Building Neighborhoods Where People of All Ages Can Thrive
The Health Foundation for Western & Central New York invites proposals from grassroots and community-based organizations who are working to build age-friendly neighborhoods that promote health equity.
Age-friendly is a framework that promotes the health and well-being of residents throughout their life course, with particular attention to enhancing the inclusion, participation, and well-being of older adults. Age-friendly environments are accessible, equitable, inclusive, safe, secure, and supportive. They promote health and prevent or delay the onset of disease and functional decline. The Eight Domains of Livability describe community features that can be addressed to promote age-friendliness.
View the full request for proposals here.
Download the application and budget forms here as an editable Word document.
Deadline for Submission: Friday, January 19, 2024
All application materials should be submitted to GoLocal@nyam.org
Who should apply?
We are seeking to partner with grassroots and community-based organizations. Applicants must:
- Operate within one or more of the 16 counties the Health Foundation serves.
- Be a nonprofit organization with 501(c)3 status or affiliated with one who can receive and manage grant funds on their behalf. If you need help connecting with a 501(c)3, we may be able to assist you.
- Have an organizational focus on serving older adults, people of color, other under-resourced groups, and/or those living in rural communities.
What types of projects or programs will Age-Friendly: Go Local fund?
We are interested in funding projects built on the key principles of age-friendliness, livability, and equity to improve the health and well-being of communities. We are especially interested in projects that serve populations with inequitable access to health-promoting resources and services, including: those in poverty, those in rural communities, LGBTQ+ groups, indigenous communities, racial and ethnic minoritized groups, immigrants, refugees and other groups.
The intent of this grant is to fund new and innovative projects. The grant will not fund existing programs as they are currently delivered. However, we are open to supporting the expansion of existing programs into older adult populations that were not previously served, and/or projects that will result in significantly improved programs for older adults. Projects should meaningfully include older adults in planning for program expansion and identify new ways of program delivery. The grant may not be used to support mergers and acquisitions, building or capital projects, drug development, or direct grants to individuals.
Previously Funded Age-Friendly: Go Local Projects
Funding Levels
Grants up to $25,000 will be awarded for projects that are ready to launch in a community.
Grants up to $10,000 will be awarded for planning, exploratory or very early stage projects.
What to expect as an Age-Friendly: Go Local grantee
Recipients of the Age-Friendly: Go Local grant will be a part of a learning collaborative made up of other grassroot and community organizations. The goal of this learning collaborative is to share best practices and lessons learned about implementing and sustaining age-friendly initiatives in communities. As part of the learning collaborative, grantees are expected to participate in three in-person meetings and three webinars during the grant term. During meetings and webinars, grantees will have the opportunity to connect with organizations and government agencies that are working to advance age-friendly programs and policies across the state.
Grantees will also receive training and resources to be champions for age-friendly programs and policies in their community. The goal is for grantees to be able to effectively communicate that what is good for older adults is good for everyone!
The grant term is one year, July 2024 to August 2025. We intend for project activities to be completed during this time frame.
Have questions? We are here to help! Contact us at GoLocal@nyam.org.