Grants / Fundraising



Elder Affairs 2012 Incentive Grant Documents

Please find attached four documents for the FY2012 competitive Service Incentive Grant program:
• the announcement itself
• the application form
• a one year SINGLE YEAR budget form, as well as an OPTIONAL multi-year budget attachment
There are some categories that have been introduced this year as a result of requests from Councils on Aging. The turn around time is quick. It is not a complicated process but the focus is to show that these funds DO make a measurable (insofar as practicable) difference in serving seniors...as a way to demonstrate same to the community and others, as well as for continued SIG support should sufficient funds be available.
If you have any question/s regarding the application, please feel free to call me at 1-617-222-7471 or at 1-800-698-9723.   Sincerely, Emmett Schmarsow, Prog. Mgr. COAs & Senior Centers, ELD

Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts Invites Grant Applications for Programs to Benefit Women and Girls

The Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts provides funding to organizations and programs working to benefit women and girls in the four counties of western Massachusetts.   The fund seeks to support diverse programs and projects that directly impact individual participants as well as efforts that address the broader social issues affecting women and girls, including advocacy and efforts to change systems and policies.
Last year the fund supported nineteen organizations in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.
The fund makes grants and advances social change in three major focus areas:   Educational Access and Success, Economic Justice, and Safety and Freedom from Violence.
The fund will award $150,000 in grants in the coming year in three funding categories.
Deadline:   January 31, 2012

ICYMI:   Independence at Home Demonstration

In December, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a solicitation for the Independence at Home Demonstration.
  • To view the press release, visit: https://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/release.asp?Counter=4231
  • To view a fact sheet, visit: https://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=4230
Deadlines for the submission of applications and letters of intent vary depending on the application.
The first deadline is February 6, 2012.
  • For more information, including the application, visit the home page of the Independence at Home Demonstration at https://www.cms.gov/demoprojectsevalrpts/md/itemdetail.asp?itemid=CMS1240082.

Low-Cost COA Fundraising Strategies

The Northampton Council on Aging has been engaged in a low cost fundraising strategy that has benefited the COA to the tune of several thousand dollars annually for the past several years.
With the cooperation of the city/municipal clerk & treasurer (who must establish the gift account*), the city has permitted the COA to include an "ANNUAL FUND" envelope with the municipality's end of the year mailing to residents for census and voter registration purposes.   The census/voter envelopes are returned to the city/(town) clerk who sets aside the COA envelopes for the COA.
A scan of the envelope (front and back) is attached.
COA director Patricia (Patte) Shaughnessy would be pleased to discuss this process with you.   You can reach her at pshaughnessy@northamptonma.gov or at 413-587-1228.
(*The municipality must approve annually any revolving account -- Chapter 44, sec. 53 E ฝ).
Courtesy — Emmett Schmarsow, Prog. Mgr. COAs & Senior Centers, ELD

Wisdom Works Grant Availability




  — Past Grant Opportunities —  



— 2012 —


National Service Agency Announces
2012 AmeriCorps Funding Opportunities
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has released three funding notices for its 2012 AmeriCorps grant competition.   The grant competition carries out the goals of the bipartisan 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and the agency's 2011-2015 Strategic Plan to achieve greater impact by targeting resources on a core set of challenges and using performance measures to assess and demonstrate impact.
Deadline:   January 18, 2012
courtesy — Emmett Schmarsow, Prog. Mgr. COAs & Senior Centers, ELD
Educating Women about Programs, Benefits, & Rights under the Affordable Care Act — Request for Proposals
Deadline — Proposals must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time (MT) on January 20, 2012
For help with this RFP:   Please e-mail:   owhapplication@jsi.com or phone toll-free:   1-866-224-3815.

