CF Community Grants: Current Programs

Whether focused on physical wellness or connectivity and creativity, there are countless projects led by the community to support and empower people with CF and their loved ones.

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Sydney Willig, an adult with CF, smiling with her arms crossed in front of a city skyline

Through Community Grants, the CF Foundation funds community-led projects designed to support and empower people with CF and their loved ones. From art and music to fitness and career counseling, these free programs help foster connection, personal growth, and overall well-being across the CF community.   

Programs For People With CF

A young girl on a snowboard on a mountain

BreatheStrong CF Exercise Grants

BreatheStrong CF provides recreational sponsorships of up to $650 that give children and adults with CF access to exercise activities that build strength and support overall wellness.  

A calendar icon with the title "CF Senior Saturday Meet and Greets" inside it.

CF Senior Saturday Meet and Greets

Led by Kristina Robinson, an adult with CF, this program provides a virtual meeting space for people with CF ages 40+ to connect, exchange experiences, and access age-specific resources, encouraging them to become leaders in their communities, promote positive aging, and help inform policies and programs that meet the needs of older adults with CF.

Collage made up of headshots of program participants.

 

DistrActors

Founded by Rebecca Shook, a professional performer and adult with CF, this group of comedic actors creates personalized videos with music, storytelling, and skits for children with CF to watch during hospital stays or clinic visits. Parents can learn more, request personalized videos, and access procedure-specific content through the DistrActors website.

Keshav Harpavat, a teenage CF Foundation volunteer, holding a bagpipe
Pipes for the People
Created by Keshav Harpavat, a teenage CF Foundation volunteer, Pipes for the People is a weekly, virtual music program where children and adults with CF will learn how to play the chanter — a smaller, beginner-friendly version of the bagpipe — as well as incorporate exercises to support breath control. 
A collage of sINgSPIRE participants singing over Zoom

sINgSPIRE Private Lessons by Breathe Bravely

Founded by Ashley Ballou-Bonnema, a professional vocalist and adult with CF, this 10-week program focuses on combating CF through the art of singing. Virtual lessons are taught by a cohort of professional voice instructors and focus on building self-awareness, self-confidence, and respiratory strength. 

A graphic of a book with a rose on its spine and the words "The Familiar Pinch, Cystic Fibrosis Chronicles" on its cover.

 

The Familiar Pinch — Cystic Fibrosis Chronicles

Led by Rowan O’Bryan, an adult with CF, The Familiar Pinch is a yearlong creative photography and writing course for teens with CF ages 13 to 19. Participants will use daily photo-taking and journaling to document their everyday lives, reflect on their identities, and explore the complexities of living with the disease. To enroll, complete this interest form

 

Programs For People With CF and Loved Ones

Katherine Russell speaking into a microphone

Spit it Out (A CF Storytellers Training)

Led by Katherine Russell, a specialist in storytelling and adult with CF, and the team at BreatheStrong CF, this virtual public speaking program uses trauma-informed training to help people with CF and their loved ones structure their stories and deliver them with power.

Headshot of a man in a blue flannel shirt associated with Work Proudly

Work Proudly Program

From Claire's Place Foundation, the Work Proudly Program provides adults with CF and caregivers with job training, career counseling, and equipment to advance their professional skillsets and readiness for employment. Referrals for the program must be submitted by a member of the CF care team through the Claire’s Place Foundation website.

Programs For Parents and Loved Ones

A headshot of Nicole DeBraal

Prioritizing You: A Wellness Program for Those Who Love Someone With CF

Developed by Nicole DeBraal, parent of a teen with CF, Prioritizing You is a 12-week wellness coaching group designed to support the unique needs of CF caregivers and loved ones. The program provides tools and education for managing stress, building healthy habits, regulating the nervous system, and more.

About Community Support Grants and Impact Grants

As part of our longstanding commitment to people with cystic fibrosis and their families, we are evolving our approach to community grants. Our focus is on supporting the priorities that matter most to the CF community and investing in community-informed ideas in ways that are sustainable, meaningful, and impactful.

As we redesign this approach, we have made the decision to conclude the Impact Grants program and will not hold an application cycle in 2026. This pause allows us to build something that tailors support for the community’s evolving needs and optimizes the Foundation’s programs in the future. During this time, we will continue to invest in other community grant efforts already underway.

For questions, please email communitygrants@cff.org

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