The Way Forward Foundation enhances the quality of life for those living with paralysis.
The Woody Foundation Inc dba The Way Forward Foundation centers its grantmaking on paralysis, with support that reaches rehabilitation patients, adaptive recreation programs, and education for people living with mobility impairments. Recent awards show a strong pattern of funding organizations that build independence and participation, from major support for Jackson Health Foundation Inc in East Miami for equipment and rehab-patient programming to repeated grants for Sabrina Cohen Foundation in Miami Beach for adaptive beach programming. The foundation also backs experience-based services, including sailing trips, fishing outings, and boating access, alongside research and scholarship support tied to spinal cord injury and paralysis. Its active programs align closely with that mission: community grants for organizations serving people with paralysis and caregivers, W.H.E.E.L. scholarships, a loaner wheelchair bridge, and free adaptive device packs. Across the recent grants list, the foundation appears to favor direct program support and practical tools that affect daily life, mobility, and inclusion rather than broad general operating giving.
Adaptive recreation is a clear part of the portfolio. In 2025, The Woody Foundation Inc dba The Way Forward Foundation gave $20,000 to Shake-a-Leg Miami Inc for program funding and $10,000 to Active Disabled Americans for boat purchase and fishing trips. It also supported The Impossible Dream Inc with $15,000 in 2025 for sailing trips for disabled participants. Education and access show up as well. The foundation gave $18,000 to I Am Able Fitness for scholarships and $10,626 to Empower SCI Summer Camp for a scholarship. Research and medical support are another thread: Buoniconti Fd to Cure Paralys received $22,500 in 2025 and earlier grants of $20,000 and $19,000 for spinal cord research. Community-facing inclusion appears in its support for Spinal Cord Injury Gr So Fl, which received $6,587 for program financing.
Typical grants cluster around a mid-five-figure to low-five-figure range: p25 is $9,882, median is $17,000, and p75 is $21,750. The recent record shows repeated support for several recipients across multiple years, including Jackson Health Foundation Inc, Sabrina Cohen Foundation, Buoniconti Fd to Cure Paralys, I Am Able Fitness, Shake-a-Leg Miami Inc, and The Impossible Dream Inc. That pattern suggests recurring relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals directly. Its active community-grants program is competitive, uses an online form, and is reviewed for alignment with mission and values; it also accepts unsolicited requests in several active programs.
$288K
$342K
$249K
$335K
Most grants fall between $10K and $22K, with a median of $17K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$17K
75th Percentile
$22K
Ann Stith
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Grantmaking is strongly concentrated in Florida, with 80% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. The most frequent recipient state outside that pattern is New Hampshire, where Northeast PassageUNH System in Durham received a 2025 grant. Miami-area organizations appear often, including East Miami, Miami Beach, Miami, Key Largo, and Coral Springs. Outside Florida, recent grants also reached New York City, Waltham, San Diego, Fort Wayne, Springfield, and Durham, but all recorded recipient countries were in the United States.
It supports organizations and programs that improve the lives of people living with paralysis and their caregivers. The recent grant record also shows support for rehabilitation-patient programming, adaptive beach access, sailing and fishing programs, spinal cord injury research, scholarships, and equipment or accessibility purchases.
No. The foundation is marked as not funding individuals directly. Its active support for people is delivered through programs such as W.H.E.E.L. Scholarships, the Adaptive Pack device program, and the Loaner Accessibility Bridge.
Typical grants are in the five-figure range. The dataset shows p25 at $9,882, a median of $17,000, and p75 at $21,750, with recent awards ranging from smaller program grants to larger equipment and rehab-related support.
The Community Grants program uses an online application form. Applicants request funding through that form, and submissions are reviewed for alignment with the foundation’s mission and values. The program is competitive and is open to organizations working to improve life for people with paralysis and caregivers.
Giving is local and heavily Florida-based, with 80% of grants going to recipients in Florida. New Hampshire is the top state by grant count outside the HQ-state concentration, and the recent recipient list is entirely U.S.-based.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Woody Foundation Inc Dba the Way Forward Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Schools and classrooms interested in hosting ambassadors or receiving donated books; individuals with lived experience of paralysis can become ambassadors.
