Currently almost 15 percent of the population is over the age of 65 and within the next decade that number will double and continue to grow until seniors outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history.
Currently almost 15 percent of the population is over the age of 65 and within the next decade that number will double and continue to grow until seniors outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history.
Even if your foundation doesn’t specifically serve seniors, Grantmakers in Aging (GIA) says “almost any focus that guides your grantmaking will be bolstered by incorporating aging.”
GIA has unveiled All Together: GIA’s Comprehensive Guide to Funding in Aging for those who work in the space or those who may be interested in exploring innovative approaches to support aging communities but may not have a specialized background.
GIA’s fast facts:
More than one-third of the approximately 65 million Americans who are providing care for aging parents or a family member with a disability are between the ages of 50 and 64.
2.6 million grandparents are responsible for raising their grandchildren.
Nearly three-quarters of adults age 65-74 report being in good health, with 25 percent of those 65 plus reporting they are in very good or excellent health.
About one out of four adults age 55 plus volunteer in their community.
Americans are staying in the workforce longer. In 2016, more than 18 percent of people 65 plus were still in the labor force.
As GIA highlights how families and communities benefit from our aging population, it also provides a step-by-step guide on how you can get started funding aging issues.
Highlights:
Conduct a community needs assessment to determine the needs of seniors in your area.
Dive into these resources to gather a demographic overview and basic information of older adults.
GIA provides a brief guide on determining how your foundation’s work can connect with aging opportunities. For instance, ask yourself, “does your foundation have focus areas or patterns of interest in grantmaking that could be expanded to include older people?”
Connect with local funders to see what work they’re doing in this area via CMF’s Michigan Grantmakers in Aging Affinity Group.
As opportunities may emerge for your foundation to connect with aging issues, GIA provides information on grantmaking in several topic areas such as: children, youth and families; arts and culture; communities; health; education; work and transitions, to help you narrow your focus.
For instance, GIA highlights how intergenerational programs and services connect and grow the skills and talents of youth and seniors, building stronger communities.
“For too long, supporting programs for children and youth or for older adults was too often viewed as a zero-sum game,” GIA states. “Nothing could be further from the truth. Grantmakers can play a critical role by supporting strategies that connect children and youth with older people in ways that benefit all.”
There’s also resources on how grantmakers can support seniors who wish to remain in the workforce. Considering the workforce shortage we are facing with the shift in age demographics, encore careers and engaging seniors will become increasingly more important.
Grand Rapids Community Foundation’s Encore program is an example of what this work may look like in action. The program seeks to raise awareness about the talented and skilled community of older individuals, leverage their skills and experience to improve the community and build connections to paid and unpaid opportunities.
Want more?
Check out All Together: GIA’s Comprehensive Guide to Funding in Aging.
CMF’s Michigan Grantmakers in Aging (MGIA) Affinity Group is currently developing a breakout session for funders to learn about the issues facing our communities and solutions to support our aging population for CMF’s 46th Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, October 7-9.
