Government of Canada launches call for proposals for community projects to support seniors

Organizations are invited to apply for funding through simplified application process

OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 21, 2022 /CNW/ - Seniors make significant and valuable contributions to their families, communities and society. That is why the Government of Canada supports service organizations that help seniors stay active and engaged in their communities. This is key to enhancing their well-being and quality of life. It empowers them and enables them to expand their social network and explore new learning experiences.

Today, Canada's Minister of Seniors, Kamal Khera, launched the 2022–2023 call for proposals for community-based projects through the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP). The Minister made the announcement while visiting the Olde Forge Community Resource Centre in Ottawa.

NHSP funding creates opportunities for seniors to be more connected, supported and active members of their communities. This year's national priorities aim to do just that by focusing on projects that:

1. support healthy aging;
2. prevent elder abuse;
3. celebrate diversity and promoting inclusion; and
4. help seniors age in place.

Through a simplified application process, organizations are invited to submit project proposals that help seniors move beyond the pandemic and continue to play important roles in their communities.

The 2022–2023 NHSP community-based call for proposals is open until November 1, 2022.

For details on how to apply, visit https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/new-horizons-seniors.html. Senior-serving organizations can access support to prepare their application and manage their agreement. 

Quotes

"Programs like the New Horizons for Seniors Program are essential in helping Canadian seniors stay active and share their knowledge, skills and experience with others. This not only nurtures their personal growth, but also fosters community prosperity. By investing in this important program, the Government is confirming its commitment to deliver positive change and improve the lives of seniors from coast to coast to coast."
– Minister of Seniors, Kamal Khera

"Every year, the New Horizons for Seniors Program makes a meaningful difference in the lives of seniors across Canada. When seniors can fully participate in society and lead a healthy life, everybody benefits. This program builds on our government's continued commitment to empower seniors and strengthen their connection within their communities."
– Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors, Darren Fisher

Quick Facts

• Seniors are one of the fastest-growing age groups in Canada. By 2030, the number of seniors is expected to reach 9.4 million, representing close to one quarter of Canada's population.
• The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) is a federal grants and contributions program whose goal is to support projects that help seniors stay active and engaged in the community. Community-based projects are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding.
• NHSP funding supports projects that engage seniors in their communities and address one or more of the program's five objectives: social participation, volunteering, mentoring, expanding awareness of elder abuse and providing capital assistance.
• The call for proposals is open from September 21, 2022, until November 1, 2022. Organizations are invited to apply for funding through a simplified application process.
• Since its inception in 2004, the NHSP has funded more than 33,500 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada, with a total Government of Canada investment of more than $720 million.
• Budget 2022 proposed an additional $20 million over two years, beginning in 2022–2023, to support more projects that improve the quality of life for seniors and help them continue to participate fully in their communities.

Related Document

Backgrounder: New Horizons for Seniors Program 

Associated Links

Applicant guide: Community-based projects (up to $25,000) 
Programs and services for seniors
New Horizons for Seniors Program: Engaging seniors, strengthening communities 

Backgrounder

The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) is a federal grants and contributions program that funds projects that empower seniors in their communities and contribute to improving seniors' health and well-being.

Seniors lead and inspire projects to make a difference in the lives of others and in their communities.

The objectives of the NHSP are to:

• promote volunteerism among seniors and other generations;
• engage seniors in the community in mentoring through the mentoring of others;
• expand awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse;
• support the social participation and inclusion of seniors; and 
• provide capital assistance for new and existing community projects and programs for seniors. 

The NHSP provides seniors access to important recreational and social programs and initiatives that reflect the current realities of seniors and senior-serving organizations. The program continues to empower and support seniors through specific program parameters, delivery and access to ensure their needs.

Since 2004, the NHSP has funded more than 33,500 projects, including projects related to COVID-19, in hundreds of communities across Canada. The total Government of Canada investment has been more than $720 million. Program funding supports community-based projects and pan-Canadian projects.

Community-based projects
Community-based project funding supports activities in which seniors are engaged, connected and actively involved in their communities. Organizations are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding.

As part of the 2022–23 NHSP community-based call for proposals, organizations were able to apply for funding that supports the NHSP national priorities for this cycle:

Priority 1: Supporting healthy aging, including:

• addressing social isolation, including through supporting seniors' digital literacy;
• addressing ageism;
• supporting mental health and dementia; and
• developing and delivering virtual programming for the above.

Priority 2: Preventing senior abuse, including:

• providing measures to reduce crimes and harm against seniors, including elder abuse;
• developing educational material to prevent unscrupulous practices, financial fraud and scams from happening to seniors; and
• supporting financial empowerment of seniors.

Priority 3: Celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion, including:

• promoting intergenerational mentoring and engagement;
• advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and helping to secure a better quality of life for Indigenous seniors;
• collaborating with diverse communities (notably by serving members of the following vulnerable groups: low-income seniors, Indigenous peoples, members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities, members of official language minority communities, members of racialized and newcomer groups, persons with disabilities and veterans); and
• supporting seniors living in rural or remote areas.

Priority 4: Helping seniors age in place, including:

• providing practical supports, tools and resources to seniors to help them remain in their homes longer; and
• helping seniors navigate and access government services and benefits and providing support to file their taxes.

For more information, visit the New Horizons for Seniors Program – Community-based projects website.

Pan-Canadian projects
Pan-Canadian projects test and share best practices across the country and replicate approaches that have worked well in addressing seniors' issues. Project partners work together to achieve measurable results to increase the social inclusion of seniors. The objectives of collective impact projects funded through this stream are to: 

• build the collective capacity of organizations to recognize and address barriers to social inclusion faced by seniors;
• promote improved access to information, programs and services for seniors within their communities;
• support action research for increasing the level of social inclusion of seniors in their communities;
• develop innovative approaches to engage and retain senior volunteers; and
• address systemic barriers that contribute to the social exclusion of seniors.

For more information, visit the Pan-Canadian projects under the New Horizons for Seniors Program website.

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

For media enquiries, please contact: Jasmeen Shergill, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Seniors, Kamal Khera, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]