The Eisner Foundation Grants More Than $3 Million to Intergenerational Efforts
October 16, 2018
The Eisner Foundation announced today that it would award $3,135,000 through seven grants in the third quarter of 2018. These grants demonstrate the foundation’s longstanding commitment to direct service as well as research.
Four of the seven grants support programs that engage older adults in service of children in need. “The Eisner Foundation has always seen older adults as a key resource to improve the lives of the next generation,” said Trent Stamp, CEO of The Eisner Foundation.
Heart of Los Angeles was awarded $50,000 in one-year program support to increase access to services for seniors and create volunteer opportunities that will facilitate intergenerational connections with HOLA youth.
Inner-City Arts was granted $100,000 in one-year program support to further expand the Senior Volunteer Program with the aim of creating an innovative, effective, and sustainable program that benefits both students and seniors.
Jumpstart received $150,000 in one-year program support to deploy 75 senior Community Corps members to preschools in low-income communities where they will engage with children using a literacy curriculum to reduce the achievement gap.
P.S. Arts was granted $135,000 in one-year program support to sustain and expand the Engaging All Ages in Service and Learning project to benefit 150 seniors and 1,500 children.
In addition to these awards, The Eisner Foundation made three grants to support academic research and programs. “Research is vitally important to demonstrating the real impact of intergenerational programs,” said Stamp. “We look forward to seeing these efforts inspire more intergenerational initiatives across the country.”
UCLA Division of Geriatrics received $2 million over three years, continuing the foundation’s support of three programs: Generation Xchange, which engages older volunteers in classrooms; TimeOut@UCLA, which brings students and older adults with early-stage dementia together through constructive activities; and the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program, which supports caregivers and provides care for dementia patients. This grant will also support new intergenerational pilot programs. These efforts not only provide direct service to patients, students, and older adults, they also provide opportunities for vital data gathering that demonstrates the benefits of these intergenerational programs.
The Stanford University Center on Longevity was granted $500,000 over two years to create a “New Map of Life” that will outline for society how aging has changed and what policies are needed to promote healthy aging. A portion of this award will support an Eisner Fellow with an academic focus on intergenerational relationships.
Generations United was awarded $200,000 over one year to support an expansion of the 2018 Eisner Foundation/Generations United report on intergenerational shared sites, which demonstrated the large benefits of and need for sites that bring old and young together on a consistent basis.