 42 U.S.C. 300d-52, State grants for projects regarding traumatic brain injury (govinfo) (opens in a new tab)
- 42 U.S.C. 300d-53, State grants for protection and advocacy services (govinfo) (opens in a new tab)
- CDC: TBI Data and Statistics (opens in a new tab)
- IRS: About Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab)
Last updated October 30, 2026. Published by Grantsights from public sources. See our editorial policy, how we build and check guides, corrections and how we make money.
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