from the private sector and select government agencies. When information about Lifespan Respite Care Program Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA) are available from the Administration for Community Living, they will be posted on the Lifespan Respite Technical Assistance Center.
November 9, 2020
Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
FY 2021 AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program (SCP) Expansion
Application Deadline: Feb 3, 2021
Please note: Last month the CNCS released a new brand strategy, announcing it will now operate as “AmeriCorps.” The agency’s three programs that cater exclusively to volunteers 55 years and older under the Senior Corps name – Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and RSVP – will now operate and be promoted under the banner of AmeriCorps Seniors.
AmeriCorps issued a funding opportunity announcement for several of its programs including the Senior Companion Program. Established in 1974, the AmeriCorps Seniors’ Senior Companion Program (SCP) engages adults age 55 and over to provide companionship and support to other adults in need of extra assistance to remain at home or in the community for as long as possible. AmeriCorps Seniors’ Senior Companion volunteers serve an average of 20 hours per week, with most of the volunteer service taking place in the homes of their clients. Among other activities, they provide companionship to ease loneliness and social isolation, assist with transportation and light chores, help to serve as eyes and ears to professionals who can intervene in the case of medical or other deterioration on the part of the clients, and give support to informal caregivers. The TN Respite Coalition and others use Senior Companion to provide respite for family caregivers. See Lifespan Respite grantee and partner teleconference recording, Opportunities from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to Expand and Support Respite
Eligible entities include:
Indian tribes
institutions of higher education
local governments
nonprofit organizations
states
AmeriCorps Seniors funding priorities for this grant cycle are:
AmeriCorps Seniors is committed, in this grant competition, to focus on programs that actively engage in removing structural racial inequities, advancing racial equality, and increasing opportunity in order to achieve sustainable change in communities.
AmeriCorps Seniors encourages grant applications to include work plans that advance justice and equality in areas such as healthy futures.
AmeriCorps Seniors encourages applicants to focus on efforts to help local communities respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants may propose programming in the healthy futures focus area to aid communities as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
AmeriCorps Senior prioritizes grant making in the Healthy Futures focus area identified by the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended by the Serve America Act. Under this focus area, grants must address health needs within communities by focusing specifically on independent living (aging in place), and access to health care. Activities may include supporting the ability of homebound, older adults and individuals with disabilities to live independently.
Funding for programs that are designed to strengthen communities and solve local problems. Funding priorities include, but are not limited to, efforts to help local communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Veterans and Military Families, rural intermediaries - organizations that demonstrate measurable impact and primarily serve rural communities with limited resources and organizational infrastructure, and faith-based organizations. Lifespan respite grantees and state respite coalitions have successfully used AmeriCorps volunteers to support their respite efforts.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories
Application Deadline: Wednesday, Jan 6, 2021 at 5:00 PM
Sponsor: Corporation for National and Community Service
Organizations that propose to operate in only one state must apply through the Governor-appointed State or Territory Commissions. Each state and territory administers its own selection process and puts forward to CNCS the applicants it selects to compete for funding. Please visit (https://www.nationalservice.gov/about-cncs/contact-us/state-service-commissions) for State Commission contacts and information.|
READ MORE about the funding opportunity announcement and other important details.
September 18, 2020
Special Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center Quality of Life Grants Program
Addressing Social Isolation During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living (ACL), are pleased to announce a new funding opportunity for a special $300,000 grants program. Download flyer.
The aim of the Reeve Foundation’s new Quality of Life (QOL) grants program is to address social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic with the goal of enhancing connectedness of people living with paralysis and their caregivers to their communities and preventing adverse health outcomes.
Though we are looking to the field for innovative ways to address the program’s aim and goals, funds may support programs and projects to:
• Connect isolated individuals and remotely foster engagement and connection through
Virtual support groups
Online activities to help support self-care and stress management
Virtual and online adaptive physical activity and health promotion programs
Art sessions
Gaming
• Adapt services or create new services to continue to support and engage family caregivers
• Facilitate connection through the use of technology, including
Increasing access to internet, broadband service, and tablets (via loan closets)
• Provide programs with online opportunities for volunteering (Volunteering has been shown to have many positive health benefits)
• Create strategies to strengthen and/or build social networks
• Provide access to tools and resources to help people remain connected and engaged
It is expected that between six to ten grants will be awarded within the range of $25,000-$50,000.
Eligibility
Nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, municipal and state governments, school districts, recognized tribal entities, and other institutions such as community or veterans hospitals may apply. An organization must have its own 501(c)(3) tax status (or be a part of or chapter of a national organization that is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization). Fiscal Sponsors are not allowed to apply on behalf of non-501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
Application Process
Nonprofit organizations are asked to prepare a one or two page Letter of Intent that includes brief descriptions of:
1) The organization (you must include your organization’s EIN/Tax ID#)
2) The proposed project (indicating a proposed outreach plan to people living with paralysis or their caregivers), and
3) Amount requested (a full line-item budget is not required at this time, but please be sure to include brief descriptions regarding what the funds would be used towards). Be sure to review the Foundation’s Funding Restrictions.
Submit Letters of Intent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “LOI: COVID-19 Grants.”
Selected organizations will be invited to submit a full application.
Program Timeline
• Letters of Intent (3-week open period begins September 22nd) due October 13, 2020
• Invitations to submit full applications will be made by October 30, 2020
• Applications due by November 20, 2020
• Awards announced by December 31, 2020
• Projects begin January 1, 2021
• Projects end December 31, 2021
Organizations that have previously been awarded a Quality of Life grant in any category may re-apply for funding one year following the close of their grant and notification of grant closure by the Reeve Foundation.
Reeve Foundation Quality of Life grants are federally funded through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living (ACL) (Cooperative Agreement Number 90PRRC0002-03-00).
Ongoing opportunities
Retirement Research Foundation
Retirement Research Foundation’s Responsive Grants program supports projects that have a significant focus on older adults, ages 65 and over, in the following areas:
Advocacy: Achieve enduring social change around issues that affect older Americans
Direct Service: Improve availability and quality of community-based and residential long-term services and supports
Professional Education and Training: Increase the competency of professionals and paraprofessionals who serve older adults
Research: Seek causes and solutions to significant problems for older adults
Applications for Responsive Grants are considered three times per year. The deadlines for the submission of applications are February 1, May 1, and August 1.
Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health
A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation project, Evidence for Action accepts Letters of Intent on a rolling basis to support rigorously designed quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research that yields convincing findings regarding the population health, well-being, and equity impacts of specific policies, programs and partnerships. ARCH has been in discussion with them about respite research in relation to the work of the Expert Panel on Respite Research and they are very willing to entertain research proposals that follow the Expert Panel’s Research framework. For more information, please feel free to contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., author of the report and ARCH facilitator of the Expert Panel.
The application process and requirements can be found at http://www.evidenceforaction.org/applicants#informational-webinar--2 . Letters of Intent that are viewed favorably will be invited to submit a more detailed proposal and awards are for 36 months. Preference is given to applicants that are public entities, institutes of higher education, or nonprofit organizations based in the U.S. or its territories. 501(c)(3) organizations as well as other types of non-profit and for-profit organizations are welcome to apply.
