WITH Foundation

Vision Statement

We believe that every human being has the right to be treated with dignity. Our current healthcare system provides inadequate consideration for the needs of adults with developmental disabilities, and to neglect this population is in sharp contrast to accepted medical and ethical standards. However, we are confident that this injustice is both definable and surmountable with the result that every adult with a developmental disability will have access to appropriate healthcare options.

Mission Statement

The mission of WITH Foundation is to promote the establishment of comprehensive healthcare for adults with developmental disabilities that is designed to address their unique and fundamental needs.

Core Values

We embrace, intentionally demonstrate, and give preference to organizations that share the following core values:

• An Intersectional Approach: We celebrate adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities that may also hold other historically excluded identities on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, and/or linguistic and communication diversity;
• Expertise and Leadership of the Most Impacted: We value the leadership and expertise of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and engage them within our Board of Directors, executive leadership, staffing, vendors/contracting, and via advisory committees. We also compensate experts and leaders with I/DD in ways that support parity between adults with I/DD and their non-disabled peers;
• A Cultural Humility Approach: When entering into partnerships, we are committed to self-evaluation with the attempt to address power imbalances so that (ideally) partnerships are mutually beneficial and non-paternalistic. We do not ask anything of our grantees and partners that we do not expect of ourselves; and
• Innovative and “Outside of the Box” Thinking: We value unique and creative solutions that challenge traditional assumptions about disability healthcare service delivery, i.e. innovations in formal care coordination, regional or national models that address the current inadequate reimbursement system, etc. We support the exploration of original approaches that advance healthcare equity for adults with I/DD.

History

Established in 2002, WITH Foundation is a private foundation. The Foundation’s initial grantmaking benefited the disability community. In 2011, the Foundation began to focus its support on organizations and projects that promote the establishment of comprehensive and accessible healthcare for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Currently, WITH has provided more than $12 million (in total) in funding. In September of 2023, WITH announced its intention to sunset on December 31, 2028, as a result WITH’s grantmaking will increase to the range of $3-3.5 million a year.