Signature Employment Grants seeks to fund cutting-edge, non-traditional solutions and/or social ventures that increase employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. These may include new pilot initiatives or demonstration projects or other social ventures that are innovative and lead to the generation of new ideas to solve unemployment. It is necessary that at least 65% of the grant target population be individuals with mobility disabilities or cognitive impairments primarily from neurological disorders.

Our Process
The Signature Employment Grant program begins with online concept submission. The concept is scored and reviewed by Kessler Foundation for its originality, creativity, feasibility and collaborative stakeholder team. All applicants selected to submit a full grant proposal will be notified no later than March 15, 2011. At that time, a link to our full online application form will be provided. The deadline for full proposal submissions is June 10, 2011. After scoring and staf review, a selected group of candidates may either receive a site visit from Foundation staff or be invited to meet with Kessler\\\'s grant committee by teleconference or in-person during Fall 2011. All grants recommended for funding are subsequently approved by our Board of Trustees and will be awarded in December 2011 for the grant period January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2014. Final grant selection is at the discretion of Kessler Foundation.