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Health Foundation Inc | East Miami, FL | $39,669 | 2025 | Equip. & Rehab Patients Programming |
| Jackson Health Foundation Inc | East Miami, FL | $30,669 | 2025 | Equip. & Rehab Patients Programming |
| Sabrina Cohen Foundation | Miami Beach, FL | $26,000 | 2025 | Adaptive Beach Programming |
| Buoniconti Fd to Cure Paralys | Miami, FL | $22,500 | 2025 | Spinal Cord Research |
| Sabrina Cohen Foundation | Miami Beach, FL | $21,500 | 2025 | Adaptive Beach Programming |
| Shake-a-Leg Miami Inc | Miami, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | Program Funding |
| I Am Able Fitness | Miami, FL | $18,000 | 2025 | Scholarships |
| The Impossible Dream Inc | New York City, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Sailing Trips for Disabled |
| The Impossible Dream Inc | New York City, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Sailing Trips for Disabled |
| Empower SCI Summer Camp | Waltham, MA | $10,626 | 2025 | Scholarship |
| Shake-a-Leg Miami Inc | Miami, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | Boat Updates |
| Challenged Athletes Fnd | San Diego, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Scholarships |
| Active Disabled Americans | Key Largo, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | Adaptive Equipment |
| Active Disabled Americans | Key Largo, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | Boat Purchase & Fishing Trips |
| PossAbility Unlimited | Fort Wayne, IN | $10,000 | 2025 | Program Funding |
| Northeast PassageUNH System | Durham, NH | $7,000 | 2025 | Program Funding |
| Spinal Cord Injury Gr So Fl | Coral Springs, FL | $6,587 | 2025 | Program Financing |
| Northeast Passage | Durham, NH | $5,500 | 2025 | Adaptive Programming |
| Jackson Health Foundation Inc | East Miami, FL | $37,669 | 2023 | Equip. & Outings for Rehab Patients |
| Sabrina Cohen Foundation | Miami Beach, FL | $26,092 | 2023 | Adaptive Beach Programming |
| The Impossible Dream Inc | New York City, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | Sailing Trips for Disabled |
| Jackson Health Foundation Inc | East Miami, FL | $21,000 | 2023 | Equip. & Outings for Rehab Patients |
| Sabrina Cohen Foundation | Miami Beach, FL | $20,000 | 2023 | Adaptive Beach Programming |
| Buoniconti Fd to Cure Paralys | Miami, FL | $20,000 | 2023 | Spinal Cord Research |
| Buoniconti Fd to Cure Paralys | Miami, FL | $19,000 | 2023 | Spinal Cord Research |
| I Am Able Fitness | Miami, FL | $15,000 | 2023 | Scholarships |
| I Am Able Fitness | Miami, FL | $15,000 | 2023 | Run, Walk & Roll Sponsor |
| Shake-a-Leg Miami Inc | Miami, FL | $9,527 | 2023 | Boat Updates |
| Active Disabled Americans | Key Largo, FL | $6,975 | 2023 | Boat Purchase & Fishing Trips |
| Miami Herald Charities Inc | Miami, FL | $6,556 | 2023 | Equipment for Spinal Cord Patients |
| Barnabas Foundation Inc | Springfield, MO | $6,000 | 2023 | Scholarships & Equipment |
Sabrina Cohen Foundation
$26,000Adaptive Beach Programming
Sabrina Cohen Foundation
$21,500Adaptive Beach Programming
Program Funding
I Am Able Fitness
$18,000Scholarships
The Impossible Dream Inc
$15,000Sailing Trips for Disabled
The Impossible Dream Inc
$15,000Sailing Trips for Disabled
Empower SCI Summer Camp
$10,626Scholarship
Challenged Athletes Fnd
$10,000Scholarships
Active Disabled Americans
$10,000Adaptive Equipment
Active Disabled Americans
$10,000Boat Purchase & Fishing Trips
PossAbility Unlimited
$10,000Program Funding
Northeast PassageUNH System
$7,000Program Funding
Spinal Cord Injury Gr So Fl
$6,587Program Financing
Northeast Passage
$5,500Adaptive Programming
Sabrina Cohen Foundation
$26,092Adaptive Beach Programming
The Impossible Dream Inc
$25,000Sailing Trips for Disabled
Sabrina Cohen Foundation
$20,000Adaptive Beach Programming
I Am Able Fitness
$15,000Scholarships
I Am Able Fitness
$15,000Run, Walk & Roll Sponsor
Active Disabled Americans
$6,975Boat Purchase & Fishing Trips
Miami Herald Charities Inc
$6,556Equipment for Spinal Cord Patients