The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced a new cycle for funding of
the Community Partnerships for Older Adults program.  This is something some
of our tribal communities will want to look closely at.

Community Partnerships for Older Adults is an eight-year, $20 million
grant initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In this second round of funding, a maximum of 17 communities will
receive development grants of up to $150,000 for 18 months. Letters
of intent are due January 9, 2004.

This national program fosters community partnerships that will improve
long term care and supportive services systems to meet the current and
future needs of older adults. The program challenges partnerships to
build on their experience, share and learn from other communities, and
help to shape state and national policy as solutions are developed and
implemented for the future.

Diversity is a guiding principle of this initiative. The program seeks
applications from existing community partnerships or collaborative
groups with broad and diverse memberships from communities throughout
the United States.

The full Call for Proposals and information about how to apply are
available online at the program Web site:
               <http://partnershipsforolderadults.org/>

It is clear that RWJF is looking for certain key components in a successful
letter of intent:
        1.      A defined community.
        2.      A group of programs or agencies within that community who
have been working together for at least 2 years to improve care of the
elderly.
        3.      This group will need to show evidence activities over the
previous two years:
                        *       Ongoing conversation and coordination around
existing programs
                        *       Collaboration to develop new programs or
services for the elderly.

This is a highly competitive program but program officials at the Community
Partnership for Older Adults are interested in getting applications from
Indian country and understand some of the unique characteristics of our
communities and health systems.  This includes a willingness to consider
applications from tribal communities smaller than those described in the
announcement.  Tribes which have had task forces or committees made up of
representatives from multiple programs working on developing services for
the elderly would be ideally placed to apply.

Please take a minute to read through the program announcement.  The folks at
the Community Partnerships for Older Adults encourage you to contact them if
you have any questions. Feel free also to contact me with questions.

Bruce Finke


Bruce Finke, MD
IHS Elder Care Initiative
45 Vernon Street
Northampton, MA  01060
413-584-0790