Every Grant Is a Vote of Confidence to Grantees
The Ireland Family Foundation has supported organizations across the country doing the hard, necessary work of advancing autism research and providing direct services to adults on the spectrum. Here's a look at who we've funded and why their work matters.
"I want to thank you so much for the generous donation to the Murdoch Center Foundation. As you know, I hold a special place in my heart for the people and staff at Murdoch, and the Foundation is one way to bless them without running through a lot of 'red tape' that the government imposes. This truly means a lot to me, and I am deeply grateful. You are all generous and loving people in the world of Autism and I/DD."
— Cathy Brinkman | Board Member, Murdoch Center Foundation
GRANTEE
Murdoch Center Foundation
DIRECT SERVICES
I/DD
Supporting the People & Staff of Murdoch Developmental Center
The Murdoch Center Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to education, professional development, and quality-of-life improvements for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), including many adults on the autism spectrum who are served by Murdoch Developmental Center.
The foundation raises funds that go directly to service enhancements, family support, staff training, and programs that can't always get through government funding channels. Since 2021, the foundation has also awarded over $25,000 in educational scholarships to students pursuing careers in the I/DD field and helping to build the workforce that serves this population for years to come.
The Ireland Family Foundation is proud to support an organization that works every day to ensure individuals with I/DD can lead fulfilling, dignified lives with the right people in their corner.
GRANTEE
Extraordinary Ventures
DIRECT SERVICES
EMPLOYMENT
Creating Purpose Through Real, Paying Jobs
Extraordinary Ventures is a Chapel Hill-based nonprofit with a clear and powerful idea at its center: adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, deserve meaningful work — not sheltered workshops, but real businesses that operate on a true business model and pay their employees.
Founded by Lori Ireland, Extraordinary Ventures operates 6 self-sustaining small businesses, including a thrift store, laundry service, event center, gifts shop, office solutions company, and cleaning service. Over more than 15 years, EV has provided over 240,000 hours of meaningful employment to its neurodiverse workforce.
The Ireland Family Foundation's support of Extraordinary Ventures reflects a core belief: that adults on the autism spectrum are capable contributors to their communities, and that the right investment can open doors that the broader economy often keeps closed.
GRANTEE
Autism Science Foundation
RESEARCH
NATIONAL
Funding the Science That Changes Real Lives
The Autism Science Foundation (ASF) funds peer-reviewed scientific research and shares evidence-based information about autism with scientists, families, and the broader public. Their name says it all: science is the center of everything they do.
ASF funds grants, fellowships, and awards for researchers at all career stages — including undergraduate summer research fellowships and "Save Our Scientists" grants that support early-career autism researchers. They also host the annual Day of Learning, run a weekly podcast, and publish accessible research summaries so families can understand and act on the latest findings.
For the Ireland Family Foundation, supporting ASF means investing in the upstream work including the discoveries that will ultimately improve services, treatments, and quality of life for people on the spectrum for generations to come.
GRANTEE
National Council on Severe Autism
ADVOCACY
POLICY
NATIONAL
A Voice for the Most Underserved Corner of the Autism Community
The National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA) exists to fill a gap that most autism organizations leave open: dedicated recognition, policy work, and real-world solutions for individuals with severe forms of autism and their families and caregivers.
NCSA pursues its mission through public policy initiatives, a national grassroots network, webinars, the Autism Confidential podcast, and a robust body of position statements on issues from housing and healthcare access to guardianship and crisis care. In a landscape where the needs of the most severely affected are often overlooked, NCSA makes sure those needs are heard in state capitals, in Congress, and in the broader public conversation about autism.
The Ireland Family Foundation's grant to NCSA reflects a shared conviction: that funding and policy must reach the people with the highest needs, not just the most visible ones.
GRANTEE
Autism Society of America
ADVOCACY
COMMUNITY
NATIONAL
The Nation's Oldest & Largest Grassroots Autism Organization
Founded in 1965, the Autism Society of America (ASA) is the longest-standing autism advocacy organization in the country. With 75 local affiliate chapters, ASA connects more than half a million members of the autism community each year to education, advocacy, support groups, and resources — across every age and stage of life.
ASA's work spans direct support, public policy, professional training, and community programming. Their mission: to create connections that empower everyone in the autism community with the resources needed to live fully. For individuals and families who don't know where to start, ASA is often the first call.
Supporting the Autism Society of America allows the Ireland Family Foundation to extend its reach through an established national network — and to help fund the connective tissue that holds so many local autism services together.
GRANTEE
Autism Society of San Diego
DIRECT SERVICES
ADULTS
Connection, Community & Recreation for Autistic Adults in San Diego
Founded in 1966 as one of the earliest local autism organizations in the country, the Autism Society of San Diego has spent nearly 60 years serving as the voice and resource of the autism community in San Diego County. Today, they offer an impressive range of programs specifically designed for autistic adults, one of the areas most consistently underserved by the broader nonprofit landscape.
Their adult-focused programs include the AWARE Summer Program (community outings and field trips for adults 18+), Spectrum Social (a peer support and friendship group), Girl Power (for autistic women 18+), aquatic programs, monthly pool parties, surf camp, and the 24/7 Autism Ask Line staffed by peer support professionals with lived experience.
The Ireland Family Foundation's grant to Autism Society San Diego recognizes that direct services for adults (the fun programs, the social connections, the peer support) are just as essential as clinical research. Often more so.
GRANTEE
Duke University Libraries
RESEARCH
EDUCATION
Where Research Lives and Gets Shared With the World
Duke University Libraries serves as one of the leading academic research library systems in the United States, supporting Duke's commitment to "knowledge in service to society." Through its collections, digital repositories, public programming, and the renowned David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke Libraries makes rare and essential materials accessible to students, scholars, and the public alike.
Duke Libraries has a deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and embeds those values into its collections, services, spaces, and outreach. Their digital collections program makes historically significant materials openly searchable and available to anyone with an internet connection, regardless of institutional affiliation.
The Ireland Family Foundation's support of Duke University Libraries reflects a belief that strong research infrastructure (the kind that preserves knowledge and makes it genuinely accessible) is foundational to progress on complex challenges like autism.
GRANTEE
Eric Montross Basketball Camp
COMMUNITY
YOUTH
Bringing Dads & Kids Together and Giving Back in the Process
The Eric Montross Father's Day Basketball Camp has been bringing fathers and their children together every June for over 30 years, first as a tribute to UNC basketball and the legacy of Jason Clark, and now as a year-round fundraising vehicle for UNC Children's Hospital and other pediatric causes in the Chapel Hill community.
Named for legendary UNC center Eric Montross, the camp has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for children's health. Campers also participate in the "Young Philanthropists" program, encouraging children to give back in their own communities by carrying forward the camp's spirit of generosity beyond the basketball court.
The Ireland Family Foundation is glad to support an organization that uses sport, family, and community spirit to do real, lasting good.
Could Your Organization Be Next?
APPLY FOR A GRANT
The Ireland Family Foundation awards grants to U.S.-based nonprofits working in autism research and direct services for adults on the autism spectrum. If your work fits, we want to hear from you.