Core funding impact story: Level IT Up

Level IT Up is dedicated to promoting the mutual benefits of employing skilled individuals with Autism Spectrum in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. 

Core funding allows us to keep our doors open. Our funding model depends upon us offering our three week training and assessment process to eligible candidates with Autism Spectrum. It is only as employers prepare for and hire our candidates that any costs are recouped through our service fees. As such, we apply for grant funding and rely upon the support of the community to fund the training and assessment process. It is highly valuable to our candidates even if they are not successful in attaining employment immediately afterwards. Unfortunately, most if not all of our candidates could not afford to participate in this process if it was not offered free of charge. Current core funding pays for office space, executive director and trainer salary, website and social media presence, insurance and cell phone charges. 

We are currently experiencing a lack of core funding due to increased competition and prolonged grant processes (for example, the recent call for applications for federal Autism Spectrum Disorder funding took over a year to resolve and left us in a position where we had to stall plans and eventually cancel a proposed expansion when we were not successful in attaining this funding). This leaves us in a position where we have to rethink our future. Without the core funding, we must trim our budget, look at reducing staff hours (you cannot plan for succession when you can’t offer staff full time or steady part time work), closing our office and offering our services and supports much less regularly. With core funding we could engage in more outreach and build our brand, reputation and footprint in both the Autism Spectrum community as well as the business community. Without core funding, it is much harder to maintain a presence among various business-related communities and with our current and potential candidates. The future is looking bleak, even though our service is valued and fulfilling a need in our community. Who will pick up the slack when we are no longer here?

If we had more and predictable core funding we could engage in meaningful succession planning to build community capacity to support our mission and vision. We could expand our reach into other fields where skilled adults with Autism Spectrum face barriers to employment (i.e. the arts, business, etc.). We could regain some ground when it comes to our identity as a go-to organization for both those with Autism Spectrum and the business community. We would be a valued resource as workplaces continue to diversify and strengthen their ability to embrace employees with neurodiversity.