NEWS

Age-Friendly Funding Alerts: Respite Innovations Grant, AARP Community Challenge, Senior Workforce Development, BOLD

Jan 25, 2023

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

  • Respite Innovation Grant Program, Mass. Executive Office of Health and Human Services (New deadline: 2/3).

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) is still accepting applications for the Respite Innovation Grant Program. The new, $20 million grant seeks applications to transform and reorganize how Respite is provided.

Apply online before 5PM on February 3 using the MassGRANTS application portal.

Any organizations with experience providing home and community-based Respite services are encouraged to apply, including:

  • Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) providers
  • Community organizations, such as Independent Living Centers (ILCs) or Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs)
  • Education and training institutions
  • Private foundations

Applicants can apply for funds to enhance, modernize, transform, or improve their Respite services. Or, they can pilot a new method for providing Respite. Eligible activities include:

  • Piloting innovative models for Respite services
  • Providing high quality, person-centered Respite to relieve caregivers
  • Developing strategies for Respite opportunities that are gender inclusive and serve culturally, linguistically, or ethnically diverse caregivers
  • Creating sustainable programs and services to offer relief to caregivers
  • Recruiting and retaining Respite workers

You can find more information on the Respite Innovation Grant on the grant webpage on the EOHHS website, or in the grant listing on COMMBUYS.

You can submit any questions to MAHCBSgrants@pcgus.com.

The AARP Community Challenge provides small grants to fund quick-action projects that can help communities become more livable for people of all ages. In 2023, the AARP Community Challenge is accepting applications across three different grant opportunities, two of which are new this year.

Applications are due by 5pm on March 15th.

The flagship AARP Community Challenge grants have ranged from several hundred dollars for smaller, short-term activities to tens of thousands of dollars for larger projects. Since 2017, AARP has funded projects ranging from $500 to $50,000 with an average grant amount of $11,900 (83 percent of grants have been under $20,000.) AARP reserves the right to award compelling projects of any dollar amount.

More info is available here.

AmeriCorps Seniors is publishing this funding notice with the purpose of creating the
AmeriCorps Seniors Workforce Development Senior Demonstration Program (herein
referred to as WFD) to support projects focused on supporting older adults as they seek to
secure employment in professional, skilled labor, or para-professional careers.

In addition, AmeriCorps Seniors is partnering with Public Health AmeriCorps, which seeks to support projects that address the public health needs of local communities, advance health equity and create pathways to public health careers for older adults. Applicants that propose public health careers programming would apply via the Public Health Careers Track. All other career programming will apply via the non-public health careers track. Through WFD funding opportunities, applicants must demonstrate how they will engage adults ages 55 and older, using service opportunities, certification, training, and mentoring as the avenue that will lead to employment in skilled, professional, and/or para-professional career employment.

More information is available here.

The CDC announces the availability of funding for the BOLD Public Health Programs to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (CDC-RFA-DP23-0010to fulfill the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (P.L. 115-406).

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) intends to help build the public health infrastructure and increase capacity in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) and dementia caregiving, emphasizing social determinants of health through 5-year awards. All NOFO activities are designed to improve the health of populations across the lifespan by employing data-driven strategies and aligning CDC’s Healthy Brain Initiative State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018-2023 Map or Road Map for Indian Country framework.

More information is available here.