Archstone Foundation is pleased to announce three new grants approved by the Board of Directors this quarter. The funding will help improve care for older Californians in several ways: Strengthening equity, particularly for low-income, immigrant and LGBTQ+ older adults; ensuring access to long-term care for those at risk of institutionalization, and piloting a culturally responsive communication system for Latino older adults.
Advancing Equity for Older Californians
Justice in Aging received a $100,000 grant to advance equity for California’s older adults and defend against harmful federal policy changes affecting low-income older Californians, building off a grant for their Equity Advisory Council (EAC), awarded last year.
With proposals and administrative actions threatening Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, the stakes are particularly high for older immigrants and LGBTQ+ older adults, who often face systemic barriers and discrimination.
The organization will strengthen the EAC, which brings together diverse voices to help shape advocacy strategies, ensuring that community perspectives inform legal and policy priorities. With this support, Justice in Aging will convene partners across the state to gather stories from the community, develop educational materials, and train advocates on navigating the rapidly shifting legal landscape. This work will also facilitate the EAC’s cross sector coordination with non-aging focused communities, such as racial and gender-focused movements.
Ensuring Access to Long-term Care for Older Adults
California Health Policy Strategies (CalHPS) received a $166,800 grant to continue leading the CalAIM Statewide Older Adult Collaborative, a statewide effort to help older adults at risk of institutionalization access critical long-term care through Medi-Cal. CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) is one of the most significant opportunities in decades to improve care for high-need Medi-Cal beneficiaries, yet enrollment challenges and complex system barriers remain.
The Collaborative brings together community-based organizations, managed care plans, health providers, advocacy groups, and state agencies to identify solutions and develop systematic approaches for connecting older adults to CalAIM benefits. Activities include a statewide webinar series, bi-monthly meetings, and work groups focused on removing enrollment barriers and strengthening referral systems. This grant builds on previous funding to establish and continue the Collaborative.
With BIPOC older adults representing the majority of Medi-Cal enrollees, this work is especially critical to reducing disparities in access to care. By improving pathways to CalAIM’s Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports, the collaborative helps older adults with complex needs remain in their communities rather than enter institutional long-term care.
Informing, Engaging, and Mobilizing California’s Aging Latino Communities
The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) received a $60,000 rapid response grant to pilot a culturally responsive communication system for Latino older adults in California. Latino communities often face structural barriers to receiving timely and accurate information, challenges that are compounded during policy shifts, emergencies, and public health crises. With language barriers, misinformation, and digital exclusion creating risks for older adults, there is an urgent need for trusted, bilingual outreach.
Working with the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation and St. Barnabas Senior Services, NHCOA will co-create six bilingual messaging campaigns focused on timely issues such as health care access, safety alerts, and benefit updates. Messages will be shared through widely used and trusted channels including WhatsApp, radio, social media, promotores de salud, and community events.
By piloting this system in Los Angeles, NHCOA plans to reach more than 2,500 older adults and caregivers, while creating a replicable model for other communities.
Other Foundation Support
In addition to these grants, the Foundation is host sponsor of the 2025 Grantmakers In Aging Annual Conference in Long Beach. The conference is the premier source of information, inspiration, and connection for any funder interested in aging-related issues and investments.
We are also joining philanthropic partners in sponsoring “Health Matters: A Conversation with California’s Next Governor” on November 7, 2025. The Health Matters forum is a first-of-its-kind, nonpartisan event in the Inland Empire where California’s candidates for governor will hear directly from communities about what matters most for their health. It marks a historic opportunity for older adults and Californians who care about aging to make their voices heard by the future leader of California and work toward solutions together. More details coming soon!
