East Bay Foundation on Aging
The East Bay Foundation on Aging (EBFA), a supporting organization at The San Francisco Foundation, is a grantmaking partner committed to serving East Bay seniors through grants to nonprofit organizations in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Founded with the proceeds from the sale of the historic Matilda Brown Home for Elderly Women in Oakland, the East Bay Foundation on Aging has now completed its third year of grantmaking to East Bay organizations serving seniors in the East Bay with programs that promote aging in place and improve access to healthcare for older adults, as well as supporting caregivers, including nurses, family members, and home health workers.
In 2012, EBFA increased its grantmaking to $325,000, funding 11 organizations. To address the increased need brought on by the economic crisis, preference was given to organizations providing key safety net services to vulnerable seniors, including food and crisis services. 2012 grantees include:
- Adult Day Services Network of Alameda County
- Alameda County Meals on Wheels
- Alzheimer’s Services of the East Bay
- Crisis Support Services of Alameda County
- Guardian Adult Health Center
- LIFE ElderCare
- Senior Services Coalition of Alameda County
- Service Opportunity For Seniors / Meals On Wheels
- St. Mary’s Center
- Tri-City Elder Coalition
- Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay
Background
As one of the fastest growing states in the nation, California is experiencing profound demographic shifts. Among these is a growing elderly population, increasingly diverse in ethnicity and income levels. In the Bay Area, people aged 60 and older make up an increasing portion of the total population. Even today, Bay Area residents are already older on average than people in other parts of the country. In addition, as the economy worsens, there is a growing number of urban elderly poor. California leads the nation with the most elders living in poverty. Approximately 400,000 Californians 65 and older live in poverty, the majority of who are women and people of color. Oakland, in Alameda County, has the largest population of impoverished seniors in the state. These trends, combined with increases in chronic illness, the need for long-term care, and a financially constrained healthcare system, underscore the critical need to address the impact of these changes on Bay Area communities and on nonprofits serving senior populations.
Going Gray in the Golden State: The Reality of Poverty Among Seniors in Oakland, California, is a 2008 report from the Oakland Institute that examines the root causes of poverty among low-income senior citizens in Oakland. To download a copy, click here. [Note large file size: 3.7 MB]
Goals and Objectives
Founded with proceeds from the sale of the Matilda Brown Home for Elderly Women in Oakland, the EBFA has assets of approximately $7 million and an annual grantmaking budget of up to $337,000. The mission of the EBFA is to improve the quality of life of the elderly through grants to nonprofit organizations in the East Bay. Initial priorities include direct service, training, and capacity building grants to organizations serving elderly women, Oakland residents, and/or utilizing an intergenerational approach.
Goal: Improve and maintain the physical and emotional health of older adults by supporting services and programs that promote independence. Grants will be considered that address this goal by using one or a combination of the following objectives and strategies:
Objective One: Expand and strengthen services that promote aging in place.
- Support and strengthen organizations that offer training and support to caregivers, including nurses, family members and home health workers.
- Support and strengthen organizations that offer supportive services, such as transportation, shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping and other services to maintain independence.
- Support efforts to improve hospital to home transitions, as well as transitions to facilities and within families.
- Support policy and advocacy efforts targeting safety net services, including food security, adult day services and other social services for vulnerable seniors.
Objective Two: Improve access to healthcare services for older adults.
- Support access to healthcare services with an emphasis on chronic disease management that links medical care with health education, healthy eating and physical activities.
- Support and strengthen community-based organizations that provide access to an array of health and social services designed to improve health and well being and reduce social isolation.
Eligibility
A limited number of organizations were invited apply for these funds based on the services they provide to the Bay Area community, and the 2013 application deadline has passed. Applicants will be contacted in March 2013 about the status of their application. Grants will begin April 1, 2013.
Contact
For more information regarding the East Bay Foundation on Aging, please contact Emily Rosenberg, Program Assistant for Public Policy, Community Health, and Civic Engagement, at err@sff.org or 415.733.8529.