What we fund

Point32Health Foundation supports work to advance equity in aging—prioritizing efforts that address systemic inequities and advance social and racial justice.

Photos courtesy of Grow Nashua, ETHOS and Mass Senior Action Council.

We invest in community-led solutions that address systemic inequities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

Our equity in aging focus recognizes that inequities can accumulate over time, exacerbating health outcomes as we age. We support community organizations working to improve conditions for people affected by disinvestments in their communities and inequitable systems. Equity in aging addresses a growing and unmet need.

We do not define older people. Community organizations define older people in the context of their work. As different lived experiences impact the way we age, the Foundation relies on the experiences of organizations which are more proximate and look to them to define the older population they serve.

Some community lessons and principles that inform our work.

  • Systemic inequities cause health disparities
  • Health happens in communities where people live, work, play and pray
  • Those most affected by inequities are in the best position to define the problem, design appropriate solutions and describe success
  • Older people and communities of color are disproportionately affected in a public health crisis
  • Collaborations among nonprofit organizations, municipal agencies and others strengthen community response in a crisis

Within Equity in Aging, we invest in organizations aligned with two categories – social and racial justice and organizing, policy, advocacy and systems improvement.

Community investment priorities*

Organizations must support the following priorities to receive funding from the Foundation.

  • Work on community-based interventions
  • Engage in initiatives with the potential to dismantle racist systems
  • Work in communities experiencing historic disinvestment—especially people of color and others facing systemic barriers—and are proximate and connected to the people they serve
  • Use disruptive approaches to influence systems beyond individual organizations
  • Collaborate to expand positive impact
  • Show promise—may be unproven—and take risk

The Foundation invests in organizations prioritizing but not limited to the following communities.

Our team grows from active dialogue with community leaders and use what we learn to evolve our work.

Social and racial justice grants:

  • Implement a community-led initiative
  • Are led by people connected to the community they represent
  • Advance systemic change and fight injustice(s)
  • Work in communities that have experienced historic disinvestment and barriers to access

A core tactic to support this work is a five-year $10 Million investment in intermediaries—movement  builders that are more proximate to community and the issues. They prioritize shared decision-making and have resources for convening and capacity building. They can be described as “for, by and about” the communities they serve.

Organizing, policy, advocacy and systems improvement grants:

  • Improve access for older adults to nutritious, affordable food
  • Support Caregivers
  • Provide civic engagement and social connection opportunities with older adults
  • Develop community approaches to improved mental health of older adults
  • Propose housing solutions that positively impact older adults
  • Devise transportation and community development strategies that provide improved access for older adults.

*Priorities reviewed annually.

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We do not fund

  • Candidates for public office
  • Capital projects and/or equipment
  • Development activities, such as fundraising events, capital campaigns, or annual fund drives
  • Endowments
  • Government agencies (unless within a collaboration led by a community-based organization)
  • Individuals (including scholarships, internships, and/or fellowships)
  • Initiatives addressing specific diseases*
  • Lobbying
  • Organizations that advocate, support or practice discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, national origin, language, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or other characteristic protected by law
  • Private foundations
  • Religious organizations for religious purposes
  • Research*
  • Underwriting of medical expenses

**Exceptions include investments in the Alzheimer’s Association which supports caregivers and people living with Alzheimer’s and other related dementias, and the development of the Healthy Aging Data Reports by the Gerontology Institute of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. These organizations cover all five of the states we serve and inform policy and advocacy work in the region.