Changing Aging
Supporting expanding economic opportunity and championing social inclusion for older adults and the organizations that serve them through systems-level and programmatic innovations.
Overview and eligibility
Making aging more affordable through systems-level change.
Changing Aging grants support organizations, partnerships, and ideas that have the potential to create broader change for all of us as we age.
The opportunities and challenges of aging require solutions that extend beyond direct services alone. Meaningful progress often depends on changing the underlying systems that shape access, affordability, opportunity, and inclusion. That is why our Changing Aging opportunity will invest in efforts that seek to influence systems, policies, practices, markets, and narratives in ways that improve outcomes for older adults beyond a single community or organization.
Changing Aging is Next50’s primary grantmaking opportunity for advancing its strategic objective of catalyzing national change. It supports work that demonstrates the potential to scale, replicate, influence, or accelerate broader change for older adults.
Organizations may request up to two years of funding. Requests for multi-year funding must clearly explain how funding requested in the second year will build upon the initiatives of the first year. Limited funds are available for multi-year requests. While there is no maximum request amount for Changing Aging, please speak with a Next50 staff member to determine the appropriate request for your project.
Funding decisions will consider both the strength of individual proposals and how investments contribute to Next50’s broader strategy for improving outcomes for older adults.
Types of Organizations That May Apply
Eligible applicants may include:
- US-based nonprofit entities organized under sections 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(6) of the IRS code that are in good standing and serving mission-aligned older adults.
- Universities and academic institutions
- Government entities
Organizations may be based in Colorado or elsewhere in the United States, including U.S. territories.
Fiscal sponsorship is permitted. Please note: the fiscal sponsor must have a formal relationship with the entity carrying out grant activities and be able to exercise control over grant activities. Next50 requires the fiscal sponsor to have a contractual relationship with the grant project partner and must possess a mission that clearly aligns with the activities of the grant.
What Changing Aging Funds
Changing Aging supports work that contributes to one or both of Next50’s grantmaking investment goals.
Expanding economic opportunity
Older adults afford more, live securely, and remain financially stable over time.
Next50 supports the following drivers of economic opportunity:
Access to public benefits
Affordable housing
Home modifications + integrated in-home supports
Support for caregivers
Transportation
Workforce – skills or retraining, recruitment, hiring, and retention
Championing social inclusion
Older adults are seen and valued within, feel connected to, and remain active participants in their communities.
Next50 supports the following drivers of social inclusion:
Volunteerism
Civic engagement
Arts
Mitigating age bias
Digital access and participation
Organizations don’t need to fit neatly into a single category. Many successful proposals may contribute to more than one category.
Note on other strategic goals: Shaping the Built Environment and Advancing Health remain important parts of Next50’s strategic plan, but Next50 does not fund them through grantmaking. Next50 will advance these goals primarily through impact investing, advocacy, and other tools.
Mission-Aligned Populations
Next50 prioritizes efforts that improve outcomes for older adults who experience persistent barriers to aging well. Applicants must demonstrate an understanding of the unique experiences and needs of the populations they seek to serve or influence.
Mission-aligned populations may include:
| Low-income | Rural and Frontier |
| People with disabilities | Black/African American |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | Asian |
| Hispanic Latino | Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander |
| LGBTQ+ | Middle Eastern or North African |
| Veterans | Caregivers |
| Unhoused | Justice-impacted |
| Nonprofits* | Immigrant and Refugee |
*Some organizations may serve nonprofits directly, e.g., membership associations
Flexible Funding for Systems Change
Changing Aging supports a wide range of strategies capable of producing broader systems-level impact.
Funding may support:
- Policy development and advocacy
- Research* and evaluation
- Technology and platform development
- National partnerships
- Field building
- Coalition building
- Learning networks
- Narrative change initiatives
- New models with strong scale and replication potential
- Other approaches capable of influencing larger systems or practices
Funding is intended to provide flexibility while maintaining a strong focus on long-term impact and systems change; therefore, applicants are encouraged to request the resources necessary to achieve impact rather than fitting requests into predefined funding categories.
APPLICATION EVALUATION
Applications are evaluated in two parts.
- All applications are reviewed using the same core evaluation criteria listed below
- All applications are also evaluated using the criteria specific to the priority area(s) the proposed work addresses: Expanding Economic Opportunity, Championing Social Inclusion, or both.
Please note that Next50 seeks to build a diverse portfolio that balances innovation, learning, and measurable impact; therefore, additional factors – such as geographic diversity, potential for collaboration with other grantees, and other priorities – may be considered in funding decisions.
Part 1: Core Evaluation Criteria
Expanding Access
What is the anticipated reach of the work? How does it expand access to drivers of economic opportunity and/or social inclusion?
