Deadline: 31-Jul-20
NextFifty is seeking innovators poised to change the concept and quality of aging.
NextFifty Initiative exists to fund projects, ideas, technology, and innovations that improve the lives and capacities of those who are aging. They seek to partner with organizations that are visionaries, community leaders, and educators to fuel ideas and drive innovations that will improve the experience of aging in Colorado and the nation.
NextFifty Initiative is required to direct at least 80% of its funding to benefit the people of Colorado. Initiatives should target, or be able to demonstrate benefit to, those who are age 50 and older, including the older adult disabled population.
Funding Information
Proposals that request more than $250,000 are expected to secure considerable funding from other internal or external sources to support the project.
Areas
Examples of areas for funding include, but are not limited to:
- Organizational capacity building
- Community education
- Caregiver support
- Communications strategies and projects that break stereotypes and promote a better understanding of aging
- Limited funding available for direct services supporting a broader aging project
- New models in services, housing, and transportation that enhance the quality of life and functional capacity for those age 50 and older
- Projects that support policy and advocacy efforts (not including lobbying activities)
- Projects that explore or promote socialization, improve mobility and enhance engagement in community
- Projects that seek to convene a diverse group of stakeholders to identify and address issues of aging
- Projects that train for encore careers and volunteerism
- Projects that enhance the workforce to serve the aging and promote the use of older workers
- Projects that promote inter-generational engagement, collaboration, and cross-learning
- Research and innovations that assist the population
What will not be funded?
- Organization endowments and fundraising ventures
- Budgetary shortfalls or debt reduction
- General operating support
- Pure capital projects unless they support a broader innovative aging project
- Individuals and individual needs, e.g. individual medical bills
- Projects that target lobbying interests or efforts, political campaigns and projects with a goal of supporting a specific political position
- Fundraising and general event sponsorships
- Type III non-functionally integrated supporting organizations (as classified by IRS form 990, Schedule A, Part 1)
- Student or fellow tuition costs
- Conference attendance and travel unless presenting results of a project funded by NextFifty Initiative
- Disease-specific laboratory research
Eligibility Criteria
- Grants will be made to nonprofit entities organized under sections 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(6) of the IRS code that are in good standing with the state or jurisdiction in which the organization resides. Governmental entities are also eligible for funding.
- IRS regulations require that they collect additional information from organizations that are not 501(c)(3) public charities to demonstrate that grant funds would be used exclusively for charitable, not political or member-oriented, purposes. These organizations, if funded, will be required to account for the use of grant funds separately.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications for funding will be evaluated using multiple criteria including, but not limited to:
- Language Matters: NextFifty Initiative is intentional in the words used when talking about aging and efforts to combat age discrimination. Grant applications should exhibit the Reframing Aging principles. Increase participation in this movement by visiting Changing the Narrative.
- Thoroughness and timeliness of submission: All grant seekers must submit all grant material on time to be considered for funding. All attached documents must be readable in the submitted format. Applicants must not submit password-protected documents as these cannot be opened or considered. Applications missing materials will not be reviewed.
- Target Group: The program, project, or initiative proposed for funding must have direct relevance to the aging community age 50 and older or their caregivers. Applications are strengthened by the inclusion of underserved target populations (e.g., disabled, low-income, rural, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ, homeless).
- Strength of the Proposed Model: Applications for funding will be evaluated on the strength of the case that the project will meet the identified need.
- Impact: The project or program must clearly describe how it is expected to impact the aging community. The project plan should include the projected number of people served and describe how the project will impact an older adult population. Evidence for impact and project evaluation tools should be described and provided.
- Evidence of Collaboration: Applications are strengthened by the involvement of a diverse group of stakeholders. Evidence includes Letters of Commitment or MOUs.
- Innovation: Applications are strengthened by programs, projects, technologies, and initiatives that break new ground, take promising ideas to new communities, and expand successful models to scale.
- Sustainability, Replicability, and Scalability: Applicants should be able to demonstrate how the elements of the project could be sustained, replicated, and expanded within the community or shared with other communities to enhance impact.
- Strength and Capacity of the Organization Executing the Grant: They will evaluate the history, strength, and capacity of the organization, their track record with other projects, and their history in the field.
- Clarity and Relevance of the Goals and Objectives: The project plan should include goals and objectives that are measurable and reflect a clear relationship to the project plan.
- Evaluation: The project must include clear outcome measures and a description of how the project will be evaluated.
For more information, visit https://www.next50initiative.org/funding-opportunities/responsive-grants