We drive policy, program, and systems improvements through grantmaking to help older adults age well in their homes and communities. Our grants explore solutions around the real needs of older adults, focusing primarily on what those historically left out of decision-making say they need.
2026 Putting Care at the Center
This project will ensure the lived experience of older adults is included in the 2026 Putting Care at the Center Conference.
2026 Putting Care at the Center
This project will ensure the lived experience of older adults is included in the 2026 Putting Care at the Center Conference.
Project Medicaid Storytelling Project
Caring Across Generations (CAG) will build and mobilize broad public support for Medicaid aging and disability care through informative, impactful, and aligned storytelling by capturing hundreds of new lived experience stories from Medicaid beneficiaries, caregivers, and direct care workers. The project will craft strategic messaging toolkits, templates, and other resources.
Project Medicaid Storytelling Project
Caring Across Generations (CAG) will build and mobilize broad public support for Medicaid aging and disability care through informative, impactful, and aligned storytelling by capturing hundreds of new lived experience stories from Medicaid beneficiaries, caregivers, and direct care workers. The project will craft strategic messaging toolkits, templates, and other resources.
Rural Voices 2025
In partnership with Public Policy Lab, Lutheran Services in America will analyze interviews from The People Say to identify key issues facing dually eligible older adults in rural areas. The project will surface policy priorities to improve access and quality of care and examine the impact of federal policies on Medicaid.
Rural Voices 2025
In partnership with Public Policy Lab, Lutheran Services in America will analyze interviews from The People Say to identify key issues facing dually eligible older adults in rural areas. The project will surface policy priorities to improve access and quality of care and examine the impact of federal policies on Medicaid.
ECO Groups Phase 2
Supporting older adults to be at the center of identifying issues and codesigning solutions to independence at home and in the community is a cornerstone of systems changes. With co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation and Metta Fund, four California-based organizations will support “Equity Community Organizing Groups” (ECO Groups). In this second phase of the project, each community will begin to implement solutions that advance health care issues and address the needs in their community, ensuring that older adults are leading the efforts and lived experience is at the center.
ECO Groups Phase 2
Supporting older adults to be at the center of identifying issues and codesigning solutions to independence at home and in the community is a cornerstone of systems changes. With co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation and Metta Fund, four California-based organizations will support “Equity Community Organizing Groups” (ECO Groups). In this second phase of the project, each community will begin to implement solutions that advance health care issues and address the needs in their community, ensuring that older adults are leading the efforts and lived experience is at the center.
Storytelling for ECO Groups
Supporting older adults to be at the center of identifying issues and co-designing solutions to independence at home and in the community is a cornerstone of systems changes. With co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation and Metta Fund, four California-based organizations will support Equity Community Organizing (ECO) Groups. This project provides training and technical assistance to the ECO Groups in support of developing and telling stories to inspire action.
Storytelling for ECO Groups
Supporting older adults to be at the center of identifying issues and co-designing solutions to independence at home and in the community is a cornerstone of systems changes. With co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation and Metta Fund, four California-based organizations will support Equity Community Organizing (ECO) Groups. This project provides training and technical assistance to the ECO Groups in support of developing and telling stories to inspire action.
Advancing Rural Aging: California Rural Policy Brief Dissemination and Stakeholder Engagement
With support from The SCAN Foundation, this project amplified the findings and recommendations from the Rural Aging Policy Brief Series to state and national audiences through coordinated dissemination and engagement activities, connecting data and lived experience to increase awareness and catalyze solutions for rural aging challenges.
Advancing Rural Aging: California Rural Policy Brief Dissemination and Stakeholder Engagement
With support from The SCAN Foundation, this project amplified the findings and recommendations from the Rural Aging Policy Brief Series to state and national audiences through coordinated dissemination and engagement activities, connecting data and lived experience to increase awareness and catalyze solutions for rural aging challenges.
ECO Groups Phase 2
Supporting older adults to be at the center of identifying issues and codesigning solutions to independence at home and in the community is a cornerstone of systems changes. With co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation and Metta Fund, four California-based organizations will support “Equity Community Organizing Groups” (ECO Groups). In this second phase of the project, each community will begin to implement solutions that advance health care issues and address the needs in their community, ensuring that older adults are leading the efforts and lived experience is at the center.
ECO Groups Phase 2
Supporting older adults to be at the center of identifying issues and codesigning solutions to independence at home and in the community is a cornerstone of systems changes. With co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation and Metta Fund, four California-based organizations will support “Equity Community Organizing Groups” (ECO Groups). In this second phase of the project, each community will begin to implement solutions that advance health care issues and address the needs in their community, ensuring that older adults are leading the efforts and lived experience is at the center.
California Master Plan for Aging (MPA): Aging and Disability Lived Experience Advisory Board (AD-LEAB)
Policies are often designed without input from the people most affected. Supported by the MPA Fund, Mandala Change Group, in partnership with the California Department of Aging (CDA), developed the Aging and Disability Lived Experience Advisory Board (AD-LEAB) to center the experiences and expertise of underserved and underrepresented older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers to address gaps in systems, programs, and services that further exacerbate inequities. At the end of the project, CDA will advance MPA priorities informed by lived experience, along with a replicable model.
