Evaluation of the New Horizons for Seniors Program, 2026

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List of tables

Table 1: Senior population and funded Community-based projects, by provinces and territories

Table 2: Evaluation issues and questions

Table 3: Quantification scale for interviews

Table 4: Quantification scale for surveys

Table 5: Examples of indicators that lack defined targets or present outdated targets

Table 6: Role of external stakeholders

List of figures

Figure 1: Additional funding to NHSP (2019-20 to 2022-23)

Figure 2: Total program expenditures from fiscal year 2019-2020 to 2022-2023

Figure 3: Community-based funded projects counts & applications

Figure 4: Distribution of beneficiaries from the project reported by Community-based organizations in 2022-23

Figure 5: Percentage of reported target vulnerable senior populations

Figure 6: Types of approaches used to recruit volunteers within the Community-based projects

Figure 7: Total number of volunteering and non-volunteering seniors who benefited from the Community-based project - by age group

Figure 8: Senior respondents reported taking part in social participation activities.

Figure 9: Respondents from vulnerable senior populations indicated having better access to community and services

Figure 10: Seniors benefit from participating in Community-based volunteering and mentoring

Figure 11: Benefits to participating seniors in Community-based projects - by percentage of contributing projects

Figure 12: Annual comparison of funded projects with capital assistance and projects funded under other primary objectives

Figure 13: Number and percent of projects reported to receive capital assistance from 2021-22 to 2022-23

Figure 14: Types of elder abuse addressed through the Program

Figure 15: Perceived reduction of barriers to social inclusion

Figure 16: Organization's level of satisfaction with the application process

List of acronyms

CIM: Collective Impact Model
CFP: Call for Proposals
CSGC: Common System for Grants and Contributions
ESDC: Employment and Social Development Canada
EWG: Evaluation Working Group
FPT: Federal/Provincial/Territorial
GoC: Government of Canada
GBA plus: Gender-Based Analysis Plus
GC InfoBase: Government of Canada Information Base
IFFS: Interactive Fact-Finding Service
ISSD: Income Security and Social Development Branch
MP: Member of Parliament
NHSP: New Horizons for Seniors Program
OAG: Office of the Auditor General
PIP: Performance Information Profile
PMEC: Performance Measurement Evaluation Committee
POB: Program Operations Branch

Introduction

This document presents the findings and recommendations(s) of the 2026 evaluation of the New Horizon for Seniors Program (NHSP), completed in compliance with the Financial Administration Act and the Policy on Results.

The NHSP, launched in 2004, is a grants and contributions initiative that supports projects aimed at enhancing social inclusion^{Footnote 1}, well-being^{Footnote 2}, and active engagement of seniors. The Program supports activities such as volunteering, mentoring between generations, social participation, raising awareness about elder abuse^{Footnote 3}, and provides capital assistance to augment program delivery. By supporting these activities, the Program seeks to strengthen community vitality while addressing the diverse needs of Canada's aging population.

This evaluation covers program activities carried out from 2019-20 to 2022-23, including both Community-based and Pan-Canadian funding streams of the Program.

Since its inception in 2004, the Program has undergone multiple evaluations, with its previous evaluation completed in 2019-20. The previous evaluation confirmed that the Program benefits both seniors and the communities where projects operate. It also found some evidence that the Program contributed to increasing various aspects of funded organizations' capacity to support seniors' initiatives in their communities. Challenges were noted, including limitations regarding the availability and type of collected data, the scope of refinements to the guidance for assessing funding proposals, and issues faced by some Pan-Canadian initiatives in building trust and collaboration under the collective impact model.

Building on these insights, this evaluation explores the Program's potential benefits to seniors and communities under both the Community-based and Pan-Canadian project streams, highlights the barriers to social inclusion, and the implementation of innovative approaches to engage with seniors. It also examines the potential effectiveness of funded projects in reaching vulnerable groups of seniors. The evaluation also addresses previous information gaps by incorporating seniors' perspectives. It also gathers lessons learned from funded projects and examines the Program's response to the pandemic within the Community-based stream.

