AARP Foundation seeks to support partners to build capacity to connect adults age 50 and older to health essentials programs.
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
- Social determinants of health screening and intervention
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. Capacity Building grants are not intended to pay for direct services or expenses related to existing programs and services. These 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.
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.
Download the Full RFA and Pre-application
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)
- Technology (e.g., new client platforms, enhancing data tracking, analysis, or reporting, CRMs)
AARP Foundation is exploring how to support CBOs to authentically engage older adults to co-create solutions as a part of program planning. We are interested in proposals that include lived experience with a preference for community-led or co-designed projects. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines people with lived experience as “those directly affected by social, health, public health, or other issues and by the strategies that aim to address those issues.” Lived experience provides “knowledge based on someone’s perspective, personal identities, and history, beyond their professional or educational experience.” Examples of people with lived experience for this grant may include people who are:
- Participating in health essentials programs but do not benefit at the same rate as others
- Eligible for but do not or cannot access health essentials programs
- Not currently eligible for but could benefit from health essentials programs
- Family members or caregivers of those involved in or eligible for health essentials programs
Timelines
- July 25, 2024: Funding opportunity announced, and pre-application made available
- August 7, 2024: Application webinar session
- August 23, 2024: Pre-application deadline
- September 6, 2024: Full applications invited
- October 11, 2024: Invited full applications due
- October 28-November 1, 2024: Clarification period (as needed)
- November 2024: Applicants will be notified of award decisions
- December 1, 2024: Grant Start Date
For questions related to this RFA or relating to pre-application submission in the AARP Foundation Community Portal, please send an email to the AARP Foundation Grants Management mailbox at aarp_foundation_grants@aarp.org
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