Dogwood’s Older Adult Collaborative (OAC) grantee cohort launched in January 2026. Fifteen grantees were selected from 105 applications through a special RFP last year focused on Investing in Community Supports for Older Adults.
The grantees will learn and work together over the next two years and co-develop strategies for improving the health & wellbeing of older adults (ages 60+) in WNC.
They identified five primary priorities:
- Meaningful engagement of older adults and caregivers
- Policy and advocacy
- Emergency and disaster preparedness
- Data, learning and evaluation
- Mental and cognitive health
Grantees include: Center for Native Health, Community Housing Coalition of Madison County, Five Point Center, Foothills Regional Commission, High Country Council of Governments, Jewish Family Services, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Mountain Aging Partners, Mountain Community Health Partnership, Mountain Housing Opportunities, NC State University, Rutherford County Senior Center, Southwestern Council of Governments, UNC Chapel Hill and WNCSource.
As part of Dogwood’s broader exploratory work around older adults, Dogwood also commissioned a new report entitled “Community Investments for Older Adults: Assessing and Understanding the Current Context.” It provides an overview of the status of older adults in WNC, shares trends in the field of healthy aging and identifies opportunities to support healthy and thriving communities for all.
Posted on Feb. 9, 2026
