Another difference between a national charity and a local charity is the locality of those served by programs. As the Autism Connection of Pennsylvania, our mission focus is serving children, families and individuals in (no surprise) Pennsylvania. A national charity usually serves a wider breadth of people, nationally, or even globally. Donors must decide which geographic focus best matches what they would like to support. We serve families from Philadelphia to Washington County to Erie, to Scranton, and all over our state with invaluable support groups, resources, advocacy, and education. When a donation is made to the Autism Connection, it goes directly to these programs to support people with autism, moms, dads, children, grandparents, educators, first responders, and more in our local areas. This makes us very different from national autism charities, and you can decide which is most important to you - would you rather that your gift went to support the parents of a 2-year old in Allegheny County with a new autism diagnosis find information and resources or to support a national autism awareness campaign?
As an independent charity, we respond to current issues and challenges faced by the autism community. Donors provide the resources to make this real impact in the lives of those we proudly serve. For example, when a parent calls us to share (often in tears) that their autistic child has been bullied in a local school district, we can ask the district to allow us to provide student and teacher training about invisible disabilities. When a crucial bill impacting disability status in Pennsylvania is being debated in Harrisburg, we are there, advocating for disability rights and options.
Whether you choose to support a local autism charity, like the Autism Connection, or a national one, please ask yourself the often-unasked questions. These are important and will help you make sure that your gift to be as impactful as possible.
∙ What do I want to support?
∙ How is my donation being used?
∙ How much of my donation goes to programs provided?
∙ Who will benefit from my donation?
As always, we are here to help answer your questions about donating to the Autism Connection, and to help you find a piece of our mission or strategic plan that aligns with your giving goals. We can provide you with any information you need as you make your donation decisions. Please call or email us at [email protected] to talk about any questions or to request more information.