Request for Proposals
Request for Proposals
Investing in Community Supports for Older Adults
Older adults (ages 60+) enrich our families and communities with wisdom, experience and meaningful contributions. Like many communities across the United States, the population in Western North Carolina (WNC) is aging. This means that additional resources and services are necessary to support the wellbeing of older adults and those that care for them.
Hurricane Helene exposed and intensified existing challenges for older adults, their families, their caregivers, and the organizations that serve them. Meeting basic needs (e.g., food security, transportation), housing concerns (e.g., affordability, maintenance, safety), isolation and mental health needs have grown in the aftermath of the storm and require continued attention and support as communities recover and rebuild.
With Dogwood Health Trust’s purpose rooted in the health and wellbeing of all people and communities in the 18 counties and Qualla Boundary of Western North Carolina (WNC), we are opening a special funding opportunity focused on investing in community supports for older adults and for those that care for them.
Older Adults in Western North Carolina
- More than 1 in 5 adults (23.6% of 216,787) in Western North Carolina are age 65+
- 18% of adults (>1,300) in the Qualla Boundary are 65+
- 16.9% of adults (1,787,027) are age 65+ in North Carolina
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2019-2023
Funding Opportunity
This funding opportunity offers grant support for organizations and efforts focused on improving the health and wellbeing of older adults (ages 60+) in the 18 counties and Qualla Boundary of Western North Carolina.
- Applicants can apply for either (1) general operating support or (2) programmatic or project support over a two-year period. Each type has its own eligibility criteria and applicants may only apply for one type.
- Grant sizes will range from $50,000 to $150,000 and will depend on the applicant organization’s capacity, geographic scope and strength of proposal.
- In requesting a grant, please keep in mind that Dogwood will not fund more than 25% of any organization’s total budget over any four-year period.
Option One: General Operating Support
This option offers general operating grant support for advancing an organization’s core mission. In this case, organizations that apply should have a core mission focused on serving the needs of low- to moderate-income older adults (ages 60+) and those who care for them.
- Who is eligible to apply: 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities of all sizes. Eligible organizations must serve the Qualla Boundary and 18 counties of Western North Carolina, but do not need to be physically located in WNC to qualify.
- Who is not eligible: government and governmental organizations; faith-based organizations; fiscal sponsor organizations; individuals; programs that supplant government funding; for-profit entities; colleges and universities
Option Two: Programmatic or Project Support
This option offers programmatic or project-specific grant support to organizations serving the needs of low- to moderate-income older adults (ages 60+) and those who care for them.
- Who is eligible to apply: 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities of all sizes that serve the Qualla Boundary and 18 counties of Western North Carolina; government and governmental organizations; faith-based organizations; colleges and universities. Eligible organizations must serve the Qualla Boundary and 18 counties of Western North Carolina, but do not need to be physically located in WNC to qualify.
- Who is not eligible: fiscal sponsor organizations; individuals; programs that supplant government funding; for-profit entities
With this opportunity, Dogwood aims to support organizations that are addressing the urgent needs of older adults resulting from or intensified by Hurricane Helene and efforts that support or expand opportunities for older adults and those who care for them. Strong proposals will:
- Demonstrate strong relationships with other community partners to respond to complex challenges.
- Outline key organizational priorities and an approach to adapting to change and current challenges.
- Provide evidence of impact.
- Direct resources to support low- to moderate-income older adults (ages 60+), those who care for them and/or the organizations who support them.
- Advance Dogwood’s strategic priorities of housing, education, economic opportunity and/or health & wellness.
- Demonstrate a commitment to serve, engage with and reflect the voices and lived experiences of disinvested and disconnected people and communities.
Older Adult Collaborative
All organizations receiving grants will be required to be part of Dogwood’s Older Adult Collaborative, which will focus on network-building, peer-learning, collaborative resource development and sharing, policy, systems, and environmental change strategy planning. Health Resources in Action will lead the Collaborative on behalf of Dogwood. Additional financial support will be provided to support participants’ participation. We are considering a kickoff to the Collaborative in December 2025 and will convene partners over 12 months.
