The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative is pleased to promote the following funding opportunities that help support inclusive age-and dementia friendly communities:
- Community Compact Best Practices Program
On August 19th, the Community Compact Best Practices Program was opened for cities and towns. The program is a voluntary, mutual agreement entered into between the Healey-Driscoll Administration and individual cities and towns of the Commonwealth where a community will agree to implement at least one best practice that they select from across a variety of areas.
One of the available options communities may choose is “Age and Dementia Friendly Best Practices.”
The community’s chosen best practice(s) will be reviewed between the Commonwealth and the municipality to ensure that the best practice(s) chosen are unique to the municipality and reflect needed areas of improvement.
Funding is available through the program and municipal leaders must be the lead applicant. Eligible communities are those municipalities who did not apply in FY24.
More information on the Community Compact Best Practices Program is available here.
- Community Transit Grant Program – Operating & Mobility Management Grants
The FY25 Community Transit Grant Program operating and mobility management cycle is now open! Applications are due November 1.
Learn more on the grant program’s website
MassDOT has one more pre-application session coming up this Friday, September 20, from 10-11:30am. This is a virtual session on Zoom. This is required for new applicants and recommended for everyone. To register, please contact Molly Belanger at molly.a.belanger@dot.state.ma.us. If you are unable to make this time, please let Molly know and they will do their best to accommodate you.
- Community Transit Grant Program – Accessible Vehicles
Applications will open October 15 and are due November 22.
Pre-application trainings will be held October 15 from 1-2:30 and October 17 from 10-11:30. These are virtual sessions on Zoom. They will cover the same content, so you do not need to attend both. These are required for new applicants and recommended for everyone. To register, please contact Molly Belanger at molly.a.belanger@dot.state.ma.us. If you are unable to make these times, please let Molly know and they will do their best to accommodate you.
- Local Cultural Council Program
In FY25 Mass Cultural Council will invest $5.7 million into the Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program, the nation’s largest grassroots cultural funding network.
LCCs provide arts and cultural grants to every municipality in Massachusetts through the efforts of more than 2,400 volunteers. They fund some 7,500 public projects annually including everything from field trips to lectures, festivals, and dance and theater performances. Mass Cultural Council allocations to LCCs range from $5,700-$305,600, based on a formula that reflects state aid to municipalities.
The application is now open. To apply:
- Read about the LCC Program application process.
- Download the LCC Program Guidelines (PDF).
- Check out Council Profiles to learn about local priorities before you apply.
- Register for an information session on September 5, 2024 to learn more about the program.
- Set up a user account and profile in the Agency’s grants management system.
Applications are due by October 16, 2024. Don’t wait until the last minute to apply!