— 2011 —


NCST Funding — Mobility Management
The NCST is pleased to release a request for proposals for mobility management projects that demonstrate innovative and effective solutions to enhance transportation options for older adults through person-centered mobility management.   Non-profit or local/regional/Tribal governmental agencies that plan, administer, or provide aging and/or transportation services may apply.   Applications are due Friday December 23.
Agencies interested in applying can participate in a conference call to provide more information on the application process and selection criteria.
Conference Call:   Date: Thursday, December 8, 2011 — Time: 2:00 p.m. EST
Call-in number: 1.866.846.3997 — Pass code: 139803
Mass-ALFA $10K in Grants Available
The Massachusetts Assisted Living Facilities Association (Mass-ALFA) is pleased to announce the availability of a total of $10,000.00 in grant monies to be awarded in late 2011 to three (3) Massachusetts Councils on Aging/Senior Centers (COA).   Each one-time award will be for no more than one third of the $10,000.00 total funds available, or $3,333 per award.
It is Mass-ALFA's plan to identify the three award winners by early to mid-December 2011, with funding being issued no later than December 15, 2011.
Community Based Care Transition Funds
Program Awards Funds to Find New Ways to Improve Care for People with Medicare
On Fri Nov 18, CMS announced the first sites selected for the Community Based Care Transition Program (CCTP).   The CCTP is an initiative of the Partnership for Patients, a new public-private partnership created by the Affordable Care Act.   CCTP's goals are to reduce hospital readmissions, test sustainable funding streams for care transition services, maintain or improve quality of care, and document measureable savings to the Medicare program.   The demonstration will be conducted under the authority of Section 3026 of the Affordable Care Act of 2010.
The CMS Innovation Center will also be holding a conference call on Tue Nov 29 from 1-2:30pm to allow stakeholders to hear directly from some of the newly selected sites.   We will also have CMS staff available to answer questions.   Call in number:   1-800-837-1936   Conference ID:   29693317.
Click here for the first site selections for the Community Based Care Transitions Program:   http://www.CMS.gov/DemoProjectsEvalRpts/downloads/CCTP_FirstSiteSelections.pdf
Comments or questions can be sent to:   CareTransitions@CMS.hhs.gov
For more information about the Community Based Care Transitions Program, visit http://go.CMS.gov/caretransitions
Home Depot Funding targets Elders
Please know that Home Depot (through the Home Depot Foundation) has announced grants (in the form of gift cards) for Volunteer Partnerships that embrace the following:   (taken from their web-link, please see below)- Repairs, refurbishments, and modifications to low-income and/or transitional housing, or community facilities (schools, community centers, senior centers, etc.)
- Weatherizing or increasing energy efficiency of low-income and/or transitional housing, or community facilities
- Planting trees or community gardens and/or landscaping community facilities
- Development and/or improvement of parks or green spaces
Submission deadline is Monday 31 October 2011.
Funding Focus: Veterans, seniors, disabled, community development, housing, social services, education;
Geographic Focus: National
AARP Foundation Launches $2 Million Program to Assist Vulnerable Older Americans
The Washington, D.C.-based AARP Foundation has announced a $2 million program to support nonprofit organizations working to improve the lives of low-income Americans age 50 and older.
The AARP Foundation Grants Program will focus on four impact areas — hunger, housing, income, and personal connections — and in 2011 will award approximately $2 million in two of those areas, hunger and income.   Through the Hunger Innovation Grants Program, the foundation will award grants ranging from $50,000 to $300,000 for sustainable solutions that make a significant impact on community food security and sustainable food systems.   Applications from eligible organizations will be accepted through October 15, and recipients will be announced in December 2011.
The Recession Recovery Grants initiative, to be launched later this month, will issue a request for proposals (RFP) focused on programs that provide a continuum of services designed to protect families from severe financial instability.   Grants ranging from $50,000 to $200,000 over one to two years will be awarded by the end of the year to organizations providing literacy and job training, for example, or access to services that offer job placement and increase financial stability.
"Hunger, housing, income, and personal connections are basic needs that, particularly in these tough economic times, are often difficult for vulnerable older Americans to meet," said AARP Foundation president Jo Ann Jenkins.   "This [new initiative] will help build our knowledge base, conquer these solvable issues, and ultimately help older people who are struggling live with hope, dignity, and security."