This evaluation utilized a mixed methods approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative data from different lines of evidence, including a document/data review, key informant interviews, surveys of Community-based organizations and participating seniors (end users), case studies for the Pan-Canadian stream. Further details on the evaluation questions, methodology, limitations and mitigation strategies can be found in Annex B.

Executive summary

Key findings

The aging population and various health and social indicators related to loneliness and social isolation points to the ongoing need for this type of Program. Evidence also demonstrates that the Program remained relevant in responding to the evolving needs of seniors and funded organizations, particularly during the Pandemic
Evidence demonstrates that the Program reached vulnerable senior populations across both the Community-based and Pan-Canadian streams. Reported challenges continue to limit the ability of some projects from effectively reaching vulnerable seniors, particularly in rural regions
Community-based and Pan-Canadian projects contribute to increased seniors' participation in community activities by encouraging volunteerism and mentoring among seniors, facilitating social participation, and developing strategies to ensure seniors have access to information and services
Responses from funded-organisations and senior participants in Community-based and Pan-Canadian funded projects highlighted that involvement in volunteer, mentoring, and social participation activities contributed to social inclusion for seniors, including social connections, a sense of belonging, well-being, and quality of life
Projects that included capital assistance helped senior-serving organizations improve access to program initiatives by repairing physical infrastructure or purchasing equipment. Data shows a decline in the number of applications received and in the total funding invested in capital assistance
The document review, performance data and survey results indicate that increased elder abuse awareness through targeted initiatives combined with improvements in access to program initiatives contributed to empowering participating seniors and reducing barriers to social inclusion
While it is early to assess its effect on long-term sustainability, interviewed organization representatives reported that the collective impact model (CIM) implemented for Pan-Canadian projects has strengthened long-term collaboration among organizations, thereby fostering potential continuation of some activities beyond the funding period
The Program implemented delivery improvements, such as streamlined application and funding allocation processes, extended project timelines, and enhanced support to applicants, making the Program more accessible and equitable. However, some applicants still encounter challenges with application requirements and navigating the online portal
The Program has improved data collection, organization and document clarity, which helps inform program performance. However, data quality issues, lack^{Footnote 4} of program outcome targets and the limited number of revisions of these targets impede the ability of the Program to fully assess program performance

Recommendations

Recommendation 1: The Program should continue exploring approaches to help senior-serving organizations to better address barriers to seniors' participation, with a focus on vulnerable populations.

Alignment of findings to recommendation 1: The evaluation found that projects funded through both the Community-based and Pan-Canadian streams contributed to reducing barriers to social participation (Findings 7.1 and 7.2). While efforts were made to address challenges such as transportation, digital literacy, and access to technology (Finding 4.2), these barriers remain among the most frequently reported by vulnerable seniors, particularly those in remote and rural areas (Finding 3). These reported challenges continue to limit the ability of senior-serving organizations to effectively reach and engage these populations (Finding 3). Given the contributions of funded projects in this area, the Program would benefit from more systematically integrating support for these organizations, to help better address barriers that may impede the achievement of its objectives.

Recommendation 2: The Program should take steps to continue improving the performance measurement strategy, including the Performance Information Profile, and the associated data capacity and collection methods to better support and inform policy analysis, research and evaluation activities.

Alignment of findings to recommendation 2: The evaluation found that the Program has made notable progress in improving data organization, which effectively supported the analysis (Finding 10.1). In addition, the report identified opportunities to further strengthen the quality and reliability of data submitted by funded organizations. These challenges are partly linked to the voluntary nature of final project reports, reliance on self-reported data, and occasional difficulties in verifying information (Finding 10.2).

For the Pan-Canadian stream, the evaluation also noted that data on intermediate and ultimate outcomes is not systematically collected. While gathering information directly from participating seniors is not a Program requirement at the time of the evaluation (2024-2025), integrating their perspectives could enrich the performance measurement strategy and provide deeper insights into the Program's impact (Finding 10.2).

Recommendation 3: The Program should review the Community-based funding limit of $25,000 on projects to assess its impact on project scope, scale, oversight, and the achievement of expected results from funded initiatives.

