Central Indiana Senior Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation, awarded grants to 31 senior-serving not-for-profits totaling $979,762. The Senior Fund advisory board selected organizations that continue to provide essential services to the senior community in Central Indiana during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Central Indiana Senior Fund reassessed its 2020 grantmaking guidelines to effectively respond to emerging senior and organizational needs in response to the pandemic. COVID-19 has forced many seniors to isolate in their homes and created additional barriers to access basic needs. Grants focused on operating support to senior organizations in multiple Central Indiana counties, including delivering food for seniors. For the most recent grant round, the fund advisors used data-based learnings from the recently released State of Aging Report to ensure funding was targeted to priority areas that address the need of our growing senior community. These areas include food access, mitigating isolation and loneliness, decreasing senior homelessness, and supporting programs that serve seniors of color, including those who are undocumented.
Released earlier this year, the State of Aging Report is a collaborative effort of the Central Indiana Senior Fund and the Polis Center at IUPUI that provides place-based information related to aging in this community. Research shows that older adults are the fastest-growing demographic in Central Indiana, as approximately 24,000 adults turn 55 and 22,000 turn 60 each year. By the year 2030, one in every five Hoosiers will be over the age of 65. To enhance the ability of older adults to live and thrive in Central Indiana, it is essential to understand the population trends, notable changes, and basic needs of this growing demographic.
“We’re committed to protecting the well-being of our entire senior population in Central Indiana and ensuring that all Hoosiers can live with dignity and self-worth during their later years,” said James Leich, chair of the Central Indiana Senior Fund. “We know supporting these organizations will allow crucial services to be provided during this ongoing global crisis.”
| Organization | Funding Request | Grant Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Actors Ink | Senior art program at Witherspoon Presbyterian Church | $20,000 |
| ArtMix | Art classes for local seniors | $20,000 |
| Cancer Support Community | Food and transportation assistance through Patient Assistance Fund | $25,000 |
| Center for At-Risk Elders | Operating support for its adult guardianship program | $50,000 |
| Centers of Wellness for Urban Women | Wellness Initiative for Senior Education | $30,000 |
| Community Action of Greater Indianapolis | Senior Improvement Services - health education & lunch/learn series | $30,000 |
| Community Alliance of the Far Eastside | Senior transportation | $25,000 |
| Concord Neighborhood Center | Older adult enrichment program | $24,188 |
| Dental Lifeline Network - Indiana | Free dental services for seniors | $20,000 |
| Edna Martin Christian Center | Senior Angels program | $50,000 |
| Educational Designations | Direct financial assistance to senior vets leaving incarceration | $45,000 |
| Eskenazi Health Foundation | Direct financial assistance to patients, durable medical equipment, emergency response systems | $30,000 |
| Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center at Crooked Creek | Senior programming | $20,000 |
| Flanner House of Indianapolis | Senior programming | $50,000 |
| Gennesaret Free Clinic | Free dental clinic for seniors | $30,000 |
| George T. Goodwin Community Center | Operating support | $20,000 |
| Heritage Place of Indianapolis | Operating support | $40,000 |
| Horizon House | Services for seniors experiencing homelessness | $35,000 |
| John Boner Neighborhood Centers | Transportation for seniors | $28,600 |
| Joy's House | Operating support for adult day center | $50,000 |
| McGivney Health Care Center | Flooring, bariatric beds and commercial food processor | $30,000 |
| Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana | Operating support | $45,000 |
| Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County | Sponsor-a-Meal Program | $35,114 |
| Meals on Wheels of Hancock County | Operating support | $38,000 |
| NeighborLink Indianapolis Foundation | Expand client services department | $50,000 |
| The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis | Maintain and expand Riverside Nutrition Hub for seniors | $13,860 |
| The Salvation Army | Tablets, outdoor furnishings, transportation and staffing for Booth Manor Apartments senior housing facility | $10,000 |
| Servants at Work | Building materials for 25 accessible ramps | $40,000 |
| Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Indianapolis | Food and packaging supplies for the food pantry and Home Delivered Groceries Program | $25,000 |
| Trusted Mentors | Operating support | $25,000 |
| Westminster Neighborhood Services | Food for seniors | $25,000 |
| TOTAL | $979,762 |
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