New Transportation Funding Opportunity
The Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative (VTCLI) notice of funding ($30 million) is a partnership between the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Labor, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs (VA).   Applicants must be eligible to receive Federal Transit Administration (FTA) ง5309 funding (i.e., public agencies such as a transit authority, city/county government —presumably including towns (ed. note)— metropolitan planning organizations, or the State).
Partnerships with the Aging and Disability Networks are encouraged.   Communities with existing one-call/one-click centers are encouraged to apply to expand their services to incorporate veterans.   Coordination of all available transit modes can help resolve many of the transportation issues familiar to the aging and disability networks.   Technology can link many information sources and various providers who can help obtain needed information to assist the aging and disability networks and their clients.
Many aging networks have already signed Veterans Directed Home and Community-Based Care Service contracts or provide other veterans care services in partnership with other organizations.   These existing VA relationships can facilitate meeting the requirements of this Notices of Funds Availability (NOFA).   The United We Ride Ambassador for your region may be available to assist with the NOFA planning process.   To contact the ambassador for your state, please go to: http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/anmviewer.asp?a=72
The Application deadline is September 16, 2011.
For more information on this funding opportunity, please visit http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/grants/grants_financing_12809.html
Americorps State Grants Deadline
Intent to Apply Due: Friday, August 19, 2011
Application Due: Wednesday, Sept 7, 2011 by 12pm
Federal TIGER Grant Webinar
Register for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants and Rural America Part II webinar, to be held on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
To register for this webinar, and to review the events of the first webinar held earlier this month, please click here. Courtesy — Emmett Schmarsow, Prog. Mgr. COAs & Senior Centers, ELD
NISC 20th Annual Research Award — Call for Nominations
The National Institute of Senior Centers announces its twentieth annual Research Award to recognize outstanding research in the senior center field.
Submission deadline is by close of business day Friday, May 27, 2011.
Only research published after January 1, 2009 —including journal articles, dissertations, books, and other research documents— pertaining to the administration, operation, or programming of senior centers will be considered.
A cash award of $1,500 goes to the researcher(s) with a $500 to the senior center/s involved with the research.
13th annual Schwartz Center Compassionate Caregiver Award
Do you know a Compassionate Caregiver?
Nominations are open for the 13th annual Schwartz Center Compassionate Caregiver Award.   This prestigious award honors caregivers in the New England region (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) who display extraordinary compassion in caring for patients.   The winner will receive $5,000 and four finalists will receive $1,000 each.   Nominations are due April 22, 2011.
The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare will present the award at its annual Kenneth B. Schwartz Center Compassionate Healthcare Dinner on November 17, 2011 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in South Boston, MA.   For more information visit www.theschwartzcenter.org or call (617)724-4746.
Effects of the Social Environment on Health: Measurement, Methods and Mechanisms
This FOA, issued as part of the National Institutes of Health Basic Behavioral and Social Science Opportunity Network (OppNet), solicits Research Project Grant applications from institutions/organizations that propose to investigate structural, behavioral, sociocultural, environmental, cognitive, emotional, and/or biological mechanisms through which the social environment affects health outcomes.   To address this objective, applicants should propose research studies that will:   (1) deepen our understanding of which aspects of social environments affect health outcomes for women and men at different stages of the lifecourse and in different social, economic, geographic, racial and ethnic sub-populations;   (2) lead to a clearer understanding of mechanisms through which social environments have such effects;   or (3) improve measurement methods and/or contribute to advances in analytic methods used in the study of social environments and health.
Deadline: January 6, 2011