Alignment of findings to recommendation: Under the Program, Community-based organizations and experts interviewed highlighted that the current $25,000 annual funding cap creates challenges for sustaining services and achieving meaningful impact. They noted that the short-term, capped funding limits project scope and scale, particularly in the context of rising costs. Notably, the 2006 early implementation review of the NHSP and subsequent evaluation reports confirm that this funding cap has remained unchanged since the Program's inception in 2004.

Program background

Program objectives and delivery approach

The NHSP (hereafter referred to the Program) was created in recognition that the participation of seniors in communities is essential to their well-being and to maintaining community vitality. The Program is aligned with the Government of Canada's overarching social goals of enhancing the quality of life^{Footnote 5} and promoting full participation of individuals in all aspects of Canadian society.

The Program provides grants and contributions funding for projects that make a difference in the lives of seniors and their communities. The Program objectives are to:

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

The Program is delivered through two funding streams: the Community-based stream and the Pan-Canadian stream.

Community-based stream: the Community-based grants, administered by Service Canada's regional offices, fund projects that help organizations address local issues and enable seniors to make valuable contributions to their communities. Funded projects are volunteer-based; supported by communities and inspired or led by seniors^{Footnote 6}. Funded projects are selected through annual Calls for Proposals and must address one or more of the five program objectives. Funded projects receive up to $25,000 in grant funding for up to one year through this stream.

Pan-Canadian stream is administered by the National Grants and Contributions Delivery Centre in the National Capital Region. Pan-Canadian projects are multi-year projects that among other innovative approaches use a collective impact to build community capacity and increase seniors' social inclusion^{Footnote 7}. The collective impact approach was adopted in 2015^{Footnote 8} and brings together multiple community organizations that work together to achieve shared results. This stream involves backbone organizations that provide overall coordination and funds distribution to collaborating organizations. Funded projects are selected through Call for Concepts and receive up to $5 million in contribution funding for up to five years.

Program financial profile

The Program's ongoing funding envelope is $70 million per year supporting both Community-based and Pan-Canadian projects^{Footnote 9}. The ongoing funding envelop reflects Federal budget 2019 announcement providing an additional $100M over five years starting in 2019-2020 and $20M per year ongoing for the Program ($15M to the Community-based stream and $5M to the Pan-Canadian stream). Subsequent funding announcements in 2020 and in budget 2022 provided additional temporary funding to the Program. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Government of Canada supported community organizations serving seniors through significant investments. In the Pan-Canadian stream, $9 million was distributed via United Way Centraide Canada to fund over 900 projects nationwide, while an additional $20 million supported more than 1,000 Community-based projects aimed at reducing isolation and improving seniors' quality of life. A Call for Proposals was launched in September 2020 to provide temporary funding, which was adapted to address the unique challenges faced by these organizations during the pandemic.

Figure 1 presents the additional funding to NHSP from 2019-20 to 2022-23.

Figure 1: NHSP additional funding (2019-20 to 2022-23) — **Figure 1: Additional funding to NHSP (2019-20 to 2022-23)**

As part of the $70M ongoing funding envelop, the ongoing annual budget for grants and contributions is $63.14 million, 71% ($50.04M)^{Footnote 10} of which was allocated towards the Community-based stream, and 19% ($13.1M) towards the Pan-Canadian stream. Remaining expenditures relates to personnel expenditures and other expenditures associated with the administration of the Program. Figure 2 provides an overview of the Program's annual expenditures, with differences between actual and planned expenditure reflecting in part the reallocation of unspent funding across Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) grants and contributions programs.

**Figure 2: Total program expenditures from fiscal year 2019-2020 to 2022-2023**

From 2019-20 to 2022-23, the Program spent approximately $237 million to fund 11,653 Community based projects^{Footnote 11}.

During the evaluation period, the Program supported an average of 2,870 Community-based projects^{Footnote 12} annually (as shown in Figure 3). Under the Pan-Canadian funding stream, 22 collective impact plans were approved in 2019-2020 to be implemented over five years from 2019-20 to 2024-25.

Over this period, the number of Community-based projects funded increased from 1,793 in 2019-2020 to 3,074 in 2022-2023. Over the same period, the review of the administrative database^{Footnote 13} also shows a commensurate increase in the number of funding applications received from organizations under the Community-based stream (except for 2020-2021). From 2019-2020 to 2022-2023, the number of funding applications received increased by 20%. Figure 3 illustrates the upward trend in both the number of applications received and the projects funded by the Program.

