Origins
In 1996, the founders’ son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Reliable information was limited, public awareness was still developing, and families often had to navigate educational systems, services, and advocacy largely on their own.
What began as a mother’s determination to become the strongest possible advocate for her son grew into a commitment to helping other families facing similar challenges.
The Umbrella Club
In 1998, the family organized a parent support group called The Umbrella Club. Families shared practical experience, encouragement, educational resources, and lessons learned navigating IEPs, therapies, schools, and community services.
Long before the Foundation existed as a legal entity, The Umbrella Club established the values that still guide it: education, advocacy, compassion, community, and the belief that people are stronger when they support one another.
As those children approached adulthood, families encountered another gap: many of the resources that support children diminish or disappear once young people enter adult life. That shift, from asking how to help a child succeed to asking what happens next, shaped the community’s focus toward confidence, independence, friendship, and meaningful participation in adult life.
Creation of the Foundation
In 2014, the founders established the Umbrella Foundation as a California nonprofit public benefit corporation. Its early work directly served neurodiverse young adults through social gatherings and community activities designed to create supportive, real-world opportunities to build confidence and connection.
Evolution
The Foundation later explored a more ambitious career-advocacy model for neurodiverse adults. After significant planning and development, the Board concluded that operating such a program at the quality and scale it deserved would require resources beyond those reasonably available to the Foundation.
Rather than overextend the organization, the Board transitioned the Foundation from an operating charitable organization to a grantmaking foundation while preserving the values and purpose that inspired its creation.
The Foundation today
Today, the Umbrella Foundation is a private, family-led foundation. Since 2014, it has granted more than $200,000 to organizations supporting neurodiverse individuals and their families, veterans and military families, and community causes more broadly.