— 2010 —


National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST) - Small Grant Program
The NCST is inviting applications for developing or enhancing community collaboratives that focus on the mobility needs of culturally and ethnically diverse older adult populations.
The NCST expects to make four to six awards of $10,000 to $20,000 each. Projects are for six to nine months and include individually tailored technical assistance from the NCST.
Deadline: December 16, 2010
Mobility Assistance Program Round 33
Transportation Capital Improvement Grant To Provide Transportation Services To Elderly Persons And Persons With Disabilities
Deadline For Applications Is 3:00 PM, December 10, 2010
Mobility Assistance Program
Massachusetts Department Of Transportation
10 Park Plaza, Room 4160
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
NCOA Call for Proposals — Become a Benefits Enrollment Center
Deadline for full proposals is 19 November 2010
2011-2012 AmeriCorps State Grants
2011 MLK Day of Service Mini-Grants
The Massachusetts Service Alliance (MSA) will release Requests for Proposals on Monday, August 2nd for 2011-2012 AmeriCorps funding and the 2011 MLK Day of Service.
The RFPs will be available on MSA's website (www.mass-service.org) and all applications will be due to MSA on Wednesday, September 15, 2010.
MassDOT-MArtap Transportation Grants available
Please know that the Massachusetts Rural Transit Assistance Program (MArtap), on behalf of the MassDOTMArtap, is making grants available to Massachusetts councils on aging/friends groups and non-profit transportation providers for equipment or projects designed to update or enhance transit services in rural and small urban areas.   COAs/private nonprofits may request up to $750 for this purpose.
      Requests due 31 July 2010.   (See the "Helping Hand Announcement letter")
MArtap is also offering a Helping Hand Mini Grant program to assist councils on aging/friends groups to obtain a Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S ฎ Number (referred to as a "Duns" number). A Duns number is an essential part of helping establish your agency/business credit profile; in some cases, a Duns number is required for doing business with some entities, such as the US Government or federal agencies.
      Requests due by 30 July 2010.   (See the DUNS NUMBERS attachment)
There is also a Certified Community Transit Manager Preparatory class and Exam September 21-- 23, 2010 your agency may be interested in.   (See CCTM announcement.)
      For further information, please visit www.martap.org or contact:
Carol A. Tally / MArtap Program Coordinator -- Massachusetts Rural Transit Assistance Program (MArtap)
PO Box 155 / Foxboro, MA 02035 / p: 877-MArtap1 (627-8271)
$60M in HHS Affordable Care Act Grants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   —   Thursday, June 3, 2010
Contact:   HHS Press Office   (202) 620-6343
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of $60 million in Affordable Care Act grants to states and communities to help individuals and their caregivers better understand and navigate their health and long-term care options.
The deadline for applications is:   Monday, July 30, 2010.
Grants will be awarded in September 2010.
AID Grant for Chronic Disease Self-Management
These funds are available on a competitive basis in the following counties:
Western MA counties:   - Franklin - Hampden - Hampshire - Berkshire
Southeastern MA counties:   - Bristol - Plymouth - Barnstable - Dukes - Nantucket
SBA Disaster Loans Available
The Small Business Association can help home owners renters and non-farm business of all sizes as well as private non-profit organizations with property damaged by disaster.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is May 28, 2010.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is December 29, 2010.

— 2009 —


NEW — CVS Award Competition
CVS/pharmacy and NCOA through the National Institute of Senior Centers will host the third annual "2010 Prescription for Better Health" award competition.
These awards will honor senior centers for the outstanding work they do in promoting a healthy lifestyle for seniors through their offerings of senior center health programming and through the Pack Your Bag Programs.   Read more at the link above about these awards and apply online today through November 30th.
It's not too late to post a promotion to the Pack Your Bag Program on your website, and qualify for this contest.   Just post the following address on your state association website and then go to the link at the bottom of this website and apply for the random drawing.   Five winners will receive a $250 cash prize and a conference registration to the NCOA-ASA "Aging in America" Conference in March, 2010 in Chicago.
Post this NCOA Pack Your Bag info on your State Association Website & qualify:   http://www.ncoa.org/content.cfm?sectionid=387
DEADLINE:   30 November 2009
National Institute of Health (NIH) Grants
We thought you might be interested in learning about the following opportunity:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced the availability of $30 million provided by the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to support the development of partnerships between academic research centers and community-based organizations.
This funding opportunity, developed in collaboration with theAdministration on Aging (AoA), supports the development of infrastructure and staff for productive and sustainable academic-community research partnerships.
The goal is to accelerate the pace, productivity, dissemination, and implementation of research translation in community-based settings by strengthening and transforming relationships between academic centers and community organizations.   Academic research centers must take the lead in applying for these grant funds, but they are required to have a full collaboration with community-based organization(s).
This grant announcement gives special attention to projects that involve partnerships with HHS funded networks, including the AoA supported Aging Services Network.   NIH anticipates awarding 30 or more grants with a funding maximum of $1 million per applicant.   Letters of intent are due November 12, 2009 and the application due date is December 11, 2009.

