The Older Persons’ Fund was established by The Community Foundation for Ireland and Atlantic Philanthropies in 2014 to promote the civic engagement of older people, as a means of working towards making a difference in their communities.

The Older Persons’ Fund seeks to support older people’s voices at a local and national level and their capacity to engage fully in all strands of society. In line with this goal, the mission of The Older Persons’ Fund is to support strategic community based and national activities promoting Older People as Active Citizens and Advocates – including influencing policy, community decision-making processes, leadership, negotiation, and other ways to give greater “voice” to Older People.

Since 2014, over €1.5 million have been awarded to organisations working on these goals across the country from the Older Persons’ Fund.

Irish organisations working with older people in Ireland to achieve the objectives above can apply for a grant under the following strands:

• Active Citizenship
• Advocacy

Organisations can apply once to one of the Strands above.

All applications must meet the criteria for the Fund, any organisation or project that does not meet the eligibility criteria will not be successful in this grant round.

Strand 1 Active Citizenship

The Active Citizenship strand is open to registered charities and local community / voluntary groups with an annual income of less than €2,000,000. Organisations must be able to demonstrate how their proposed project links to the National Positive Ageing Strategy’s goals.

Grants of up to €7,500 are available to organisations working towards inclusion of older people in active citizenship roles. Applications can be to support community based and national activities that promote older people as active citizens and build older people’s capacity and potential to take on roles in their community. Social trips, parties or other primarily social activities will not be funded.

The objective of this strand is to promote older people’s participation as active citizens in their communities and their inclusion in civic life.

Strand 2 Advocacy

The Advocacy strand is open to registered charities and local community / voluntary groups with an annual income of less than €2,000,000. Organisations must be able to demonstrate how their proposed project links to the National Positive Ageing Strategy’s goals.

Grants of up to €7,500 are available to support projects that empower older people to become advocates on issues that affect them. Applications can be to support advocacy by older persons’ for older persons, training to influence policy, developing community decision-making processes, building leadership or negotiation skills and other innovative projects to give greater “voice” to older people.

The objective of this strand is to support older people’s ‘voice’ at a local and national level, and their capacity to engage in all strands of society.

Further details and application process available at the link below:

https://www.communityfoundation.ie/grants/types-of-grants/the-older-persons-fund