named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Fair Play
Adaptive sports program that connects individuals with special needs and their families with collegiate and professional athletes for inclusive athletic experiences.
Friendly Access Sensory Safety Kits
Distributes sensory safety kits to performance, arts, and sports venues nationwide to support accessibility for individuals with sensory sensitivities.
Ice House Hawks
Hockey program for individuals with developmental challenges, providing opportunities to play and engage with peers and mentors in a team setting.
Magic Paintbrush Sessions
Facilitated creative workshops for individuals with special needs and their families, designed to complement therapeutic goals and encourage family engagement through art-making.
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Art Programs for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities 1 activity
- Creative and rehabilitative workshops for individuals with special needsProvides creative workshops that support rehabilitative interventions for individuals, families, and professionals affected by special needs diagnoses. These programs are designed to foster personal development and community connection through structured creative engagement.
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Parenting Education and Support Programs 1 activity
- Family and caregiver support servicesOffers structured family sessions and support for caregivers of individuals with special needs, delivered by trained volunteers. These services aim to strengthen family resilience and improve long-term care outcomes.
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Adaptive Sports Programs 1 activity
- Inclusive sports and athletic programs for individuals with special needsFacilitates inclusive sports sessions, including adaptive ice hockey through the Ice House Hawks program, engaging individuals with developmental challenges alongside peers and mentors from college and professional teams. Programs emphasize active participation and long-term peer-to-peer relationships.
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Behavioral Health and Human Services Training 1 activity
- Internship programs in nonprofit and special needs servicesOffers undergraduate and graduate internships focused on working with special needs families and nonprofit operations, providing hands-on experience in direct service and organizational management.
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Sensory-Inclusive Programming and Support 1 activity
- Nationwide distribution of Sensory Safety KitsDistributes Sensory Safety Kits to performance, arts, and sports venues across the country to improve accessibility and inclusion for individuals with sensory sensitivities and developmental challenges.
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Social Skills Development for Neurodiverse Youth 1 activity
- Peer-to-peer social engagement programsRuns the TWOgather program and similar initiatives that facilitate sustained peer-to-peer friendships between individuals with special needs and typical peers, from middle school through college, fostering inclusive social networks and community integration.
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Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
- Volunteer engagement and training programsProvides volunteer opportunities for individuals to support program delivery, including family sessions, sports programs, and fundraising events. Volunteers are trained to assist in operational and logistical tasks across all core services.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Participant engagement and service scaleHas served over 50,000 session participants since 2006, with an average of 4,750 individuals annually through family engagement and adaptive programs. Currently serves a region with over 7,500 identified developmentally disabled individuals.
- Program replication and licensed expansionGrants licensed expansion of its model programs to other organizations, such as the Sullivan County ARC, to extend access beyond the Southern Tier of New York and scale impact regionally.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2021
revenue
Total revenue$18K
Contributions & grants$18K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income$160%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$46K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$14K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$29K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$24K
2 years on record · 2020–2021 · YoY revenue -66.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2021
Who runs it
board members · 1
- JENNIFER O'BRIEN — EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (NON-VOTING)
relationships · 5
Who they work with
- Binghamton Imaginink, Inc. Partner — Former host organization that formally established The Magic Paintbrush Project as a program in November 2006
- Boys & Girls Club of Western Broome Partner — Provides facility and administrative office space for Life Is Washable, Inc.
- Ice House Hawks Partner — Collaborates with createABLE to offer Fair Play sessions where volunteers can serve as junior coaches.
- Southern Tier Regional Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) Government — Conducted independent client satisfaction survey and lists Life Is Washable’s programming among top requested "Front Door Services."
- Sullivan County ARC Partner — Licensed expansion partner for The Magic Paintbrush Project program
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Embracing Challenge Through Creative Processmethodology: embrace_the_messBy framing the creative process—especially its messy, unpredictable aspects—as a metaphor for life’s challenges, the organization helps families build resilience and adaptive mindsets, because experiential engagement with “mess” teaches that growth emerges through participation, not perfection.
- Family-Centered Therapeutic Engagementmethodology: family_centered_supportBy aligning programming with family-identified goals and requiring caregiver participation, the organization strengthens therapeutic outcomes and family resilience, because embedding therapeutic practices into shared family experiences increases consistency, emotional support, and real-world skill application.
- IEP/IFSP-Aligned Creative Therapeuticsmethodology: creative_therapeuticsBy designing creative art workshops that align with individualized education and family service plans, the organization supports targeted therapeutic development in communication, socialization, and sensory-motor skills, because integrating clinical goals into engaging, creative activities increases motivation and functional progress.
- Peer-to-Peer Inclusion Modelmethodology: peer_to_peer_inclusionBy connecting individuals with developmental or special needs to peers across educational stages, the organization fosters lasting friendships that promote social inclusion and personal development, because peer relationships provide natural, sustainable pathways to belonging and growth.