Grant and Training Opportunity for NYC Senior Service Organizations

Lifetime Arts is pleased to announce the launch of Catalyzing Creativity, a major Creative Aging initiative for New York City.

Creative Aging connects older adults with professional teaching artists through active learning programs in all arts disciplines. Across the U.S., older adult advocates, researchers and artists are promoting the benefits of arts education for older adults. Sequential, skill-building arts workshops – embedded in socially rich community settings – help combat isolation and reinvigorate learning. Senior service organizations who add Creative Aging to their menu of services improve their programming, expand their reach and attract new partnerships and clients.

Program Description

Catalyzing Creativity, a two-year, city-wide initiative is generously supported by the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation’s Healthy Aging Program. It will build the capacity of selected NYC senior service organizations to develop and sustain new arts learning programs that address the needs and interests of today’s older adults (60+). This multi-phased initiative includes informational webinars and a series of FREE live training workshops across the city.

Organizations that complete the training will have the opportunity to apply for a $7,500 grant to seed new Creative Aging programs. Up to ten organizations will receive grants and the technical assistance necessary to design and implement up to three projects. Each project must include at least 8 sessions, plus a culminating event – and serve at least 10 older adults. Projects can begin as early as the fall of 2017 and continue through 2018.

 The initiative has the following goals: 

  1. To build the capacity of senior service organizations to develop, deliver, and sustain Creative Aging programs;
  2. To improve the quality of life and combat social isolation of older New Yorkers by increasing the number and quality of arts education programs in senior service organizations;
  3. To demonstrate the efficacy of Creative Aging programming in a wide range of senior service organizations.

Lauren Weisenfeld, Program Director at the Samuels Foundation said:

We are proud to support Lifetime Arts’ work again here in New York City.  All across the country, they are demonstrating the value of arts engagement for older adults in diverse settings, providing an antidote to social isolation and expanding the reach of community based organizations by helping them create meaningful programming for today’s older adults. Catalyzing Creativity in NYC will move the needle forward in terms of shifting practice around aging and the arts.”

Eligible Organizations

  • Must be a non-profit 501 (c) (3);
  • Must be located in one of the five NYC boroughs;
  • Must serve older adults (60+), either exclusively or as part of general programming;
  • Must have at least one full time staff;
  • Must provide programming beyond meals and healthcare;
  • Must watch the Informational Webinar (February 8th);
  • Must submit the Application for Training (March 3rd);
  • Must commit to attend Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens training workshops (see important dates/locations below).

 The following are not eligible for participation in the program:

  • Individual artists;
  • Agencies and departments of city, state and federal governments;
  • Religious institutions;
  • For profit organizations.

Important Dates

Phase I

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Phase II

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Phase III

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Informational Webinar

This webinar provided an overview of Lifetime Arts, the field of Creative Aging, this initiative, training and application instructions. We also took questions that potential applicants had about the initiative and/or  the application.

View the archived informational webinar here, before starting your application for training.

Watch The Webinar

Application for Training

Following the informational webinar the application for training will be available here.

Please Note: The deadline to submit an application for training has been extended to March 3, 2017. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

About Lifetime Arts

Lifetime Arts’ mission is to encourage Creative Aging by promoting the inclusion of professional arts programs in organizations that serve older adults; to prepare artists to develop the creative capacity of older adult learners; and to foster lifelong learning in and through the arts by increasing opportunities for participation in community based programming.

Additional Questions

We strongly encourage potential applicants to submit questions by emailing them to info@lifetimearts.org or by calling (914) 355-2304.