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Meet Connor W and Noah ShortConnor is a 14-year-old player from our Evanston, ILprogram. He loves Spider-Man, Star Wars, and nowtennis. Connor’s mom said: “I love ACEing Autismbecause of the community we’ve created. It’s acommunity for my son but it’s also a community forme because of the friendships I’ve built and theability to share stories and resources.”“The volunteers aren’t just coaches, they’re allies andfriends. This program and particularly Noah,Connors’ regular volunteer, have affirmed my son,and there is a difference between welcoming andaffirming [...] they’re included, they’ve instilled asense of belief in them, and that’s a very importantthing to talk about!” she explained.FISCAL YEAR 2024IMPACT REPORT www.aceingautism.orgCREATING COMMUNITY98%Would recommendACEing Autism to afriend WHAT PARENTSTELL US96%97%Are satisfied withtheir child’sexperienceWould register theirchild for the programagain"When my son first started ACEing Autism twoyears ago, it was very hard to change his mindas he was very set on ‘don’t tell me what to do.’But now, he is able to adjust and participatemore. On top of improving his coordinationand his overall body skills, one of the mostimportant benefits we have seen is that hegained a sense of belonging through ACEingAutism. He always feels part of the group,never feels left out, and that is an amazingfeeling for him.” Parent, Houston TXTOGETHER, WE’VE MADE GREAT STRIDES: A YEAR OFPROGRESS AND IMPACT
www.aceingautism.orgRiverview School, MA “We have seen great improvements in ourstudents hand-eye coordination andracquet skills over the course of themparticipating in ACEing. The use of thesedrills at the beginning of each lesson hashelped pave the way for them to be moresuccessful in other tennis drills, activitiesand in modified gameplay. We have alsoseen great improvements in our students’ability to move effectively on the court, aswell as strike the ball with greater accuracyand with the appropriate amount of force."APE Teacher, SchoolRIVERVIEW SCHOOLIn March, over 250 players gathered for the2024 LA Open, hosted by LATA as part ofthe GLTA World Tour. Three hundredmatches were played, and over $12,600 wasraised for ACEing Autism, with a specialappearance by tennis legend Pam Shrivermaking the weekend unforgettable.LA OPEN 2024
SHAPING TOMORROW'S GENERATIONParmida ZandinejadMeet Parmida, a junior in high school, whostarted as a volunteer and is now anAssistant Program Director at our Dallasprogram. “My time with ACEing Autism hassolidified my desire to help people, go to aPre-Med school, and has taught me a lotabout myself. The last three years withACEing Autism have shown me a lot ofcharacteristics about myself [...], like what ittakes to be a good leader, and it helped mebe even more open-minded,” the varsitytennis player shared. ACEing Autism empowers over 5,000volunteers, enriching their understanding ofneurodiversity and building leadership skillsfor their roles in society.www.aceingautism.orgJane Kim"ACEing Autism’s lesson allows me totake a breath and transition from thereactive to the present. I’m rememberingto be a parent first and foremost. Everyclass has the same structure so the kidsknow what to expect: stretching, hand-eye coordination exercises such asbouncing the ball back and forth with avolunteer or kid, practicing one of thebasic tennis strokes, and a group huddle.To my surprise, my son asked when hewas going back next. I knew then, thatthey were providing something hehadn’t experienced with tennis before:connection and community."A PARENT’S PERSPECTIVE
Foundations70%Individual & Corporate Gifts13%Program Fees12%Programming82%Fundraising10%General8%STAY CONNECTED!92%90%82%THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THIS YEAR!As we celebrate this year’s amazing milestones, we’rereminded that none of it would be possible without YOU—our families, volunteers, donors, and supporters. Yourdedication has made a lasting impact on children withautism, helping us grow, connect, and inspire through thepower of tennis. Visit our website to explore our impact andread more inspiring success stories!KEEP THE RALLYGOING!With your support, we can reach more childrenand communities. Help us grow by donatingonline today — every dollar directly supports ourmission. Consider joining Serving Aces, ourmonthly giving community, to provide consistent,year-round support. You'll receive exclusiveupdates and join a group of changemakersdedicated to making tennis accessible to childrenwith autism.ACEing Autism is financially strong, with well-managed expenses andinvestments focused on supporting families, enhancing the participantexperience, building our volunteers’ skills, and expanding our reach tomore children at a lower cost.FUELING OUR MISSIONREVENUE FY24EXPENSES FY24We continually strive to improve. ProgramDirectors track changes in children’s tennis,motor, social, and behavioral skills duringour six to eight-week sessions. Here’s what we’ve learned.Social SkillsImprovement / Significant Improvement On-Task EngagementImprovement / Significant Improvement Tennis Skills/ Motor SkillsImprovement / Significant Improvement OUTCOMES THAT MATTERwww.aceingautism.org$2,358,830$2,019,104In 2024, ACEing Autismbenefited from generousin-kind contributions,including 2,028 volunteerhours and $51,350 in courtfees. Additional support camethrough equipmentvalued at $13,515, tennisprogram leadershipvalued at $33,000, andlegal services worth$14,872. We also received over$90,000 in Google Grantsfor marketing, furtheramplifying our impact.