The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative is pleased to promote the following funding opportunities that help promote and support inclusive age-and dementia friendly communities:

• Regional Transit Innovation Grant – MassDOT (deadline, Dec. 8)

Through the state budgeting process, MassDOT has available $15 million in discretionary operating and capital funding to award to transit providers as Transit Innovation Grants. The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative encourages age- and dementia friendly stakeholders to partner with their regional transit authorities or other transportation providers to inform applications.

More information on eligibility and project categories are available here.

• MassTrails Grants – MassDOT, Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (deadline, Feb. 1st, 2024)

MassTrails provides grants to support recreational trail and shared-use pathway projects across the Commonwealth. The award maximum depends on the project type and needs and is generally $100,000 for recreational trails projects and up to $500,000 for shared-use path projects demonstrating critical network connections of regional or statewide significance.

Eligible grant activities include project development, design, engineering, permitting, construction, and maintenance of recreational trails, shared-use pathways, and the amenities that support trails.

MassTrails grants are REIMBURSEMENT grants, meaning grantees must first pay for expenditures and then submit for reimbursement using the required documentation.

MassTrails grants are MATCHING grants and require that proponents provide a minimum of 20% of the total project cost.

Eligible projects require documented land owner permission submitted with the application and are subject to all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations.

MassTrails grants are reviewed and recommended by the Governor’s Inter-Agency Trails Team and the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Advisory Board (MARTAB).

More information, including how to apply, is available here.

• Previously announced Age-Friendly Funding Opportunities that are still available can be viewed in a previous blog post.