Keiro Launches New Grants Program to Support Older Adults, Caregivers

The first of eight scheduled Grants Program informational workshops was held at Orange County Buddhist Church in Anaheim on Sept. 7.

Keiro on Aug. 30 announced the launch of a new Grants Program, an important component of its programs to support older adults and caregivers in the Japanese American and Japanese community.

In its inaugural cycle, the Grants Program will distribute up to $500,000 in funding to community-based organizations in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange counties.

The goals of the Grants Program are to:

• Enhance the quality of life of older adults in the community who are most in-need or vulnerable

• Promote culturally sensitive programs and services accessible to Japanese American and Japanese older adults

• Strengthen systems of support for older adults through local service providers, programs, and caregiver resources

• Advance Genki Living holistic approach to aging issues

The Grants Program will award support to qualified organizations through a competitive, community-based review process. Grants will be available in two of Keiro’s core program areas: Services to Older Adults and Support of Caregivers.

“We recognize that there are many organizations, agencies and groups already doing important work to support the needs of an aging population. Rather than duplicate efforts or recreate the wheel, Keiro hopes to serve our community by providing vital resources to organizations whose programs align with Keiro’s mission and goals,” said Gene Kanamori, interim president and CEO.

The Grants Program will offer two levels of funding. Small Grants will provide funding for grassroots, small, or volunteer-led organizations with requests of up to $15,000. Core Grants will provide support to organizations with established operating capacity and scale. Core grants can range from $15,000 to $100,000. Proposals for program support, capital costs, capacity building, and general operating support will all be considered. The proposal deadline for the inaugural grants cycle is Nov. 15.

The Grants Program seeks to achieve the greatest impact by addressing issues affecting Japanese American and Japanese older adults in greatest need or vulnerability. These populations include, but are not limited to, older adults who are facing challenges due to isolation, multiple health conditions, memory and cognitive disabilities, low income, monolingual Japanese speakers, immigration or residency status, or oldest of the old.

During the month of September, Keiro will offer informational workshops in the community to discuss goals of the program, eligibility requirements, and guide prospective grantees through the application process.

“We look forward to engaging organizations interested in applying for funding to support their programs serving older adults in our community. We will be offering help in how to apply for both Small and Core Grants,” said Brandon Leong, director of the Grants Program.

Workshops are scheduled as follows:

• Thursday, Sept. 15, at 9:30 a.m. at East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center, 1203 W. Puente Ave., West Covina

• Friday, Sept. 16, at 10 a.m. at Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute, 1964 W. 162nd St., Gardena

• Saturday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m. at Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, 244 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles

• Monday, Sept. 19, at 10 a.m. at Oxnard Buddhist Temple, 250 S. H St., Oxnard

• Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 9:30 a.m. at Winterburg Presbyterian Church, 2000 N. Fairview St., Santa Ana (English and Japanese)

• Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 9:30 a.m. at Japanese American National Museum, 100 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles (English and Japanese)

• Saturday, Oct. 8, at 1:30 p.m. at Venice Japanese Community Center, 12448 Braddock Dr., Los Angeles

One quarter of all Japanese American adults are 65+. This is twice the number of 65+ adults in the general population. Keiro is expanding its reach—broadly engaging and supporting Japanese American and Japanese older adults, their families, and caregivers in the Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties. With this shift in focus, Keiro seeks to support 70,000 older adults in the tri-county region, which includes continued support for 600 residents of the facilities formerly owned by Keiro.

Keiro’s goal is to enhance the quality of life for older adults in the community through three core program areas: Services to Older Adults, Support for Caregivers, and Programs for Residents of Keiro’s Former Facilities. Recognizing that there is no single way to accomplish this goal, Keiro will use diverse strategies to achieve the greatest impact.

Describing KEIRO’s grantmaking strategy, Board Chairman Gary Kawaguchi stated, “The Keiro Board wants to achieve maximum impact by prioritizing how Keiro can best serve those with the highest needs in our community. We are looking to make a big difference by building on existing efforts. Our new Grants Program is one of the ways Keiro is fulfilling our mission alongside our partners in the community.”

For additional information, including downloadable grant applications and guidelines, and to register for an upcoming informational workshop, visit www.keiro.org/grants or call (213) 873-5705.