For a copy of the grant announcement, go to:   http://cts.vresp.com/c/?AmericanSocietyonAgi/f2ac3a231b/095db01536/6bae12bfbe
The Strengthening Communities Fund
To:   State, Faith based and Community Organizations,   The Federal Government recognizes the important work carried out by nonprofit organizations to address the needs of disadvantaged and hard-to-reach populations suffering economic hardships and intends to empower these organizations to be part of economic recovery through the new Strengthening Communities Fund.    The Strengthening Communities Fund is now available and applications are due July 7, 2009.    Please share this information with your list-servs, networks, and partner organizations.
The Strengthening Communities Fund
Objective:    The objective of the Strengthening Communities Fund (SCF) is to enable nonprofit  organizations to contribute to the economic recovery and help Federal, State, local, and Indian/Native American Tribal governments ensure that the information and services described in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) reach disadvantaged and hard-to-serve populations. 
Program Focus:    The focus of this program is to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations, whether secular or faith based, to address the broad economic recovery issues present in their communities, including helping low-income individuals secure and retain employment, earn higher wages, obtain better-quality jobs, and gain greater access to state and Federal benefits and tax credits, including ARRA benefits. 
Grant Program:    SCF is made up of two separate grant programs.
1.     Nonprofit Capacity Building Program:    The SCF Nonprofit Capacity Building program will make one-time awards up to $1 million to experienced lead organizations to provide nonprofit organizations — or project partners — with capacity building training, technical assistance, and competitive financial assistance.    A minimum of 55% of the Federal funds awarded must be provided to project partners through a competitive process.    The grant period for this award is 24 months.   To read the full program announcement for the SCF Nonprofit Capacity Building program visit:    http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2009-ACF-OCS-SI-0091.html
2.     State, Local, and Tribal Government Capacity Building Program:    The SCF State, Local, and Tribal Government Capacity Building program will make one-time awards up to $250,000 to State, city, county, and Indian/Native American Tribal government offices (e.g., offices responsible for outreach to faith-based and community organizations or those interested in initiating such an effort), or their designees, to build the capacity of nonprofit faith-based and community organizations to better serve those in need and to increase nonprofit organizations' involvement in the economic recovery.  Grantees will use program funds to provide free capacity building services to nonprofit organizations and to build their own capacity to provide such services to nonprofits.    The grant period for this award is 24 months.
To read the full program announcement for the SCF State, Local and Tribal Government Capacity Building Program visit:   SCF State, Local and Tribal Government Capacity Building Program
For more information about this new program, visit:   New Program
For recordings of technical assistance calls for potential applicants, visit:   Recordings of technical assistance calls for potential applicants
Eddie Ortega
USDA, Food and Nutrition Service
(617) 565-6413
www.FNS.USDA.gov
MSA - Request for Proposals - AmeriCorps Planning Grants Initiative
CoPALS Program Grants
Tufts Health Plan Foundation Announces Grantmaking Focus on Healthy Aging




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    Phone:   413-527-6425       Fax:   413-527-7138

    webmaster — peter@mcoaonline.com