My Nonprofit Reviews

As the father of a low functioning 5 year old boy Autism, I learned about OAR approximately 6 months ago as I searched for an organization to be a part of in order to help the lives of Autistic individuals and their families. As I've learned more about the initiatives that OAR has developed and been a part of, I can't tell you how grateful I am for OAR's commitment to helping those with Autism. I have been in close communication with OAR's executive director over the course of the last 6 months who has shown such dedication and great leadership for OAR.

As a prospective board member, I recently attended OAR's annual meeting. It was very clear that a high percentage of a donor's contribution goes toward helping the lives of those with Autism rather than covering administrative costs. While any organization will have administrative costs, it was clear that OAR runs a very lean organization and monitors very closely where donor's contributions are going.

OAR's focus is on helping those with Autism (and their families) deal with the myriad of challenges involved in becoming functional individuals in society. OAR does this in numerous ways such as granting college/vocational scholarships to those with Autism, providing online and print resources to Autistic individuals (and their families), and working with Autistic individuals to link them with Autistic friendly employers. OAR also provides grant funding to researchers who participate in "applied research". Simply put, applied research is research focused on developing ways to directly improve the lives of those with Autism.

As an Autism parent, I know the struggles and challenges for those with Autism and their families. It is very clear that OAR is improving the lives of those with Autism in becoming functional adults and dealing with their condition. Any contribution you can make toward this organization will be so greatly appreciated by more people than you can imagine.