The Archstone Foundation Board of Directors approved two new grants this quarter. The funding will help these organizations amplify the voices of older adults, center their experience in systems change advocacy, and provide communications tools to ensure older adults can participate in the advocacy process.
Solutions Journalism Network received $150,000 to support Understanding Aging Narrative in California, a project that will develop an older adult-informed assessment of aging narratives across the state. As California’s Master Plan for Aging reaches the midpoint of its ten-year timeline, this work comes at an important moment for strengthening public understanding, political will, and investment in aging.
Through its Solutions Insights Lab, SJN will conduct 60 in-depth interviews and two focus groups with older adults, grantee organizations, advocates, policymakers, and other leaders across California’s elder care ecosystem. Interviews will be conducted in English and Spanish, with particular attention to how older adults and their advocates are telling their stories, where those stories are resonating, and what barriers prevent them from shaping public policy and systems change.
The project will also include a solutions storytelling workshop and the development of a custom web portal to share key insights. By identifying what is working, where knowledge remains disconnected, and what narratives need to shift, this work will help strengthen the field’s narrative power and ensure older adult voices are centered in conversations about California’s health and social care systems.
Sierra Health Foundation received a $27,000 grant to support Protecting the Safety Net, a statewide outreach and communications education campaign focused on impending federal changes to Medi-Cal and CalFresh. The grant is part of a larger pooled fund supporting a strategic communications effort in partnership with state agencies, philanthropic funders, and trusted community messengers.
Federal policy changes, including new work requirements, shorter renewal periods, and eligibility restrictions, threaten coverage and food assistance for millions of Californians. These changes are especially concerning for older adults, people with disabilities, immigrant communities, rural residents, unhoused individuals, and people with limited English proficiency. For many older adults, Medi-Cal helps pay for services not covered by Medicare, including home and community-based supports that allow people to remain in their homes.
The campaign will develop a statewide communications strategy, create multilingual and plain-language materials, and train trusted messengers such as community health workers, promotores, clinic staff, health plans, and community organizations. By supporting this effort, Archstone Foundation will help ensure that older adults and other vulnerable Californians are considered in outreach strategies and receive clear, accurate information about how to maintain access to care and benefits.
