From the CEO
Since its founding four decades ago, the Oberkotter Foundation has partnered with organizations and individuals across the country to expand access to the care, support, and resources needed to help children who are deaf or hard of hearing learn to listen and talk. Through grants and other philanthropic investments, the Foundation has supported innovative initiatives and programs that have had a widespread impact on listening and spoken language outcomes.
Continuing the legacy of driving innovation and investing in scalable and sustainable change in pediatric hearing healthcare, the Foundation launched an open request for proposals last fall. The Foundation is pleased to share the results of that request with you and announce the next funding opportunity.
Supporting Navigator Programs across the Country
The Foundation released a funding opportunity in October 2025 seeking proposals for navigator programs that support timely access to newborn hearing healthcare. This call for proposals generated a strong and inspiring response, reflecting both the creativity and dedication to children and their families. The Foundation has funded 14 proposals from organizations reaching communities across 13 states to establish or expand navigator programs to help families understand the importance of timely follow-up after newborn hearing screenings, navigate healthcare systems, and connect with early intervention services. View the funded programs here.
Announcing a New Funding Opportunity to Increase Hearing Device Wear Time
The latest funding opportunity from the Foundation, which opened today, seeks to assist families in overcoming the challenges and barriers that can prevent full-time hearing device use, so children who are deaf or hard of hearing can achieve age-appropriate spoken language and literacy milestones. Learn more about this request for proposals by clicking this link.
New possibilities for children who are deaf or hard of hearing become a reality every day when we purposefully work together. I look forward to continuing our collective work as we help more children reach their full potential through listening and spoken language.
Teresa H. Caraway, PhD, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT
Chief Executive Officer
The Latest From the Foundation
Funding Opportunity Open for Submissions
The Oberkotter Foundation has released a request for proposals (RFP) that seeks to fund projects that help families establish and maintain hearing device use through all waking hours in children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Consistent exposure to language-rich listening environments is essential for children who are deaf or hard of hearing to develop listening, talking, and literacy skills, especially in their early years when the brain is rapidly developing. Yet many families still face barriers that can prevent children from using their devices full-time during this critical period.
This RFP seeks to support organizations that would like to introduce or expand projects that help families overcome barriers to full-time use of hearing technology. Nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations that are located and operating within the United States, with experience in early childhood hearing loss and social drivers of health access, are invited to apply.
Celebrating a Legacy of Hope and a Future of Possibilities
This year, the Oberkotter Foundation continues to mark its 40th anniversary. Since 1985, the Foundation has invested in programs, research, and family-centered support that have transformed access to quality pediatric audiology and Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) services.
To celebrate the collective impact of the industry over the past 40 years, the Foundation has launched an interactive timeline that explores the innovations and transformative moments that have helped unlock new opportunities for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
