The SCAN Foundation Announces Grants to Advance Health Equity For Older Adults In Four California Communities
The SCAN Foundation (TSF), an independent public foundation that catalyzes bold and equitable approaches to creating a society where every older adult can age well and with purpose, today announced it has awarded $900,000 in grant funds, including co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) and Metta Fund. The grants, which were awarded to Booker T. Washington Community Service Center, California Black Women's Health Project, Healthcare Foundation of Northern Sonoma County and Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation, will help reduce health disparities and enhance quality of life for older adults, especially for those in marginalized communities.
"The voices of older adults are often excluded from our health equity in aging dialogue," said Rigo J. Saborio, MSG, vice president of programs, equity and community impact at TSF. "By elevating the voices and unique needs among vulnerable populations of older adults, and recognizing the intersectionality of the aging, disability, racial equity and social justice sectors, we can better inform scalable, cross-sector solutions to improve the lives of all older adults."
From January 2024 to June 2025, each grantee will form an Equity Community Organizing (ECO) Group, leveraging a community organizing approach to elevate the voices and needs of marginalized older adults in their community. These four grant recipients, selected out of 70 applicants, were chosen for their demonstrated expertise in shifting power to the community.
"CHCF is proud to be a part of this initiative, which recognizes and honors the lived experiences of older adults from communities of color in California," said Kate Meyers, senior program officer at CHCF. "Community leaders and advocates can gain valuable insight from the ECO Groups to meaningfully address the needs of older Californians and include them in our commitment to fostering health equity across the state."
"This initiative accelerates TSF's work to catalyze activities and alignment to improve health equity," said Sarita Mohanty, president and CEO of TSF. "This work emphasizes the priority of our work on shifting power to the community and harmonizing across the aging, disability, racial equity and social justice systems in pursuit of shared goals."
TSF is focused on investments that serve populations aged 65 and older, including communities of color, low-income individuals and those residing in underserved areas. This grant funding aligns with TSF's Advancing Health Equity in Aging initiative, which aims to reduce health inequities and improve the lives of older adults from marginalized communities.
"Centering the voices of older adults from historically excluded communities is essential to advancing equity in aging," said Janet Y. Spears, Metta Fund chief executive officer. "We believe our grantees will help surface community-based solutions that create vibrant communities where all can age with dignity and health."
To learn more, California-based advocates, elected officials and industry leaders can join TSF's Advancing Health Equity in Aging conversation virtually through the Harnessing Momentum campaign, or by attending the 2024 United for Health Equity in Aging Summit.
About The SCAN Foundation
The SCAN Foundation is an independent public charity dedicated to creating a society where older adults can access health and supportive services of their choosing to meet their needs. Our mission is to advance a coordinated and easily navigated system of high-quality services for older adults that preserve dignity and independence. For more information, visit www.thescanfoundation.org or follow on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram.
About Metta Fund
Metta Fund is a private foundation dedicated to advancing the health and wellbeing of San Francisco's growing older adult population. Through grantmaking and community partnerships, Metta Fund prioritizes areas where systemic change is needed to address health inequities. We believe everyone deserves to live a healthy life, at every age. For more information, visit mettafund.org.
About the California Health Care Foundation
The California Health Care Foundation is an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians have the care they need. We focus especially on making sure the system works for Californians with low incomes and for communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care. Learn more at www.chcf.org.
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