Jean Wolff-Rossi Fund for Participant Involvement is sponsored by North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities. Provides funding to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to attend conferences and seminars that enhance their knowledge and advocacy skills.

Conference Funding - North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities offers support to people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families to attend conferences through its Conference Funding programs.

Jean Wolff-Rossi Fund for Participant Involvement Jean Wolff-Rossi Fund for Participant Involvement The Jean Wolff-Rossi Fund for Participant Involvement (Rossi Fund) empowers people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their family members with opportunities to actively participate in making decisions that impact them.

Through the Rossi Fund, individuals with I/DD and their family members can receive reimbursement for specific expenses for seminars and conferences that are designed to improve their knowledge, networking, and advocacy skills. The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) makes all decisions on the disbursement of funds.

Applicants receiving Rossi funds will be asked to complete a Rossi Fund Participant survey to share their knowledge. To qualify for funding, you must be: A person with an I/DD, or the parents, family members or individual guardian of a person with an I/DD, or parents of a child at risk of I/DD. Resident of North Carolina NCCDD Council members are not eligible for Rossi Funds.

To allow more people with I/DD and families to participate, the Rossi Fund only partially funds the cost of attending an event. Reimbursement is provided for the following types of expenses. Individuals may apply for funds to cover up to three of these expenses on their application: Child Care or Respite (up to $15.

60/hr. , maximum $150/day) Personal Assistance Services (up to $15. 60/hr.

, maximum $150/day) Conference/seminar registration Hotel/Lodging (up to $98) Transportation (67 cents/mile – NC State government rate is subject to change) Other expenses are at the discretion of the NCCDD An application must be received by NCCDD 15 days prior to the first day of an in-state event and 30 days prior to first date of an out-of-state event. Applications are funded on a first-come, first-served basis.

The NCCDD reviews applications frequently, and the decisions on all applications will be mailed in writing to all applicants. The awards are limited to $1,000 per year, per person, per household for in-state events, and up to $1,200 per year, per person, per household for out-of-state events.

Regardless of how many people apply, the maximum amount available for any single activity or event cannot exceed $3,000 in-state and $3,600 out-of-state. An individual may only receive one Rossi Fund award in a 12-month period. To allow more families of people with I/DD to attend events, NCCDD may decide to only partially fund the cost of attending an event.

Individuals are encouraged to secure additional funding from other sources, such as other state agencies, private foundations, consumer or advocacy organizations, or their employer. If the total amount of applications received at the same time exceeds the above limits, NCCDD will use the following criteria to fairly award the funds: Is this a first time user of the fund? Is this a first time attendee for this activity or event?

Will the attendee enhance ethnic or cultural diversity? Is the applicant from rural or other underserved or unserved areas? Which applications were received first?

The Jean Wolff-Rossi Fund for Participant Involvement (Rossi Fund) is not an entitlement. The NCCDD reserves the right to use discretionary judgment on any application they deem appropriate. Funds will be distributed consistent with the Council’s mandate in Federal Law for commitment to systems change, advocacy, and capacity building.

Apply for the Jean Wolff-Rossi Fund for Participant Involvement Eligibility for the Rossi Fund requires distribution consistent with the Council’s mandate in federal law for commitment to systems change, advocacy building and capacity building. The Council’s Speaker Funding serves to advance the goals by sponsoring conferences of the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD).

In determining whether to fund conference meeting space, accessible accommodations, or a presenter for a conference, NCCDD also considers factors including, but not limited to: Target audience (e.g., national, multi-state or regional, statewide; self-advocates, parents, providers, direct support professionals, etc.); Involvement of people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) and family members in the planning of the event; Alignment with the Council’s goals and objectives as determined in NCCDD’s Five-Year State Plan; Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); Accessibility of conference location, facilities, publications, materials and programs; Information on how conference planning will determine the accessibility of the facility where the conference will be held; Evaluations measuring participant satisfaction including questions about accessibility to the conference facility; Outreach to and expected degree of participation of people with I/DD or their family members during the conference; Focus on systems change, advocacy, and community capacity building for people with I/DD and families; Collaboration with Council grants or inclusion of presentations from Council grantees; Willingness of the applicant to agree, as a contingency for funding and at Council discretion, to waive registration fees, dependent on conference size and funding request, for up to five Council members/staff selected by the Council for attendance at the event; Potential to build or enhance collaboration or partnership with the national DD Network, state DD network programs (i.e., P&A, UCEDD), or other key stakeholders; and Endorsements from agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Requests for conference/speaker funding should be received in the Council office a minimum of six weeks prior to the conference. If a request is received less than six weeks prior to the conference, the Council reserves the right to disqualify the request. Council sponsorship must be acknowledged on conference flyers and agendas.

Apply for Conference Funding Conference Funding requests are reviewed through NCCDD’s Executive Committee, which usually meets on the third Monday of each month.