**Figure 3: Community-based funded projects counts & applications**

Program stakeholders

The Program is jointly administered by National Headquarters (NHQ) and Regional Offices. NHQ provides overall direction and guidance to ensure consistent delivery across the country. Regional Offices oversee implementation at the regional level, including liaising with NHQ, supporting local offices, managing regional budgets, and conducting quality assurance^{Footnote 14}.

The Program also works with external stakeholders, which include funded organizations that deliver initiatives aligned with the Program priorities.

In the Pan-Canadian stream, backbone organizations lead and coordinate collective impact initiatives. As a result, they manage federal funding and sub-agreements with other organizations, support collaboration, and ensure strategic alignment, accountability, and sustainability of projects. Collaborating organizations receive funding from backbone organizations through sub-agreements to deliver project activities.

Partner organizations contribute time, expertise, and resources without receiving funding or holding sub-agreements. They can represent various organizations (e.g., private sector, municipalities, provincial and territorial governments, not-for-profits, community organizations).

In the Community-based stream, funded organizations commit to implementing approved projects that provide initiatives addressing senior's social inclusion needs.

Seniors aged 55+ are the primary target beneficiaries of the Program. Other stakeholders include the National Seniors Council, which provides advice on seniors' issues, and Members of Parliament, who promote program visibility and connect local organizations. These stakeholders work together throughout the Program lifecycle to support effective delivery and alignment with strategic objectives. See more details in Annex C.

Evaluation findings

This section presents the key findings of the evaluation. The findings reflect available data sources, with seniors' perspectives included where possible. Some limitations, such as reliance on organizational self-reporting and partial representation in senior interviews and surveys, were considered in the analysis. Although the evaluation relied on convenience and purposive sampling to recruit participating seniors and funded organizations representatives, it includes input from diverse range of stakeholders and case studies across regions, income levels, type of programming, immigration status, racialized population, levels of disability, linguistic families and other intersectionality related to diversity. Limitations and adaptation strategies are outlined in Annex B. Throughout the report, case studies refer to the Pan-Canadian stream only and the term "interview representative' encompasses interviewees from backbone organizations, collaborating organizations, and project partners from the Pan-Canadian stream.

Relevance

Finding 1: The aging population and various health and social indicators related to loneliness and social isolation points to ongoing need for this type of Program. Evidence also demonstrates that the Program remained relevant in responding to the evolving needs of seniors and funded organizations.

1.1 Demographic trends point to a growing population of seniors, with a high proportion living alone

Evidence points to an increasing number of seniors in Canada and the associated issues, such as social isolation and barriers to community participation.

According to Statistics Canada, approximately 7.6 million Canadians were aged 65 and older on July 1, 2023, accounting for almost one-fifth (18.9%) of the total population^{Footnote 15}. By 2030, seniors (65 and older) could represent from 21.4% to 23.4% of the total population in Canada (Population estimates, July 1, 2024^{Footnote 16}).

The National Institute on Ageing^{Footnote 17} highlighted that nearly 19% of Canadian seniors reported experiencing loneliness in 2020. They felt a lack of companionship, being left out or isolated from others, while 30% of older Canadians were determined to be at risk of social isolation. Nearly one in four seniors reported barriers to social participation in 2019 and 2020, meaning they wanted to participate more in social, recreational or group activities^{Footnote 18}. Those who reported barriers to social participation (38%) were almost three times as likely to feel lonely as those who reported no social barriers (13%)^{Footnote 19}.

As noted by the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Working Group on Social Isolation and Social Innovation (2018) social isolation is linked to negative health outcomes, reduced quality of life, and loss of seniors' contributions to communities, including volunteering^{Footnote 20}. Certain groups of seniors^{Footnote 21} are at higher risk of social isolation, exacerbated by social participation barriers, such as lack of transportation, challenges in accessing services, or limited community programs.

The Program has adapted to the evolving needs of seniors by providing and improving the support for initiatives to serve seniors and helping to reduce barriers to social inclusion. Additionally, funding enhancements were implemented in 2019-2020 and 2022 to enhance organizational capacity to serve this demographic.

