Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council

What Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council does

The Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council (PADDC) is a state-government planning and funding body authorized under the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (PL 106-402) and operating under a Governor's Executive Order. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, it is governed by a 23-member council — 60% of whom must be people with developmental disabilities or family members — with five seats held by secretaries of relevant state agencies (Labor and Industry, Education, Human Services, Aging, Health) and additional representation from Disability Rights Pennsylvania and Temple University Institute on Disabilities. The Council's statutory mandate is to pursue systems change, capacity-building, and advocacy on behalf of Pennsylvanians with developmental disabilities, organized through a federally approved five-year State Plan covering Self Determination, Social and Systems Change, Community Living, and Self Advocate Leadership.

PADDC's core offerings are grant programs, publications, and awareness campaigns rather than technology products. Grant programs include Community Grants, LEAF Scholarships (up to $750 per person per year for self-advocates and families attending conferences), Supported Decision Making grants, and competitive-bid projects documented in published Request for Application (RFA) books. Publications comprise Slice of PIE (policy information exchange), PADDC Outlooks newsletter, Spotlight features, and annual impact reports. The Stigma Project is a public-relations and communications campaign designed to reduce stigma against people with disabilities. PADDC explicitly does not provide direct disability services and has no proprietary technology platform; its digital footprint is a standard WordPress CMS website with associated Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn channels.

The Council is funded 100% by a federal financial assistance award of $3,095,416 from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as part of a multi-year grant cycle. It does not sell products or services and has no commercial revenue stream; all activities are governed by the federally approved State Plan and Pennsylvania Department of Human Services procurement requirements. The customer base — Pennsylvania residents with developmental disabilities and their families — is reached through a mix of direct grants to community organizations, coalition-based policy advocacy, public education campaigns, and events such as the LEAD Conference, Includi-Con, and Outdoors for All Day.

Name

Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council

Legal name

Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council

Website

https://paddc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council is a federally authorized, state-government planning body that funds grants, runs advocacy campaigns, and publishes resources to support Pennsylvanians with developmental disabilities and their families, operating on a $3.1M federal grant from HHS's Administration for Community Living.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

Budget Support & Policy-Based Lending/Grants (BPADAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Developmental disabilities advocacy
• Disability policy planning
• Grant funding programs
• Community inclusion services
• Disability rights advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrisburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal Funding (Administration for Community Living): PADDC receives 100% of its funding from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The financial assistance award totals $3,095,416.00. This funding supports the Council's operations, grants, and advocacy activities as outlined in the federally-approved five-year state plan.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PADDC is a federally authorized state council that funds grant programs, advances public policy, and shares advocacy resources to support Pennsylvanians with developmental disabilities and their families. It funds short-term innovative projects, advocates for improved public policies, publishes policy and informational materials, and runs awareness campaigns such as the Stigma Project. PADDC does not provide direct disability services, and instead operates as a planning and funding body under a federally approved five-year state plan.

Product overview

The Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council operates as a state government planning and funding body authorized under the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act). Rather than a technology product company, PADDC functions as an advocacy organization that funds grant programs and publishes resources. Its core offerings include grant programs (Community Grants, LEAF Scholarships, Supported Decision Making Grants, RFA-funded projects), publications (Slice of PIE policy publication, PADDC Outlooks newsletter, PADDC Spotlight, Annual Reports), strategic planning documents (State Plan 2022-2026), and awareness campaigns (The Stigma Project). The organization does not offer a technology platform or software product but rather provides funding, advocacy resources, and educational materials to support people with developmental disabilities and their families in Pennsylvania.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEAF Scholarships: Leadership, Education, and Advocacy Fellowship - provides scholarships up to $750 per person per year to assist individuals with disabilities and their family members to attend conferences and training sessions
• The Stigma Project
• Graham Mulholland Visionary Leadership Award

