The SunTrust Foundation announced a two-year grant of $556,000 to Autism Speaks, expanding upon its partnership to promote financial well-being among families impacted by autism and other disabilities.

Since 2016, the partnership has identified the enormous need of the autism and disability communities to access financial planning information. By the conclusion of 2018, the SunTrust Foundation provided support enabling Autism Speaks to:

·         Fulfill nearly 30,000 requests for information about financial resources through the Autism Response Team (ART).

·         Co-host 15 Financial Planning for Special Needs Workshops for more than 1,500 participants.

·         Distribute more than 5,000 Special Needs Financial Planning Tool Kits.

·         Garner nearly 4,000 workshop video views on the Autism Speaks YouTube page.

·         Create the Financial Planner app, which has been downloaded more than 3,500 times across 25 countries.

“Autism Speaks is helping to instill confidence in the lives of children, adults and families with special needs,” said Stan Little, president of the SunTrust Foundation. “The organization continues to identify ways to ensure families have the resources they need to secure a financial future.”

The partnership aims to reach people with autism and those who support them with sustained funding of two members of ART, allowing for continued year-over-year growth in the volume of inquiries fielded. Through ART, individuals with autism, families and professionals receive direct, personalized responses from trained specialists, connecting them to critical information, resources and support.

“SunTrust Foundation’s generous grant helps us provide tools, information and resources that empower thousands of people with autism and their families to make informed decisions about their financial lives,” said Angela Geiger, president and CEO of Autism Speaks. “We are grateful to SunTrust for its vision and ongoing commitment to the autism community.”