Furthermore, the Program's funding model appears to reflect an effort to adapt to the evolving needs of seniors by promoting nationwide coverage and inclusive access to resources. This is supported by spatial analysis using NHSP communities, developed in response to a previous evaluation and based on 2016 population data. Table 1 illustrates the distribution of seniors and funded Community-based projects across provinces and territories, highlighting areas with higher concentrations of seniors and demonstrating alignment between resource allocation and demographic need.

**Table 1: Senior population and funded Community-based projects, by provinces and territories.**
Provinces and Territories	Total number of projects (2019-20 to 2023-24)	Share of funded projects (%)
Newfoundland and Labrador	270	2.32%	1.66%
Prince Edward Island	122	1.05%	0.45%
Nova Scotia	407	3.49%	3.00%
New Brunswick	331	2.84%	2.46%
Quebec	3,012	25.85%	25.30%
Ontario	3,978	34.14%	37.48%
Manitoba	454	3.90%	3.24%
Saskatchewan	401	3.44%	2.78%
Alberta	989	8.49%	9.42%
British Columbia	1,512	12.98%	13.99%
Yukon	53	0.45%	0.10%
Northwest Territories	75	0.64%	0.08%
Nunavut	49	0.42%	0.04%

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 98-10-0131-01 Marital status, age group and gender: Canada, provinces and territories and federal electoral districts (2013 Representation Order); NHSP administrative database

Additionally, the extent to which similar programs are offered at provincial and municipal levels were not explored due to scope of this evaluation.

1.2 All funded organizations who participated in the evaluation emphasized that Program support was essential in enabling organizations to deliver tailored activities that address seniors' specific needs.

All interviewed key informants^{Footnote 22} (n=11) from funded Community-based and Pan-Canadian emphasized that the Program was instrumental in developing tailored initiatives that addressed the diverse needs of seniors by helping them offer adapted programming to seniors. This includes for example, creating bilingual resources and organizing virtual activities to facilitate access for seniors with reduced mobility.

Under the Pan-Canadian stream, documentation from all 8 case studies show that funded projects engaged seniors using a combination of outreach, program adaptation, and active involvement in planning and delivery. Some^{Footnote 23} interview representatives across case studies (4 out of 8), and documents reviewed under one of these projects, noted that certain projects involved seniors in governance and program design, for example through participation in consultations or on advisory groups. These approaches were said to increase seniors' sense of ownership of projects and the responsiveness of the projects to seniors' needs.

"The NHSP funding has been crucial in facilitating various programs and events specifically designed for seniors, enabling the organization to address their unique needs effectively."

"Without the funding, the organization would not have been able to meet the needs of the seniors."

Interviewed Community-based organizations

"NHSP funding fulfilled the need of seniors by supporting activities that allows them "to be seen, heard, and to participate in a way in which they feel valued."

Pan-Canadian organization interviewed as part of the case studies

Almost^{Footnote 24} all respondents to the survey of funded Community-based organizations^{Footnote 25}, 99% (962/965), reported that the funds met their needs for implementing projects for seniors. Across all Program objectives, an average of 95% of these funded organizations stated that their projects would not have occurred or would have occurred on a smaller scale, without Program funding.

All key informants (n=3) from Community-based organizations that applied but did not receive Program funding^{Footnote 26} indicated that although they were able to implement initiatives using alternative resources, the scope and scale of these efforts were on a smaller scale than initially planned. This demonstrates the complementary role the Program can play in enabling Community-based organizations to implement activities that meet the needs of seniors.

The Program was able to address seniors' evolving needs during the pandemic. The following section continues to demonstrate how the Program helped community organizations adapt their services to the needs of seniors and senior-serving organizations in the context of the distinctive challenges posed by COVID-19.

Finding 2: According to funded Community-based organisations, the Program enabled them to deliver projects that supported seniors and helped them reduce social isolation during COVID-19 in a flexible manner.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly worsened social isolation and loneliness among Canadian seniors. According to pre-pandemic estimates from Statistics Canada, 12-20% of seniors reported feeling lonely and 12-30% felt socially isolated. During the pandemic, early surveys showed these rates rose sharply to 29-40% for social isolation and 33-51% for loneliness^{Footnote 27}. These sharp increases underscore the relevance and the need for funded initiatives, such as the NHSP during this period, as they helped mitigate the social consequences of the pandemic for older adults.

