Watertown-based Tufts Health Plan Foundation handed out $2 million in grants to a wide array of non-profit groups around Massachusetts, including a Watertown-based organization.
The Tufts Health Plan Foundation recently announced its investments of more than $2 million in grants as part of its first cycle under the foundation’s new guidelines. These investments advance community efforts toward the World Health Organization’s standards for Age-friendly Communities and fall within the categories of Systems and Best Practices and a new President’s Leadership Fund.
The foundation is moving to fewer, larger grants and multiple year investments. This year, 61 percent of grantees are new to the foundation and represent collaborative work among more than 250 organizations.
“Our goal is to partner strategically, in support of promising community collaborations, honoring thought leaders and work we trust will lead to greater impact,” said Nora Moreno Cargie, president of the Tufts Health Plan Foundation and vice president, corporate citizenship for Tufts Health Plan.
Watertown-based Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter, Inc. is one organization that received a grant under the Systems and Best Practices category, designed to improve or build systems to support healthy living with an emphasis on the systems that are serving older adults.
The Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association will receive a total of $200,000 over two years as part of a Health and Wellness grant to fund “Greater Boston Outreach and Engagement.” As Alzheimer’s Disease is a growing issue in the community, this grant will expand partnerships in Boston so that diagnostic clinics and hospitals are more aware of how to connect families with support and services after diagnosis in addition to playing a key role in the Boston Alzheimer’s Plan, better equipping first responders to deal with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.
“We are very grateful to the Tufts Health Plan Foundation for this grant which will allow us to improve our reach to families in the Boston area dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders,” said Carol Carpenter, development officer, foundation relations for the Alzheimer’s Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter. “This grant will help us create proactive partnerships with hospitals and clinics so that families can be referred to the Alzheimer’s Association as soon as possible after a diagnosis. We also look forward to working with the City of Boston on its Alzheimer’s Initiative, which will provide education and support to city employees, and train first responders in a variety of dementia issues.”
A summary of additional Systems and Best Practices grant recipients includes:
- Coastline Elderly Services (New Bedford, MA), Nutrition: The Key to Healthy Aging
- The Conversation Project (Cambridge, MA), The Conversation Project (TCP) and Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO): A Partnership Campaign
- Friends of the Yarmouth Council on Aging (West Yarmouth, MA), Yarmouth Age-Friendly Community
- Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center (Boston, MA), Care Coordination for Asian Elders
- Greater Springfield Senior Services (Springfield, MA), Get Well/Stay Well
- Hebrew SeniorLife (Roslindale, MA), Building Organizational Capacity for a Culturally Competent Future in Aging Services
- Hilltown Community Development Corporation (Chesterfield, MA), Hilltown Community Transportation
- Jewish Family Service of Metrowest (Framingham, MA), Ready for Success: A Mid-Late Career Re-entry Program
- The Latino Health Insurance Program (Framingham, MA), “Mi vida, Mi salud”: Supporting Latino families with diabetes
- President and Fellows of Harvard College (The Family Van) (Boston, MA), Expanding the Family Van’s Model of Care to Underserved Communities
- Rhode Island Parent Information Network (Cranston, RI), Building Systems to Empower Older Adults Through Evidenced-Based Self-Management Programs
- Springfield Partners for Community Action (Springfield, MA), Go Fresh: Improving Food Systems to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Older Adults
- Whittier Street Health Center (Roxbury, MA), Diabetic Healthy Heart
- YWCA of Greater Lawrence (Lawrence, MA), Lawrence Latino Chronic Disease Self-Management Initiative
Two grants were also awarded in the foundation’s Policy and Advocacy category:
- Health Care for All (Boston, MA), Reaching MassHealth Members through Ethnic and Local Media
- University of Massachusetts Foundation (Boston, MA), Massachusetts Older Driver Safety Summit: Planning a Safe and Mobile Future for Massachusetts
For the first time, the foundation also awarded grants as part of its President’s Leadership Fund, which is designed to support community leaders in their work with multiple stakeholders toward a common community goal. Grant recipients include:
- Berkshires Tomorrow (Pittsfield, MA), Berkshire County Age-Friendly Vision 2020
- Cambridge Community Foundation (Cambridge, MA), Bob Hurlbut Legacy Fund
- Friends of Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly (Brighton, MA), Research on Health Care in Affordable Housing
- Jobs for the Future (Boston, MA), Federal Funding Initiative
- Martha’s Vineyard Donors Collaborative (West Tisbury, MA), Aging Friendly Island Planning & Implementation
- University of Massachusetts Foundation (Boston, MA), Age-Friendly Boston Initiative: Phase I