NEWS

Age-Friendly Funding Alerts: Shared Streets and Spaces Grant Program, Upcoming Grants in Early 2025

Dec 4, 2024

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

The Shared Streets and Spaces Grant Program is administered by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The program provides funding to municipalities and public transit authorities to quickly implement improvements to plazas, sidewalks, curbs, streets, bus stops, parking areas, and other public spaces in support of public health, safe mobility, and strengthened commerce.

The selection criteria includes projects that support safe travel for older adults, including walking and bicycle facilities. MHAC encourages communities working to become more age- and dementia friendly to apply and can connect with interested local partners looking for project examples.

More information is available here.

  • AARP Community Challenge Grant, upcoming in January

AARP Livable Communities announced the annual Community Challenge Grant will be coming in January. Information about the program and previous grantees are available here.

This is a competitive grant program focused on driving innovation and transformation at the local level via investments in technology. Using the transformative powers of IT, we can drive innovation, make government more efficient, save taxpayer money, and make it easier for residents to interact and transact with their local government.

Grants of up to $200,000 support the implementation of innovative IT projects by funding related one-time capital needs such as technology infrastructure or software. Incidental or one-time costs related to the capital purchase such as planning, design, installation, implementation and initial training are eligible.

Many past projects have addressed digital equity for residents of all ages. More information is available here.

LifePath is currently seeking proposals for a limited number of projects that support our region’s vision of Age- and Dementia-Friendly communities, where older adults and residents of all ages can enjoy greater safety, connectivity, and belonging. With generous support from Point32 Health Foundation, we are ensuring that Franklin County and North Quabbin are a place where everyone can age well. To learn more about Age & Dementia-Friendly Franklin & North Quabbin, check out the Action Plan.

Details and application info are available here.

The National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, is accepting applications Creative Forces Community Engagement grants to support non-clinical, community-based arts engagement programming for military and veteran populations, including family members and caregivers.

  • MicroProjects Program for transportation projects, Central Massachusetts Metropolitan Organization (deadline, Feb. 14th, 2025)

The MicroProjects Program is the Central Massachusetts Metropolitan Organization (CMMPO) funding program for first and last mile solutions, community transportation, and other small, non-traditional transportation projects, such as bikesharing facilities.

The MicroProjects Program was created by the CMMPO with the intent to fill the gaps in the transportation network, create first and last mile connections between transit and other modes of transportation, and to support access to essential services, including jobs, education opportunities, health services, and healthy food.

From the public outreach and engagement activities, the CMMPO heard loud and clear the need for more local transportation services. To that end, the CMMPO allocated $400,000 per year to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the MicroProjects Program. Schedule is subject to change pending cost increases or programming year changes of existing TIP projects.

Details and application info is available here.

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative Grant is open to cities with populations of 50,000 or more. The program will award 10 cities grants of up to $100,000 each for large-scale projects that will make signature streets safer and more accessible, create dynamic new public spaces, or enact other similarly transformative roadway redesigns.