I Thought you'd never ask
Honing a great “ask” – and getting the right people to listen to it - is key to success in the nonprofit world. For the first time, GIA is asking for government action on policies and funding decisions to benefit all of us as we age. This year, our focus is on reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA), the RAISE Family Caregivers Act, and federal and state-based multi-sector plans for aging.
The timing is right, too, because the Biden Administration has made it clear that it wants to hear from and work with funders. A large percentage of funding for the aging network comes from public funding streams, so it’s exciting that we are being asked for input on those policies.
Exhibit A: a special opportunity for GIA and GIH foundation members to join a listening session with leaders from the Administration for Community Living (ACL). The meeting will include Kari Benson, the new Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, who succeeded Edwin Walker in that role in March.
This is happening on Tuesday, May 7 in Washington, DC during the NCOA Age + Action 2024 meeting.
Kari Benson's entire career has been in the aging network, so she knows the OAA inside out, but is proactively seeking the foundation perspective, particularly about where we see gaps and unmet needs and where nonprofits are focusing their asks to us.
I'm asking YOU
Now we need to do our homework. I hope many GIA members will be able to attend this landmark meeting, but I hope all will take the time to fill in a brief, five-question survey about what you’re seeing in your communities.
You can find the survey HERE.
Funders know that the most successful asks are those that have been strengthened with some back-and-forth. Policymaking is the same – ideally, it should be open, inclusive, and curious. This is a huge opportunity to galvanize support from and within our network, and to use our platform for good.