Archstone Foundation (Long Beach, CA)

In support of its mission to improve the health and well-being of older Californians and their caregivers, the Archstone Foundation approved new grants totaling $775,000. These grants provide funding to aid older adults disproportionately impacted by this winter’s wildfires; help older Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders find culturally relevant social services programs in languages they use; support cultural competency training to ensure LGBTQ+ older adults can access health care; improve dementia care for low-income older adults in Los Angeles County, California; and achieve holistic health care through the exchange of health and social service data.

  • Alzheimer’s Los Angeles—to support its effort to become a provider of Enhanced Care Management (ECM) services, one of the new benefits under CalAIM for Medi-Cal beneficiaries with dementia and at risk for institutionalization. The goal is to improve access to person- and family-centered dementia care benefiting low-income older adults in Los Angeles County, California through the implementation of the Care Ecosystem, an evidence-based, coordinated dementia care program. It addresses the growing need for dementia-capable care within CalAIM, since people with cognitive impairment have higher rates of hospitalization and institutionalization, two of CalAIM’s populations of focus. As an ECM provider, Alzheimer’s LA will contribute to systemic improvement in dementia care and supports the foundation’s strategy of increasing access to coordinated, equitable health and social services. ($125,000 over two years)
  • California Community Foundation (CCF)—to help older adults impacted by the recent wildfires in greater Los Angeles. The grant will be a contribution to the CCF’s Wildfire Recovery Fund, which focuses on intermediate and long-term recovery needs and has provided more than $30 million to vulnerable communities affected by wildfires since 2003. The most recent fires disproportionately impacted marginalized communities and older adults. The Los Angeles Times reported that most of the Eaton fire’s 17 victims were older, with a median age of 77; six had mobility impairments, 11 were Black, and 11 were women. ($100,000)
  • Connecting for Better Health—to improve the exchange of health and social service information by aging services organizations in accordance with the California Data Exchange Framework (DxF), the state’s effort to accelerate the exchange of such records through a single, unified data sharing agreement. To achieve its mission of improving whole person care, DxF will provide education and technical assistance to aging services organizations and community-based partners serving older adults and their caregivers, equipping them to be part of this essential aspect of coordinating care equitably across settings. ($75,000 over 18 months)
  • National Asian Pacific Center on Aging—to implement its Eldercare Initiative in California, a comprehensive resource database and multi-agency referral system to help the people it serves and their caregivers locate social service programs that are culturally appropriate and in languages they use. Few health care and social service systems are structured to consistently provide culturally and linguistically accessible care for these older adults and their caregivers. For large numbers of immigrant elders with little or no English proficiency, searching for these services is challenging because there is no database for them to use. ($175,000 over two years)
  • SAGE—to support SAGECare, a cultural competency training program seeking to ensure all LGBTQ+ older adults can access and receive care that affirms their identities. Building on the momentum of a previous 36-month grant from the foundation, SAGE will expand its capacity to train more aging services providers working in economically, racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities. ($300,000 over three years)

To learn more about these grants, click here.

Contact: Laura Rath at lrath@archstone.org.

Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (New York, NY)

The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) announced grant awards totaling $2.1 million to four organizations dedicated to strengthening the behavioral health workforce and addressing critical gaps in substance use disorder care. The funded initiatives expand the work supported under FORE’s Innovation Challenge program and will focus on expanding peer support networks, culturally grounded treatment models, and novel approaches to workforce development and training to better serve populations at high risk.

Grants include:

  • The Agency for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP)—to expand its Faith-Based Support Specialist (FBSS) training in partnership with state health departments and faith-based organizations. The two-day training program equips faith leaders with the knowledge and tools to better support individuals with substance use disorders and connect them to local resources. ASAP will continue offering the training in Alabama while initiating expansion into new states. ($400,000)
  • The Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research at Indiana University School of Medicine—to develop a national framework for training, credentialing, and sustaining the behavioral health and substance use paraprofessional workforce. Through a 50-state survey, key informant interviews, and labor market analysis, the initiative will provide actionable recommendations for standardizing education, regulations, and reimbursement models across states. ($592,338)
  • The Center for Indigenous Health at Johns Hopkins University—to tailor the Lakota Equine-Assisted Therapy program for Indigenous adolescents and young adults at risk for or in recovery from opioid use disorder. Up to 30 youth from the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe in South Dakota will participate in weeklong camps that integrate equine therapy with traditional healing practices, such as drumming and storytelling. The project will evaluate its impact on mental health, resilience, and cultural engagement while assessing the financial feasibility of scaling the program to other indigenous communities. ($563,632)
  • HELP USA, Inc.—to implement a counselor and peer support program for unhoused individuals with opioid use disorder living in HELP-operated transitional housing. The initiative will train staff and shelter residents to facilitate access to treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support. Credentialed staff will run support groups in New York City’s Wards Island shelters, while shelter residents who will be trained as recovery peers will provide one-on-one support. Peer mentors will receive stipends for their contributions, helping to create a sustainable, lived experience-driven support system. ($598,726)

