next50 Definitions

making it less expensive to age

We know there are many ways to make it less expensive to age. Some ideas we seek to support include those that:

• Reduce costs for older adults to access services and supports in our priority areas in the near- and/or long-term.

• Increase the income of older adults.

• Decrease monthly or day-to-day expenses.

• Remove barriers to financial services.

• Remove barriers to accessing the workforce.

• Implement policy changes that support the above.

systems Change

Next50 supports organizations that are engaged in systems change.

Next50 views systems change as a process aimed at transforming the structures, policies, practices, power dynamics, and norms within organizations, communities, or larger social structures. The goal is to achieve long-term, sustainable improvements for individuals, families, and communities. This approach focuses on addressing the root causes of systemic issues – such as inequality, oppression, or inefficiency – rather than merely alleviating the symptoms. That is why Changing Aging applications require a demonstration of working towards systems change.

Key Aspects of Systems Change

1. Holistic Perspective: Individuals are embedded within multiple interconnected systems, such as families, communities, institutions, and broader societal structures. Systems change works to target these interconnected layers in the pursuit of far-reaching impact.

2. Structural and Policy Transformation: Laws, policies, and institutional practices often perpetuate inequities or create barriers to access and wellbeing. Systems change involves advocating for changes to and within these larger structures.

3. Collaboration and Partnership: Collaboration between organizations, policymakers, community leaders, and/or individuals can achieve more than the work of just one of these facets alone. Systems change relies on these diverse partnerships to ensure inclusive and sustainable solutions to the greater issues.

innovation

Next50 supports innovative organizations.

Next50 defines innovation as:

Strategies that are new or novel or go beyond existing solutions to increase organizational or systemic effectiveness, equity, efficiency, or sustainability.

Next50 aims to change the systems impacting older adults in the United States. Innovation will be crucial if we wish to affect this level of change. That is why all grant requests are required to demonstrate innovation.

For detailed information on our approach to innovation through each funding opportunity, please see our grant criteria matrix.

Partnerships

Next50 supports organizations engaged in partnerships.

We believe that partnership is critical in our goal of changing systems. Complex social, economic, and environmental challenges often exceed the capacity of any single organization or sector to address effectively on their own.

Partnerships are the foundation of systems change. They combine strengths, build consensus, and tackle the interwoven challenges that individual efforts alone cannot solve.

That is why all Changing Aging applications must demonstrate partnership with other organizations.