increase older adult access to health essentials programs – Aug 23

Posted by AARP Foundation on August 13, 2024

AARP Foundation invites applications to increase older adult access to health essentials programs

The AARP Foundation aims to create and advance effective solutions to reduce poverty for and with older adults.

The foundation invites applications from organizations looking to implement capacity building projects that increase access and affordability of food, health care, and medicine for older adults with low income. Capacity building grants offer up to $50,000 to support organizations in their efforts to work more efficiently and effectively for and with older adults. These grants are intended to aid organizational development at a structural level, and are not intended to pay for direct services or expenses related to existing programs and services. The projects should instead focus on enhancing, optimizing, or streamlining resources, processes, or programs to better connect eligible older adults to health essentials programs during and beyond the grant cycle. Examples of health essentials programs include but are not limited to: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Medicaid; Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs); Low-Income Subsidy (LIS)/Extra Help; Food Is Medicine, including medically tailored meals or groceries, and produce prescriptions; and social determinants of health screening and intervention.

Preference will be given to proposals that focus on efforts to better serve communities that have historically faced systemic barriers, racial and ethnic disparities, and other biases that perpetuate economic instability. Proposals must demonstrate that the expanded capacity is sustainable (financially and operationally) beyond the project lifecycle.

Projects in the following categories are eligible: planning activities or building evaluation capacity (e.g., strategic planning, enhancing evaluation methods, organizational assessments), partnership/relationship development (e.g., creating referral networks/platforms, developing collaborative services, shared trainings), operations (e.g., opening a new call center/location, improving infrastructure to enhance services, developing sustainability models), and technology (e.g., new client platforms, enhancing data tracking, analysis, or reporting, CRMs).

The foundation will prioritize applications that serve populations disproportionately affected by systemic barriers, racial and ethnic disparities and other harmful biases. Organizations from anywhere in the U.S. are eligible and welcome to apply. However, we have a particular interest in projects/programs that serve older adults in 22 U.S. states and territories with high levels of senior poverty: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico.

Pre-applications are due August 23, 2024. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application, due October 11, 2024.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the AARP Foundation website.

Deadline: August 23, 2024