New Horizons for Seniors Program

Backgrounder

The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) is a Grants and Contributions program established to increase social inclusion of seniors and help ensure that seniors can benefit from, and contribute to, the quality of life in their communities.

Seniors lead and inspire projects to make a difference in the lives of others and in their communities.

The objectives of the NHSP are to:

  • promote volunteerism among seniors and other generations
  • engage seniors in the community through mentoring of others
  • expand awareness of senior abuse, including financial abuse
  • support social participation and inclusion of seniors
  • provide capital assistance for new and existing community projects and programs for seniors

The NHSP provides seniors access to important recreational and social programs and initiatives that reflect the current realities of seniors and senior-serving organizations. The program continues to empower and support seniors through specific program parameters, delivery and access to ensure their needs.

Since 2004, the NHSP has funded more than 39,000 projects, including projects related to COVID-19, in hundreds of communities across Canada. The total Government of Canada investment has been more than $850 million. Program funding supports community-based projects and pan-Canadian projects.

Community-based projects

Community-based project funding supports activities in which seniors are engaged, connected and actively involved in their communities. Organizations are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding.

As part of the 2024-25 NHSP community-based call for proposals, organizations were able to apply for funding that supports the NHSP national priorities for this cycle:

Priority 1: Supporting healthy aging, including:

  • addressing social isolation, including through supporting seniors’ digital literacy
  • addressing ageism
  • supporting mental health and seniors living with dementia

Priority 2: Preventing senior abuse, including:

  • providing measures to reduce crimes and harm against seniors, including senior abuse
  • developing educational material to prevent unscrupulous practices, financial fraud and scams from happening to seniors

Priority 3: Celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion, including:

  • promoting intergenerational mentoring and engagement
  • advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and helping to secure a better quality of life for Indigenous seniors
  • collaborating with diverse communities (notably by serving members of the following vulnerable groups):
    • have low income
    • are Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
    • are 2SLGBTQIA+
    • are Black or racialized
    • are members of OLMCs
    • are persons with disabilities
    • are immigrants or newcomers
    • are living in rural and remote settings
    • are at increased risk of social isolation due to factors such as being an informal caregiver or living alone
    • are veterans

Priority 4: Supporting financial security, including:

  • helping seniors navigate and access government services and benefits and providing support to file their taxes
  • supporting the financial empowerment of seniors

For more information, visit the New Horizons for Seniors Program – Community-based projects website.

Pan-Canadian projects

Pan-Canadian projects test and share best practices across the country and replicate approaches that have worked well in addressing seniors’ issues. Project partners work together to achieve measurable results to increase the social inclusion of seniors. The objectives of collective impact projects funded through this stream are to: 

  • build the collective capacity of organizations to recognize and address barriers to social inclusion faced by seniors
  • promote improved access to information, programs and services for seniors within their communities
  • support action research for increasing the level of social inclusion of seniors in their communities
  • develop innovative approaches to engage and retain senior volunteers
  • address systemic barriers that contribute to the social exclusion of seniors

For more information, visit the Pan-Canadian projects under the New Horizons for Seniors Program.

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