Potential for Systems Change
How likely is the proposed work to influence systems, policies, practices, markets, narratives, or institutions affecting older adults? Applicants should demonstrate how their work can create impact beyond a single organization or community.
Strategic Alignment
How clearly does the proposed work contribute to one or more of the Changing Aging funding priorities: Expanding Economic Opportunity and Championing Social Inclusion?
Innovation and Learning
Does the proposal test, advance, or strengthen promising approaches that could contribute to future progress?
Service to Mission-Aligned Populations
How effectively does the project address the needs of older adults experiencing barriers to economic opportunity and social inclusion? The organization must explain its connection to the communities it intends to serve and how it incorporates feedback into ongoing improvement.
Organizational Readiness
Does the organization possess the leadership, expertise, partnerships, and operational capacity necessary to execute the proposed work? If you have low cash reserves or a budget deficit, please share how the requested funds will help improve financial sustainability and/or how you plan to improve your financial position.
Need for Funds
Does the organization need Next50 funds to complete this work, and if so, why? If you have significant cash reserves or a budget surplus, explain why you need the requested funds.
Collaboration and Learning
How effectively has the applicant demonstrated a willingness to contribute to learning?
Feasibility
Can the organization implement the proposed response promptly and effectively within the proposed budget and timeline?
Thoroughness and Timeliness of Submission
Were all grant materials turned in on time and readable in the submitted format? Applicants must not submit password-protected documents, as reviewers cannot open or consider them.
Part 2: Priority-Specific Evaluation Criteria
Review the criteria below for the priority area(s) your proposed work addresses.
Expanding Economic Opportunity
Click each heading to expand the section
Accessibility of public benefits programs
How effectively will the proposed work help older adults enroll in, retain, or fully utilize public benefits by reducing barriers to access?
Access to affordable housing
How effectively will the proposed work help older adults obtain or maintain stable, affordable housing and live independently in the community of their choice?
Home modifications + integrated in-home supports
How effectively will the proposed work increase access to affordable home modifications or integrated in-home supports that enable older adults to live safely and independently in their homes?
Support for caregivers
How effectively will the proposed work make caregiving more sustainable, affordable, and effective for family, informal, or paid caregivers and the older adults they support?
Accessible transportation
How effectively will the proposed work expand older adults’ access to affordable, reliable, and accessible transportation that connects them to daily needs, services, and community life?
Workforce – skills or retraining, recruitment, hiring and retention
How effectively will the proposed work help older adults obtain, retain, or advance in meaningful employment, or increase the adoption of age-inclusive workforce practices?
Championing social inclusion
Volunteerism, civic engagement, and arts
How effectively will the proposed work increase older adults’ meaningful participation, leadership, connection, or contribution through volunteerism, civic engagement, arts, culture, or community life?
Digital access and participation
How effectively will the proposed work enable older adults to use digital tools, connectivity, and skills to participate more fully in civic, social, and economic life?
Mitigating Age Bias
How effectively will the proposed work challenge age bias and strengthen realistic, diverse, and strengths-based recognition of older adults as contributors, leaders, and community members?
Requirements of Grantees
Before applying for funding, all potential grantees are required to affirm that they reviewed Next50’s Grant Agreement, as it addresses Next50’s requirements with respect to reporting, publicity, intellectual property, and other performance-related obligations.
Additionally, all applicants must affirm that they have the authority to enter into a binding agreement with Next50 without any modifications.
If selected for funding, the grantee will be expected to agree to Next50’s grant agreement in its entirety. Modifications or adjustments to the grant agreement will not be accepted.
Cohorts and Collaboration
Next50 will pilot collaborative virtual learning cohorts to promote collaboration, shared learning, and greater collective impact. Grantees and Investees will be required to attend cohort meetings 1-2 times each year during the grant or investment period.
More details to come!
Learning and Reporting
Next50 views reporting as an opportunity to understand progress, learnings, and broader influence. There will be a check-in report every six months as well as a final report at the end of the grant term. Grantees will submit all reports through the Next50 Grantee Portal. Reports will include a small set of questions asked of all grantees, along with specific measures selected for the funded work. Reporting may address progress toward grant goals, challenges, system-level change or progress, innovation and adaptation, outcomes achieved, and the potential to sustain, expand, or build on the work. Next50 will provide clear reporting guidance and any applicable focus area instructions during the kick-off call.
*Next50 does not support basic science (wet lab) research. Wet-lab research includes projects that analyze and/or test drugs, chemicals, and other biological materials. Next50 can and will support research-based pilot projects, feasibility studies, and needs assessments. These research activities often precede establishing viability for implementing various innovations.
2027 Grant Calendar
Applications are accepted by invitation only and are reviewed on a rolling basis.
| Application Due Date | January 15, 2026 | April 9, 2026 | July 9, 2026 |
| Funding Decision | Mid-March | Mid-June | Mid-September |
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