Scaling Equitable and Effective Solutions for Older Adults

The AARP Foundation is offering a grant opportunity to organizations seeking to increase their impact by piloting a scaling strategy. This aligns with the AARP Foundation's mission to materially improve the circumstances of people aged 50 and over with incomes at or below 250% of the poverty line, lift their income above this threshold, or prevent them from falling below it. The Foundation also prioritizes programs that consult older adults in their development and implementation or create volunteer opportunities for them. This funding opportunity aims to support organizations in expanding their reach and depth to engage a larger audience, thereby addressing urgent problems faced by this demographic. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are individuals aged 50 and over who are living with low income. The impact goals are to improve the financial well-being of this population through direct services or non-direct services such as capacity building, systems change, or implementation. The Foundation is particularly interested in projects serving older adults in 22 specific U.S. states and territories that exhibit high levels of senior poverty, including Alabama, Arizona, and Puerto Rico, among others. Organizations from anywhere in the U.S. are eligible, but those serving populations disproportionately affected by systemic barriers, racial and ethnic disparities, and other harmful biases will be prioritized. The AARP Foundation's strategic priorities for this grant focus on scaling existing work to achieve greater impact. This can involve leveraging partnerships to increase program reach, using collaborative or coalition models to enhance organizational capacity, engaging new partners for policy implementation (excluding legislative advocacy), expanding public-private partnerships, applying effective systems-level approaches to new areas, or incorporating innovative strategies into existing programs. These diverse approaches reflect the Foundation's theory of change, which posits that by supporting organizations in scaling their effective programs, a broader positive impact on the economic security of older adults can be achieved. Expected outcomes and measurable results include increasing the number of 50+ individuals whose circumstances are materially improved, whose income is lifted above 250% of the poverty line, or who are prevented from falling below it. The grant aims to foster expanded reach and depth of programs, engaging larger audiences and demonstrating the effectiveness of various scaling strategies. The total program funding for this opportunity is up to $2 million, supporting projects for up to three years, indicating a commitment to sustained impact and the development of robust, scalable solutions to senior poverty.