Today there are roughly 200,000 people aged 65 or older living in the Foundation’s five-county Central Texas area (Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties). By 2050, that number will quadruple to over 800,000. As this population grows, more older adults will be seeking ways to remain productive and connected to their communities. At the same time, younger generations can benefit greatly through the support, stimulation, and mentorship that older adults can provide. Indeed, a critical element of successful intergenerational programming is the concept of reciprocity – that older adults and youth serve as resources to one another. All of this points to the need for innovative and creative strategies to bring different age groups together in purposeful, mutually beneficial activities that can improve community cohesion, improve child well-being, and promote healthy outcomes for all ages.

This Request for Ideas (RFI) seeks to identify organizations interested in implementing intergenerational programs in Central Texas. Funds can be used to launch new or expand existing intergenerational models that engage older adults to come together with younger generations to share skills, needs, and experiences with each other while also addressing critical community issues. This RFI will allow organizations to submit a short one-page description of their program idea and an accompanying outline of the budget.

Projects eligible for funding under this RFI will fall into one of two categories:

• Tier One – Innovation Grants: These grants are for organizations who would like to implement intergenerational work to address any identified community issue. These grants will not require full-time staffing to carry out the intervention. The grant may include but not be limited to initial research, needs assessments, site visits to innovative intergenerational programs, project planning, marketing, programmatic costs, support for volunteers, and staff time. These smaller grants will provide one-time funding, for a 24-month period. Follow-up funding after the two-year grant period is not guaranteed, but may be considered. Maximum award per applicant: Up to $20,000 per year for 2 years.
• Tier Two – Strategic Grants: These larger grants are prioritized for organizations who would like to implement intergenerational work focusing on engaging older adults to support early childhood brain development, mitigate toxic stress experienced by low-income families with children, and/or for a project based in a rural community. These grants can cover the same expenses as listed above, but are expected to have a deeper programmatic component and thus may require more staff time or programmatic expenses. These larger grants will be one-time funding for 24-months. Subsequent funding is not guaranteed, but may be invited for ongoing re-procurement. Maximum award per applicant: Up to $100,000 per year for 2 years.

St. David’s Foundation only expects to award a limited number of Tier Two grants. A larger number of Tier One grants will be awarded. Applications for Tier Two Grants will be much more competitive than Tier One applications.