Application & Selection Process Timeline
| June 18, 2025 | RFP Released |
| July 7 to Aug. 4, 2025 | Application Open. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. E.T. on Aug. 4. Applications must be submitted online. |
| September through October 2025 | Grant awards announced. |
How to Apply
Applications will open on this page on July 7. Download background and a preview of the application questions here:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where can I access the recording of your informational webinar about the 2025 Investing in Community Supports for Older Adults RFP opportunity?
How will grant sizes for this RFP be determined? How much can we apply for?
Grant sizes will range from $50,000 to $150,000 and will depend on the applicant organization’s capacity, geographic scope and strength of proposal. In requesting a grant, please keep in mind that Dogwood will not fund more than 25% of any organization’s total budget over any four-year period.
How can the grant dollars be used?
General Operating Support:
Organizations can use general operating support funding for advancing their core mission, including building or growing programs, advocacy or policy efforts, and more. A list of options includes:
- Strategic Planning
- Other Planning Efforts
- Staff, Leadership and/or Board Development
- Capital Improvements
- Hire Staff
- Community Engagement or Increasing Access to Programs or Services
- Start or Expand a Program
- Learning and Evaluation
- Build Reserves
- Advocacy Efforts
- Improve Operations & Systems (accounting, HR, IT, etc.)
- Resource or Funding Development
- Communications, Development or Marketing
- Relationship Development or Increasing Collaborations/Connections
Program/Project Support:
Organizations can use program/project funding for efforts that serve older adults and those that care for them. All efforts should also align with Dogwood’s strategic priorities of housing, education, economic opportunity and health & wellness.
What is the Older Adult Collaborative? Is participation required?
Dogwood’s Older Adult Collaborative will gather all grantee organizations receiving funding from this RFP. Participation in the collaborative is required for at least one representative per organization. The collaborative will build networks, foster peer learning, develop and share resources, and plan strategies for policy, systems and environmental change. The collaborative will begin to meet in December 2025 and will convene grantees quarterly over 12 months. Meetings will be held both virtually and in person. Additional financial support will be provided to support collaborative member participation.
Can an organization apply for more than one program/project support grant?
Dogwood will only accept one application per type (GOS or program/project) per organizational tax ID for this RFP. Applicant organizations may also have active Dogwood grants and apply for Dogwood’s other open grant opportunities.
If an organization is currently a Dogwood grant recipient, are they eligible to apply for this grant opportunity?
Yes, but Dogwood will not fund more than 25% of any organization’s total budget over any four-year period.
If my organization does not exclusively serve older adults, but does serve older adults, am I eligible to apply?
Yes. Please include details in your proposal about how you specifically support and serve older adults.
My organization works with older adults inside and outside WNC. Can we still apply for this opportunity?
Yes, but all grant dollars must be used to support and benefit older adults and those who care for them in the 18 westernmost counties and Qualla Boundary of Western North Carolina.
What are the reporting requirements for both grant types? Are there financial reporting requirements or programmatic reporting requirements?
For General Operating Support: Grant reporting includes a pre-grant reflection, annual check-in conversations with Dogwood staff, and a final reflection at the end of the grant period. This process helps organizations reflect on their work, experiences and collaboration with Dogwood. Responses from all participating organizations will inform how Dogwood supports organizational health, connections and needs over time.
For Program/Project Support: All grants require a written final report. For multi-year grants, annual verbal check-in meetings with the program lead are also required. Dogwood will provide a report template to assist grantees in preparing the report. Grantees will also be interviewed for a broader Older Adults Collaborative evaluation.
Who do I contact with technical questions about this RFP and application?
Additional FAQs about our grantee portal and application are available here. For any other questions, please email [email protected].
