DDA Providing $3 Million in Grant Funding for Senior Centers

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The Department of Disability and Aging (DDA) is now accepting applications for competitive grant funding for senior centers. 

The Tennessee General Assembly has provided $3 million to be distributed to senior centers throughout the state.  The one-time funding is intended to support senior centers in providing older adults with access to resources, activities and social connection.

“Senior centers play a vital role in connecting older adults to their peers while helping them engage in skill development, recreational activities, and nutritional and educational services,” said DDA Commissioner Brad Turner. “I’m excited to see how these grants can help centers in both rural and urban areas expand their offerings and reach more older adults in their communities.”

DDA will be distributing both minor grants of up to $10,000 and major grants of up to $100,000.  The grant funding is encouraged to fund the following goals:

• Capital Projects, including building improvements and equipment
• Marketing
• Programming/Activities
• Routine Operating Expenses, not including staff salaries

In order to qualify for grant funding, the senior center must be:

• A single purpose agency with programs and activities designed and operated only for the benefit of adults aged 60 and over; or
• A multi-purpose agency with a broad spectrum of services, which shall include provisions of health, social, nutritional, and educational services, and the provision of facilities for recreational activities for adults aged 60 and over.

The grant is not available to individuals or to assisted living facilities.

Applications are due by 4:00 p.m. Central on August 9, 2024. The funding for minor grants must be spent no later than September 30, 2025.  Funding for major grants must be spent by March 31, 2026. 

Learn more about the grants at the DDA website:

https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/disability-and-aging/resource-directory/grants.html

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About the Department of Disability and Aging

The Department of Disability and Aging is the state agency responsible for oversight of services and support to 1.5 million older adults and Tennesseans with disabilities. The department is the result of a merger between the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disabilities, effective July 1, 2024.  Every day, the department strives to support people to live rewarding and fulfilling lives through Medicaid waiver Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), and a wide range of services and supports for older adults and adults with disabilities. DDA also provides services to infants and toddlers with disabilities or developmental delays through the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS), and children under the age of 18 with disabilities or complex medical needs through the Katie Beckett Program. The department supports people to live the lives they envision for themselves by ensuring people are free to exercise rights, engage with their broader communities and experience optimal health. DDA is the first state service delivery system in the nation to receive Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation from the Council on Quality and Leadership.  It has also been recognized as a national leader in its efforts to increase competitive, community-based employment outcomes for people with disabilities and its commitment to enhancing independence through Enabling Technology.