Contact: Myrna Manners at 718.986.7255 or mmanners@mannersdotson.com.

UniHealth Foundation (Glendale, CA)

The wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles County, California this past January inflicted destruction and displacement in just a few short days. UniHealth Foundation has directed $1 million to local organizations who are providing support to individuals and families impacted by the fires. The foundation identified four categories listed below as immediate needs facing these communities.

The following 21 grantees were selected as recipients of UniHealth Foundation’s first round of Los Angeles County Wildfire Response and Relief grants:

  • AltaMed
  • Amanecer Community Counseling Service
  • Amigos de los Rios
  • Anti-Recidivism Coalition
  • Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
  • Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services
  • Direct Relief, California Fire Relief
  • Five Acres – The Boys & Girls Aid Society of LA County
  • Foothill Family
  • Hollywood Food Coalition
  • Inner City Law
  • International Medical Corps
  • Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
  • Neighborhood Legal Services of LA County
  • Pacific Clinics
  • Pasadena Community Foundation
  • Public Counsel
  • Villa Esperanza Services
  • World Central Kitchen
  • YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles
  • YWCA of San Gabriel Valley

Washington Square Health Foundation (Chicago, IL)

Washington Square Health Foundation awarded approximately $330,000 in grants to promote and maintain access to adequate health care for all people in the Chicagoland area regardless of race, sex, creed, or financial need.

Grant highlights from the February 2025 Grant Committee Meeting include:

  • Centro San Bonifacio—to improve patient diabetes management, care, and health outcomes collaborating with a Cook County, Illinois health center in a Belmont Cragin neighborhood-based community program initiative.
  • Chicago Hearing Society—to upgrade audiology testing equipment to increase precision in fitting hearing aids and improve patient satisfaction for patients of all ages.
  • The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired—to employ a mixed-methods research approach combining qualitative and quantitative research to develop, pilot test, and evaluate an integrated cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness curriculum for adjustment to vision loss.
  • Chicago Women’s Health Center—to provide ultrasound services onsite aimed at reducing the burden of external referrals and improving access to gynecological and reproductive care.
  • Cornerstone Community Outreach—to build out a fully-outfitted medical exam room within a homeless shelter which will provide more access, consistency, and stability for both clients and providers.
  • Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago—to purchase “Augmentative and Alternative Communication” boards, enabling all students, including non-verbal students, to communicate with peers and teachers while promoting physical activity.
  • Erie Family Health Center—to integrate behavioral health care into a new community-driven health center that will provide holistic health care and supportive services in West Garfield Park, Illinois.
  • La Rabida Children’s Hospital—to expand and renovate the inpatient unit to improve care for children with complex medical needs by integrating advanced technology.
  • Lawndale Christian Health Center—to provide the opportunity of care for seniors to age in place and support the operation of one of the first eight “Program for All Inclusive Care for the Elderly” (PACE) organizations in Illinois.
  • Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago—to develop a program to enhance pediatric emergency readiness of multiple area hospitals through simulation training for health care providers which employs a multi-modal approach providing training of critical knowledge and skills.
  • Keshet—to build a new inclusive community center offering activities such as arts, sports, social gatherings, and vocational training. This new center will allow for expanded enrollment, innovation, and engagement for people with disabilities and special needs across all ages.
  • PCC Community Wellness Center—to purchase a Panoramic X-ray unit for important diagnostic scans for children and teens.
  • Sinai Chicago—to purchase a Neonate Cooling Bed for their Level 3 NICU unit, as part of their initiative to transform and modernize clinical spaces and expand care for mothers and newborns.

Contact: Catherine Kapella at 312.664.6488 or kapella@wshf.org.

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