Applications open today for a range of grants totalling $750,000 to fund initiatives that support South Australians to age well and promote more positive community attitudes towards ageing and older people.
The $150,000 Impact Research Grants for Ageing Well, will form part of the overall grant package this financial year after previously being introduced as a standalone grant program.
These Grants support independent research to address the factors involved with ageing well with this round to focus on answering priority questions related to the pillars of ‘life-course’ and ‘social inclusion.’
One major research project of up to two years will be awarded $100,000 with seed grants of $25,000 also available for two research projects of up to one year.
The annual Ageing Well Community Grants include Grants for Seniors, which has increased to $200,000, to encourage and support additional community activities including those during South Australia’s Week of Ageing Well (1- 7 October 2024).
Grants of up to $5,000 can pay for goods like equipment and materials that stimulate activity and social engagement for older people, while up to $10,000 can be used for seniors’ cultural, social, educational, or ageing well projects.
As part of the overall grant package, Positive Ageing Fellowship Grants are also up for grabs and will provide one-off funding of up to $40,000 for capability building projects that support older South Australians to age well and be recognised for their valuable contributions across their lifetime.
Projects previously successful in attracting this funding include Paws with friends – until we meet again. The Safe Pets Safe Families initiative helped connect older people with volunteers to support them to care for animal companions while living independently and maintain relationships with their pets through life transitions.
As part of this program, the Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI) will coach and mentor recipients of the Positive Ageing Fellowship Grants to help create and sustain long-term change.
Incorporated, non-profit organisations working with older people, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people who identify as gender and/or sexually diverse, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, are encouraged to apply for both the Grants for Seniors and Positive Ageing Fellowship Grants.
South Australian local governments, regional Local Government Associations, and Aboriginal and Outback Communities can apply for one-off Age Friendly SA Grants of up to $40,000 and partnerships of at least three local governments or equivalent organisations may apply for up to $60,000.
All grant projects must contribute to delivering South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well 2020-2025 and Age Friendly SA Grant projects must align with the Age Friendly SA Strategy key priorities: home, community, and environment, making a contribution, making it easier to get around, intergenerational connectedness, and age friendly services.
Applications for the Ageing Well Community and Research Grants will close on Friday 2 February 2024 at 5.00pm.