During COVID-19 pandemic, the Program was allocated additional funding to support seniors. $20 million was allocated to the Community-based stream, funding a total of 1,008 projects, and $9 million to the Pan-Canadian stream. While additional funding in 2020 under Pan-Canadian stream is out of scope for this evaluation, the report notes how projects without this funding, adapted their services to meet seniors' needs during the pandemic.

In addition to the heightened social isolation experienced by seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic, many older adults turned to technology to stay connected and engaged. By July 2020, 88% of seniors were using the internet daily, 65% owned smartphones, and 72% felt confident using technology. These figures highlight the growing importance of digital inclusion for seniors. However, some barriers (e.g., limited access to internet, lack of digital literacy and confidence, insufficient support, and concerns about privacy and identity theft) continued to hinder seniors' social participation^{Footnote 28}.

Many^{Footnote 29} key informants from Community-based organizations (4 out of 9) reported that some seniors, particularly in remote and rural areas, had limited access to technology, the Internet, and transportation during the pandemic. These barriers posed significant issues for some seniors, affecting their participation and access to health and social services, especially in rural areas.

The document review indicated that, in response to these challenges, the Program provided additional funding to Community-based organizations and allowed them to use these funds in a flexible manner to better meet seniors' needs. This flexibility enabled them to:

transition in-person programs to virtual formats (e.g., Projects that provided digital devices and training to seniors, enabling them to participate in virtual events, maintain social connections, and access information)
provide grocery and essential item deliveries (e.g., food and grocery delivery, hygiene and cleaning services)
make phone calls to seniors who were isolated^{Footnote 30}
allow organizations to extend the project timelines beyond the original deadlines due to pandemic-related circumstances
offer health and wellness activities to marginalized members of community, provide classes, and workshops encouraging seniors to maintain their physical and mental health

Some^{Footnote 31} interviewed key informants from Community-based organizations (2 out 9) highlighted that the additional funding and support was critical for sustaining their operations and continuing service delivery during the pandemic. They reported being able to effectively adapt by shifting to remote and virtual formats, including live-streamed programming and online mentoring, which broadened the reach of their projects and enabled seniors to stay socially connected from home.

Among survey respondents from Community-based organizations who received funding related to the COVID-19 pandemic, 95% (97/102) reported that their needs, as well as those of participating seniors, were well met by the Program.

Under the Pan-Canadian stream, the evaluation also found evidence from the document review and some interview representatives from the case studies that their projects pivoted and adapted their programming (e.g., by reducing in-person activities and/or introducing virtual delivery) to enable ongoing offerings to senior participants. For example, some projects reported that seniors faced reduced transportation options during the pandemic, which the Program support helped to mitigate by enabling organizations to adapt their delivery approaches.

Reaching vulnerable senior populations

Finding 3: Evidence demonstrates that the Program reached vulnerable senior populations across both the Community-based and Pan-Canadian streams. Reported challenges continue to limit the ability of some projects from effectively reaching vulnerable senior populations, particularly in rural regions.

The Program targets seniors aged 55 and over including vulnerable seniors who face barriers to social inclusion. These barriers may decrease access to supports and services. Examples of vulnerable seniors can include those who are immigrants, low-income, women, living in a rural or remote areas, identify as Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized persons, members of official language minority communities, or members of the LGBTQ2+ community.^{Footnote 32}

In 2021-22 and 2022-23, project reports from organizations that received Community-based funding indicated that 74% of participating seniors^{Footnote 33} aged 55 and over were among the primary beneficiaries of Program funding. For instance, in 2022-23, among beneficiaries of funded Community-based projects, 28% were seniors aged between 55-64 and 47% were 65 and over. As shown in Figure 4, some beneficiaries are not seniors due to the intergenerational nature of some funded activities.

**Figure 4: Distribution of beneficiaries from the project reported by Community-based organizations in 2022-23**

A review of performance data in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 submitted by funded organizations under the Community-based funding stream^{Footnote 34} shows an increase in the number and share of projects targeting vulnerable groups of seniors (Figure 5). For example, in 2022-23, 71% of projects (n=1,622) focused on socially isolated seniors, up from 64% (n=1,485) in 2021-22, with similar trends for all other groups.

