Autism Alliance of Michigan

What Autism Alliance of Michigan does

Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 and headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, that delivers navigation, education advocacy, employment support, and community engagement services to individuals with autism and their families across the state. AAoM operates through three integrated pillars: Navigation (the free MiNavigator professional consultation and case management program, previously serving ~4,000 families annually before a $2 million state grant was eliminated in 2025), Education (special education reform advocacy anchored by the MI Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint submitted to the Michigan Legislature in October 2025), and Employment (workforce inclusion services). The organization also maintains a Resource Directory connecting families with 1,300+ autism service providers, a GPS Scholarship safety program, a Clinician Portal for provider referrals, and signature events including the Autism Hero Walk at the Detroit Zoo (~5,000 attendees) and the Michigan Shines for Autism Gala. Cumulative reach includes 40,000+ people served, 16,361+ first responders trained, and 60,000+ children and teachers engaged through anti-bullying programming.

Name

Autism Alliance of Michigan

Legal name

Autism Alliance of Michigan

Website

https://autismallianceofmichigan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Autism Alliance of Michigan is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 that provides free navigation, education advocacy, and employment services to individuals with autism and families across Michigan, anchored by the MiNavigator program and a 1,300+ provider network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Autism Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Early Intervention (Educational) (EDAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource) (EDAKAKAC), Parent/Caregiver Training & Family Consultation (ABA) (EDAKAHAG), Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language) (EDAKAKAG)

Keywords

• Autism navigation services
• Special education advocacy
• Case management services
• Nonprofit disability support
• Community autism resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Southfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: AAoM raises funds through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and workplace giving programs. They offer various giving options including one-time donations, recurring gifts, and matching gift programs through employers.
2. Planned Giving and Endowments: The organization accepts planned gifts including charitable bequests, beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, and qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from IRAs. They have a Meador Endowment with the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.
3. Signature Events: Revenue generated through signature events including the annual Autism Hero Walk at the Detroit Zoo, Michigan Shines for Autism Gala, and Navigating Autism Today Conference.
4. Stocks and Securities: Accepts gifts of securities including stocks or mutual funds through DTC transfer to their Huntington Bank custody account.
5. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations such as the Skillman Foundation grant to support education pillar work and special education reform efforts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AAoM is a Michigan-based nonprofit that delivers free, statewide navigation, education, and employment services for individuals with autism and their families across the lifespan. Its flagship is the MiNavigator Program, providing free professional consultation and case management, supported by a Resource Directory of 1,300+ providers, a GPS Scholarship for safety, First Responder Safety Trainings, and systemic advocacy through the MI Blueprint for special education finance reform.

Product overview

Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM) is a nonprofit organization offering a coordinated suite of navigation, educational, and community support services for individuals with autism and their families across Michigan. The core offering is the MiNavigator Program, which provides free professional consultation and case management. Key services include a Resource Directory connecting families with providers, GPS Safety Scholarships for wandering prevention, Welcome Kits and Safety Kits for practical resources, and the MI Blueprint for special education policy reform. AAoM also provides educational resources including a Webinar Library, Ask An Expert Q&A service, and Screening/Diagnosis guides. Community engagement is delivered through events like the Autism Hero Walk and Michigan Shines for Autism Gala, a Community Calendar of autism-friendly events, and Social Narratives for community venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MiNavigator: Free professional consultation and case management program providing navigation services to families navigating autism diagnosis, treatment, and support services.
• MiBlueprint
• GPS Scholarship

Products and services

• MiNavigator Program Free professional consultation and case management service providing Michigan families with guidance navigating autism diagnosis, treatment, and support services statewide.
• Resource Directory

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40,000 people served statewide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and notable.

• Michigan Vaccination Partners (MVP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMVP is a collaborative initiative formed by Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM), Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI), Disability Rights Michigan (DRM), and Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute (MI-DDI). The partnership aims to ensure greater equity and access to vaccination and other health care services for people disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. AAoM serves as a founding partner in this statewide initiative.
• Public Sector ConsultantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic Sector Consultants provided support for the development of the MI Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint. This partnership was instrumental in creating the data-driven funding reform proposal that was formally submitted to the Michigan Legislature in October 2025.
• Michigan Legislature and Bipartisan StakeholdersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MI Blueprint was developed through a bipartisan legislatively authorized process, involving over 1,000 stakeholders including educators, families, disability advocates, and service providers. Four statewide convenings and a public survey with 880+ responses shaped the proposal. AAoM leads this collaborative reform effort.
• Michigan Autism Advocates CaucuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAoM operates the MiNavigator program which is championed by the bipartisan Michigan Autism Advocates Caucus. The co-chairs of the caucus (Webber and Fitzgerald) are advocating to restore $2 million in state funding for the program, demonstrating a legislative partnership focused on autism policy.
• Michigan Health and Hospital AssociationnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichigan Health and Hospital Association provided grant funding in 2023 for the $19.1 million specialized pediatric behavioral health unit at Straith Hospital in Southfield, which addresses gaps in Michigan's continuum of care for children with complex behavioral needs - a key issue AAoM advocates to address.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Autism Speaks: Largest national autism advocacy organization providing advocacy, research funding, and resource navigation. Directly comparable to AAoM in mission focus on autism services and family support, but operates nationally with significantly larger resources and a broader advocacy footprint.
• Autism Society of America: National grassroots autism organization with affiliated chapters providing information/referral, advocacy, and community programming. Directly comparable in service model (navigation, advocacy, community events) but at national scale versus AAoM's state-level model.
• Easterseals: National nonprofit providing disability services including autism support across the lifespan. Comparable in mission and multi-state operating model, but with broader disability scope rather than autism-specialized focus.
• The Arc: National organization supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities including autism, providing advocacy, services, and family support. Overlapping mission in disability navigation and policy advocacy but with broader I/DD scope.

Direct peers

• Autism New Jersey: State-level autism nonprofit providing information/referral, advocacy, and training for New Jersey's autism community. Closely analogous to AAoM's model in Michigan, including policy advocacy and statewide service navigation.
• Organization for Autism Research (OAR): National autism nonprofit focused on applied research and resources for families and professionals. Comparable as a peer organization in the autism support ecosystem with similar stakeholder base of families and educators.
• Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism: Autism-focused nonprofit supporting families through direct grants, education, and advocacy. Comparable mission and family-centric service model with similar fundraising event-driven approach.
• National Autism Association: National autism nonprofit focused on safety, awareness, and advocacy for individuals with autism. Overlapping focus on safety resources (comparable to AAoM's GPS Scholarship program) and family support services.

Regional players

• Disability Rights Michigan: Michigan-based disability advocacy and legal services organization. Direct peer to AAoM in Michigan-specific disability advocacy space, and an existing collaborator via the Michigan Vaccination Partners initiative.
• Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute: Michigan-based organization supporting individuals with developmental disabilities including autism. Comparable as a Michigan-specific peer in disability services and advocacy, and an existing AAoM collaboration partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AutismAlliance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4JDEUSCeVdyD3rInGTg9yg
• Facebookfacebook.com/AutismAllianceOfMichigan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-autism-alliance-of-michigan
• Instagraminstagram.com/autismallianceofmichigan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Autism Alliance of Michigan