Celebrating Giving Tuesday

Get ready to make waves this Giving Tuesday, November 28th! Discover how our foundation empowers adults on the spectrum to lead their best lives. And on this special day, remember that with Make Waves, your donation will be tripled and all donations will be made to the Autism Society of America and the Els for Autism Foundation.

In the next 10 years, 500,000 people with autism will transition to adulthood.

We help fund organizations and initiatives that provide meaningful support for adults on the spectrum in an effort to help ease the transition into adulthood.

We’ve been busy lately…

Make Waves continues to support leading programs dedicated to  independent living, employment, and home and community based services. Our ongoing work supports law enforcement training, replicable employment models, and inclusive housing. Make Waves has kicked off 2023 with an exciting wave of new projects. You can read more about our current efforts to help support adults with Autism below.

 
  • Over the next five years, the Make Waves Family Foundation is giving $1 million to the First Place Global Leadership Institute to create the Make Waves Center for Community Development.

    The center aims to fuel a new marketplace of supportive housing and community options through replicable, sustainable design, programming and development strategies.

    You can read more about The Make Waves Center for Community Development here.

  • Make Waves has funded the U Can Employ Program, which is a new initiative that will provide employers with more direction on how to open up more job opportunities for people with ASD, as well as guidance on how to provide continued support for people with ASD after they are hired.

    Click here to download the program infographic.

  • The Make Waves Family Foundation is pledging $1 million over the next four years to a new employment initiative led by the Autism Society of America.

    Recent data show that an estimated 85% of Autistic adults with a college education are unemployed, and up to 90% of adults with Autism are underemployed or unemployed. In professional and non-professional settings, the majority of employers lack an understanding of Autism that contributes to the marginalization of the Autistic workforce.

    The Autism Society of America is committed to rethinking systems to address the pervasive employment gaps within the Autism community. To effect change that leads to improved employment outcomes across the Autism community, the Autism Society is committed to developing a multi-level system of support. Through policy and programming, the Autism Society aims to bridge gaps between Autistic job-seekers and their future employers.

  • When the First Place Global Leadership Institute started developing its 360 Health & Wellness curriculum in 2016, it was just beginning to imagine what was possible in search of a then lofty goal: a healthcare equity model where no one went untreated or was medically misunderstood because of autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities in Arizona—and beyond.

    Make Waves Family Foundation’s funding of First Place’s 2021 health initiatives is enabling the Arizona-based nonprofit to plan its fifth 360 Health & Wellness cohort and move forward two complementary initiatives: activation of the on-site Virginia G. Piper Health Spot clinic and a Creighton Medical School elective.

    Click here to read more.

  • There is an urgent need among law enforcement agencies to provide trainings with proven strategies on how to improve communication and de-escalate conflict with people on the spectrum.

    Make Waves is proud to initiate and sponsor a law enforcement training led by The Autism Society of Inland Empire for law enforcement agencies in Orange County, CA.

 

Together we can Make Waves.

Make Waves Family Foundation has been funding community based programs since 2007. We aim to break the barriers that challenge adults on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through community engagement, advocacy, empowerment, and fundraising campaigns.

Our Efforts

We donate to organizations that provide meaningful support for adults on the spectrum. Whether it’s through equal employment opportunities, replicable housing models, or social engagement programs- our aim is to foster programs that provide opportunities for autistic adults to lead happy, fulfilled lives.

About Us

The Make Waves Family Foundation is a culmination of work done by the Roth Family to motivate and inspire others to get involved in supporting the Autism community.

Make a donation.

Help us in our effort to fund organizations that support adults on the autism spectrum in living happy, fulfilled lives through employment opportunities, replicable housing models, healthcare initiatives and more.

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