The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative encourages communities and organizations working to become more age- and dementia friendly to consider the following funding opportunities:

• Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds (due June 17th):

The vision for the Healthy Aging funding stream is to contribute to equitable systems across sectors affecting community-level physical environments and social and economic conditions ultimately leading to a better quality of life and health outcomes for older adults as they age in Massachusetts. This vision aligns with DPH’s and the Executive Office of Elder Affairs’ (EOEA) commitment to advancing health equity and having a positive impact on the social determinants of health.

More information is available here.

• Community Transit Grant Program (application will open April 29, due date is June 24)

Councils on Aging, non-profits, transit authorities, municipalities, and some taxis can apply for this annual competitive funding opportunity from MassDOT for vehicles, mobility management projects, or operating expenses to expand mobility for older adults and people with disabilities. For inspiration, check out this recent report on creative examples of how organizations have used this funding in the past. Attendance at a virtual training session – scheduled for April 21 and 27 – is mandatory for new applicants and optional for returning applicants. Learn more here.

• HRSA: Community Health Worker Training Program (CHWTP), (due June 14th)

The purpose of the CHWTP is to support projects that will increase the number of Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Health Support Workers and equip them with the skillsets needed to provide effective community outreach build trust with communities, support connections to and retention in care and support services, and other strategies to increase access to care and to assist individuals in prevention services, and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health emergencies in underserved communities. These combined efforts are intended to advance public health, strengthen the public health workforce, reduce health disparities, and help underserved populations achieve health equity.

More information on eligibility and applications are available here.

• Blue Cross-Blue Shield Foundation – Connecting Consumers with Coverage (LOI due June 14th)

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the Connecting Consumers with Coverage grant program.

Under this program, the Foundation will support both health insurance enrollment (initial and re-enrollment support) and community-centered outreach efforts to connect individuals to health insurance, with a focus on communities with a higher rate of uninsurance, a higher number of individuals that lack insurance, or that are more likely to experience gaps in coverage.  

Funding is open to Massachusetts nonprofit organizations that work with communities who are economically, racially, culturally, or socially marginalized with accessing and maintaining health insurance coverage. The Foundation seeks organizations that have sophisticated knowledge of how to enroll in and navigate publicly subsidized health insurance programs and organizations that have the capacity and skills in conducting outreach to communities and individuals who may not already be connected with health insurance or the health care system.

More information is available here.