Deadline: 12-Sep-2024
The Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is seeking applications for the New Horizons for Seniors Program.
Program Objectives
- Projects submitted for this grant must meet at least 1 of the following program objectives:
- promoting volunteerism among seniors and other generations
- engaging seniors in the community through the mentoring of others
- expanding awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse
- supporting the social participation and inclusion of seniors
- providing capital assistance for new and existing community projects and/or programs for seniors
Funding Priorities
- Projects submitted for this grant do not have to meet 1 of the following National priorities. However, if your project does meet 1 or more of the National priorities, it will receive extra points during the assessment process.
- Priority 1: Supporting healthy aging
- Including:
- addressing social isolation, including through supporting seniors’ digital literacy
- addressing ageism
- supporting mental health and seniors living with dementia
- Including:
- Priority 2: Preventing senior abuse
- Including:
- providing measures to reduce crimes and harm against seniors including elder abuse
- developing educational material to prevent unscrupulous practices, financial fraud and scams from happening to seniors
- Including:
- Priority 3: Celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion
- Including:
- promoting intergenerational mentoring and engagement
- advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and helping to secure a better quality of life for Indigenous seniors
- collaborating with diverse communities notably by serving members of the following vulnerable groups:
- have low income
- are Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
- are 2SLGBTQIA+
- are Black or racialized
- are members of Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs)
- are persons with disabilities
- are immigrants or newcomers
- are living in rural and remote communities
- are at increased risk of social isolation due to factors such as being an informal caregiver or living alone
- are veterans
- Including:
- Priority 4: Supporting financial security
- Including:
- helping seniors navigate and access government services and benefits and providing support to file their taxes
- supporting financial empowerment of seniors
- Including:
- Priority 1: Supporting healthy aging
What this program offers?
- The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) community-based stream is a federal grant. It supports projects that are designed by seniors and for seniors in their communities. This program funds projects that empower seniors in their communities and contribute to improving their health and well-being.
- Eligible organizations can apply for up to $25,000 for projects that are led by seniors and are volunteer based.
Projects
- Your project must meet all of the following criteria:
- be no longer than 52 weeks
- request no more than $25,000
- meet at least 1 program objective
- seniors will lead or play a vital role in its planning and/or delivery
- seek to benefit seniors and communities
- demonstrate cost effectiveness
Activities
- Applications must demonstrate the active participation of seniors in the eligible activities
- Examples of eligible activities:
- seniors sharing their knowledge, skills and experience with other seniors
- seniors promoting awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse
- seniors reaching out to vulnerable seniors, such as those who are socially or geographically isolated, including newcomers, Indigenous seniors, or 2SLGBTQIA+ members
- volunteering, mentoring, leadership training and skill matching for activities for seniors
- seniors involved in developing/sharing tools and resource materials to benefit other seniors
- equipment purchase or replacement for programs and activities for seniors
- renovations and repairs to facilities for programs and activities for seniors
- transportation to provide a personal service to seniors in urban, rural and remote areas (transportation services for appointments, home visit or service call, meal delivery service, etc.)
- travel to the main activity location in case low-income seniors are unable to reach it otherwise, if the main activities are eligible
- developing partnerships to encourage new and emerging cohorts of seniors to be more actively involved in community activities
- adapting approaches (policies and tools) to more effectively attract, recruit and retain diverse cohorts of senior volunteers
- seniors engaging in intergenerational learning and relationship building to grow their community networks
Ineligible Activities
- activities where the role of seniors is minimal or not clearly described
- activities where tourism is the main project activity
- transportation for the sole purpose of leisure activities
- activities that are not led by seniors and/or not volunteer based
- core operational tasks
- core activities (proposed activities already being delivered by the organization, as listed in their organization mandate with no proposed expansion of the activities)
- previously-funded activities for a past recipient of the New Horizons for Seniors Program Community-based stream with no proposed expansion of activities
Eligibility Criteria
- To apply, you must meet all the following eligibility criteria.
- Your organization must be 1 of the following types:
- not-for-profit organization
- municipality
- provincial or territorial government, institution or Crown Corporation
- Indigenous organization including:
- band council
- tribal council
- self-government entity
- coalition, network or committee
- research organization or institute
- educational institution
- public health and social services institution
- for-profit organization provided that the nature and intent of the activity is non-commercial and does not generate profit
- The following organizations are eligible with the agreement of their provincial or territorial government:
- post-secondary institutions
- social service and public health institutions
- provincially/territorially funded institutions
- Your organization must be 1 of the following types:
For more information, visit ESDC.