California Master Plan for Aging (MPA): Aging and Disability Lived Experience Advisory Board (AD-LEAB)
Policies are often designed without input from the people most affected. Supported by the MPA Fund, Mandala Change Group, in partnership with the California Department of Aging (CDA), developed the Aging and Disability Lived Experience Advisory Board (AD-LEAB) to center the experiences and expertise of underserved and underrepresented older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers to address gaps in systems, programs, and services that further exacerbate inequities. At the end of the project, CDA will advance MPA priorities informed by lived experience, along with a replicable model.
JPM 2026 – Annual Future of Medicaid Innovation Forum (2)
Ensuring the voices of people with lived experience are at the center of all discussions ensures programs and services meet their needs. Funding for this forum includes the stories of people with lived experience as part of a larger discussion on Medicaid innovation.
JPM 2026 – Annual Future of Medicaid Innovation Forum (2)
Ensuring the voices of people with lived experience are at the center of all discussions ensures programs and services meet their needs. Funding for this forum includes the stories of people with lived experience as part of a larger discussion on Medicaid innovation.
Future of Aging: Policy Development
To create the conditions for meaningful policy action, it is essential to develop consensus-driven, tactical policy recommendations that can be quickly and clearly shared when a policy window opens. However, historically, aging policy and advocacy groups have struggled to coalesce around specific recommendations that policymakers can champion. This project will entail coalition building and policy analysis/prioritization to bridge differing priorities and build a catalogue of actionable, stakeholder-vetted policy proposals that are positioned to advance the future of aging policy, including tactical action plans and one public-facing policy playbook.
Future of Aging: Policy Development
To create the conditions for meaningful policy action, it is essential to develop consensus-driven, tactical policy recommendations that can be quickly and clearly shared when a policy window opens. However, historically, aging policy and advocacy groups have struggled to coalesce around specific recommendations that policymakers can champion. This project will entail coalition building and policy analysis/prioritization to bridge differing priorities and build a catalogue of actionable, stakeholder-vetted policy proposals that are positioned to advance the future of aging policy, including tactical action plans and one public-facing policy playbook.
Planning Grant: Building a Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Impacts Tracker and Information Clearinghouse
Closing the data gap on the impact of cuts as a result of H.R. 1 is critical to understanding the impact on older adults. This planning grant to develop a HCBS Impacts Tracker and Information Clearinghouse will focus on determining how to obtain timely and reliable information about state policy responses to One Big Beautiful Bill Act and their impacts on people who use home and community-based services from multiple sources, including state-based advocates on the ground, national organizations with state-based networks, federal and state Medicaid data sources, and the media.
Planning Grant: Building a Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Impacts Tracker and Information Clearinghouse
Closing the data gap on the impact of cuts as a result of H.R. 1 is critical to understanding the impact on older adults. This planning grant to develop a HCBS Impacts Tracker and Information Clearinghouse will focus on determining how to obtain timely and reliable information about state policy responses to One Big Beautiful Bill Act and their impacts on people who use home and community-based services from multiple sources, including state-based advocates on the ground, national organizations with state-based networks, federal and state Medicaid data sources, and the media.
Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan Education and Support — Phase II
Integrated models of care ensure that older adults have access to and can afford high quality care. With co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation, this project will help promote promising models of integrated care. The Local Health Plans of California (LHPC) Institute will develop a portfolio of Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) education and technical assistance (TA) offerings to support local plans in preparing for implementation of the Department of Health Care Services’ (DHCS) mandated requirement for all Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCP) to implement and operate D-SNPs by January 2026.
Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan Education and Support — Phase II
Integrated models of care ensure that older adults have access to and can afford high quality care. With co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation, this project will help promote promising models of integrated care. The Local Health Plans of California (LHPC) Institute will develop a portfolio of Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) education and technical assistance (TA) offerings to support local plans in preparing for implementation of the Department of Health Care Services’ (DHCS) mandated requirement for all Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCP) to implement and operate D-SNPs by January 2026.
The People Say Platform Operations and Evolution
The People Say Platform Operations and Evolution
Aging Forward Coalition Los Angeles (AFCLA) – Phase 1 Planning
Regional coalitions in CA are the cornerstone to driving policy and systems change locally and in the state. With co-funding from The Archstone Foundation this project is to determine the feasibility of building a Los Angeles based regional coalition and sustainability plan. This will be accomplished through meetings with stakeholders and people with lived experience.
Aging Forward Coalition Los Angeles (AFCLA) – Phase 1 Planning
Regional coalitions in CA are the cornerstone to driving policy and systems change locally and in the state. With co-funding from The Archstone Foundation this project is to determine the feasibility of building a Los Angeles based regional coalition and sustainability plan. This will be accomplished through meetings with stakeholders and people with lived experience.
Building Demand for Person-Centered Outcome Measures Drive Value-Based Care
Over the past decade, with support from The SCAN Foundation (TSF), The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF), and The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has developed Person-Centered Outcome (PCO) measures to align care delivery with what matters most to older adults. These measures aim to transform health systems to produce better, more equitable, and cost-effective outcomes by centering care around individuals, their families, and communities. The ultimate goal is to include the PCO measures in the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®), one of the nation’s most widely used health performance tools, covering 235 million enrollees.
Building Demand for Person-Centered Outcome Measures Drive Value-Based Care
Over the past decade, with support from The SCAN Foundation (TSF), The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF), and The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has developed Person-Centered Outcome (PCO) measures to align care delivery with what matters most to older adults. These measures aim to transform health systems to produce better, more equitable, and cost-effective outcomes by centering care around individuals, their families, and communities. The ultimate goal is to include the PCO measures in the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®), one of the nation’s most widely used health performance tools, covering 235 million enrollees.