Communication Service for the Deaf

About Communication Service for the Deaf

Communication Service for the Deaf Inc’s recent giving centers on capacity building for Deaf organizations, with repeated $25,000 grants appearing across the latest grants list. That pattern points to a funder that backs nonprofit infrastructure as much as direct services, especially through Deaf-led and Deaf-serving groups. In 2024, Deaf Refugee Advocacy in Rochester received a $25,000 capacity-building grant, and Deafhope in Oakland received the same amount for the same purpose. The foundation also supported Our Deaf Survivors Center in Worcester with a $25,000 capacity-building grant, showing attention to organizations serving specific Deaf communities and survivor support needs. The organization’s stated purpose is to create a better world for Deaf and hard of hearing people, and its active programs include the Deaf Organizations Fund, a Capacity Building Grants program, and the CSD Social Venture Fund. Those programs span nonprofit support and mission-aligned investment activity. The most recent grant list shows a consistent emphasis on organizational strengthening rather than program-only funding, with grantees located across multiple states and serving distinct Deaf populations. Its latest 990 year on file is 2024, and annual grants given are $207,800.

What Communication Service for the Deaf Funds

Capacity building is the clearest thread in the recent grant list. Deaf Queer Resource Center in San Francisco received $25,000 for capacity building, and National Black Deaf Advocates in Philadelphia received $15,000 for the same purpose. Those awards show support for organizations serving specific identity-based Deaf communities. The foundation also funds advocacy and community support. Deaf Refugee Advocacy in Rochester received a $25,000 capacity-building grant, while Asian Signers in Washington, DC received $10,000. Both fit within the organization’s broader focus on Deaf-serving community capacity and access. Its program structure reaches beyond nonprofit grants. Active programs include the Deaf Organizations Fund, the Deaf Organizations Fund — Capacity Building Grants, and the CSD Social Venture Fund, which aligns with social enterprises and ventures serving Deaf and hard of hearing communities. That mix suggests a combination of grantmaking and mission-related investment activity.

How Communication Service for the Deaf Gives