Products and services

• LEAF Scholarships Scholarship program providing up to $750 per person per year (with no more than ten scholarships per event and a total event cap of $7,500) to individuals with developmental disabilities and their family members to attend conferences, trainings, and comparable events promoting leadership, education, and self-advocacy.
• Community Grants Program Competitive grant program funding local community initiatives that bring together people with and without disabilities to influence social change and improve lives through generic community changes benefiting people with disabilities.
• Supported Decision Making Grants Grant program supporting the development and implementation of Supported Decision Making as an alternative to guardianship, with a focus on youth of transition age and their families, administered through grantees such as Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living.
• Request for Applications (RFA) Book Published Request for Applications document outlining the projects PADDC seeks to fund, providing application guidelines and requirements for potential grantees under the federally approved state plan.
• The Stigma Project Public relations and communications campaign designed to reduce stigma against people with disabilities through education, awareness, and community engagement, including a documentary ("What Are You Thinking?"), pledge campaign, stigma quiz, and provocative signage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Housing Pilot supported 153 people across 10 counties in finding and keeping homes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Disability Budget CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Coalition of disability organizations united to identify key funding needs in the state budget. Members include: The Arc of Pennsylvania, Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, Liberty Resources Inc., Project Beyond Diagnosis, Speaking for Ourselves, PA Statewide Independent Living Council, Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living, Vision for Equality Inc., and others.
• The Arc of PennsylvaniamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Coalition member working with PADDC on disability community budget priorities. Also partners with Arc Human Services on employment grants to educate employers about hiring people with disabilities.
• Temple University Institute on DisabilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Pennsylvania's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service. Collaborates with PADDC in advocacy efforts to support closure of state institutions, reduce waiting lists for services, improve COVID response, decrease segregated settings, address racial disparities, and respond to emerging needs. Also represents the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University on the 23-member Council.
• Disability Rights PennsylvaniacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Protection and Advocacy organization mandated under DD Act. Collaborates with PADDC in advocacy efforts including institutional closure, waiting list reduction, COVID response, reducing segregated settings, addressing racial disparities, and emerging needs. Represents Disability Rights PA on the Council.
• Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs (ODP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022State agency within Department of Human Services. Partnered with PADDC on the Intellectual Disability/Autism (ID/A) Supportive Housing Pilot, which supported 153 people across 10 counties. PADDC's role was to document changes in quality of life, collect survey data, and create FAQ documents.
• Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers' Association (PMHCA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Received grant funding from PADDC to implement the Stigma Project, a public relations and communications campaign designed to reduce stigma against people with disabilities. Campaign was designed and managed by Suasion LLC.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New York State Developmental Disabilities Council: The New York State Developmental Disabilities Council is a federally supported planning and advocacy body that funds initiatives benefiting people with developmental disabilities and their families. It closely matches PADDC's combination of policy work, grants, and systems-change programs.
• California State Council on Developmental Disabilities: California's federally authorized developmental-disabilities council performs the same core functions as PADDC: systems change, capacity building, advocacy, and grantmaking. Its statewide mandate and large stakeholder base make it a close institutional and operating-model comparator.
• New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities: The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities promotes independence, inclusion, and self-determination through advocacy, training, and community-based initiatives. Its developmental-disability focus and systems-change approach are highly comparable to PADDC.
• North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities: The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities works through advocacy, capacity building, and community grants to improve outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its activities and nonprofit intermediary role parallel PADDC's operating model.
• Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council: Washington's Developmental Disabilities Council advances self-determination, community inclusion, and policy change through stakeholder engagement and funded initiatives. It is a direct state-level peer with the same federal developmental-disabilities mandate.
• Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities: The Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities administers federal support through grants, advocacy, capacity building, and public education. Its statewide remit and developmental-disDisabilities focus make it directly comparable to PADDC.
• Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council: The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council is a statewide council authorized under the federal DD Act, with advocacy, planning, community education, and grantmaking responsibilities. It serves a similar constituency through a closely aligned public-sector model.
• Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council: The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council is a statewide planning and advocacy body funded through the federal DD Act. It shares PADDC's emphasis on self-determination, inclusive communities, stakeholder governance, and grant-supported systems change.
• Virginia Board for People with Disabilities: Virginia's Board for People with Disabilities is a federally authorized state body focused on advocacy, systems change, and inclusion for people with developmental and other disabilities. It is comparable in mission, constituency, and grant-supported program model.

Others

• National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities: NACDD is the national association representing state and territorial developmental-disability councils. It is an ecosystem peer that provides benchmarking, coordination, and shared resources among organizations operating under the same federal mandate as PADDC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ThePADDC
• Facebookfacebook.com/PADDC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paddcouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council