**Figure 5: Percentage of reported target vulnerable senior populations**

Among vulnerable populations of seniors, data reported by funded organizations indicated that highest proportions were for socially isolated seniors, seniors with disabilities and those with low-income. This result aligns with the findings from the survey of Community-based organisations where 86% of respondents (756 out of 879) reported reaching socially isolated seniors, followed by 79% (698 out of 879) for low-income seniors, and 67% (587 out of 879) for seniors with disabilities.

For the Pan-Canadian stream, all eight-case studies demonstrate that Program funding enabled projects that offer seniors a wide variety of tailored activities and programming, to support their diverse needs. Interview representatives (organizations representatives) ^{Footnote 35} reported that they enhanced existing programming and/or implemented new programming to better support seniors particularly, those facing barriers to social inclusion - such as, individuals living in a rural area, those low-income and/or culturally diverse seniors.

The majority of organizations who responded to interviews across the eight case studies and some senior respondents across 6 case studies^{Footnote 36} indicated that each Pan-Canadian project experienced at least partial success in engaging vulnerable groups, highlighting efforts to customize programming for specific subpopulations of seniors including newcomers, members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, and people living with dementia.

Despite those efforts mentioned above, project documents, as well as some interview representatives from four case studies and some senior respondents from three case studies, revealed ongoing challenges in reaching targeted populations, such as Indigenous seniors, those in rural areas, and individuals facing language, transportation or technological barriers.

Additionally, the majority of Community-based organizations (4 out of 7) stressed the need for consistent funding to address persistent barriers, particularly transportation and access to project venues, which continue to limit outreach and service.

"Transportation emerged as a primary challenge, particularly for seniors living in remote areas or on different land parcels. The project considered leveraging other grants to cover transportation costs, highlighting the need for strategic planning to overcome logistical hurdles."

Community-based organization interviewed

Program outcomes

Finding 4: Community-based and Pan-Canadian projects contribute to increased seniors' participation in community activities by encouraging volunteerism and mentoring among seniors, facilitating social participation, and developing strategies to ensure seniors have access to information and services.

4.1 Community-based and Pan-Canadian organizations developed approaches to promote seniors' participation in community activities by recruiting seniors to take on volunteer opportunities via various channels including volunteers recruiting friends/peers, e-mails, and social media.

Volunteerism is a key component in supporting the delivery of Community-based initiatives for seniors. To help organizations attract and involve senior volunteers the Program provided funding strategies that enhance volunteer engagement and help, particularly through targeted supports for recruitment and retention.

Performance data from 2021-22 and 2022-23 submitted by organizations who received Community-based funding points to various outreach approaches were used to recruit volunteers, thereby contributing to promote volunteerism among seniors. In 2022-23, the most common methods reported by funded projects (as shown in Figure 6) included volunteers recruiting friends/peers (71%, 1,637/2,299), social media (51%, 1,165/2,299), and email outreach (50%, 1,146/2,299).

**Figure 6: Types of approaches used to recruit volunteers within the Community-based projects**

Among Community-based organizations that participated in the survey, 76% reported implementing volunteer activities (730 out of 965), 690 reported that these activities would not have occurred, or would have taken place on a much smaller scale or with limited impact, without program funding. Furthermore, almost all of them (95% or 691 out of 730), indicated successfully meeting their project objectives, highlighting their capability to engage seniors through volunteerism. However, it is not possible to determine whether people would have volunteered in the absence of the Program.

Evidence from the selected Pan-Canadian case study projects also points to the implementation of volunteer recruitment strategies. Out of 8 selected projects, 4 used both traditional and digital methods such as advertisements, websites, phone calls, newsletters, and social media-to promote volunteerism.

Promoting volunteerism contributed to an increase in the number of seniors participating in activities.

Performance data submitted by organizations who received Community-based funding indicates that 57% of seniors (971, 051/1, 714,000) aged 55 and over benefited from projects as both volunteers and non-volunteers in 2022-23. This represents an increase of 31% from 2021-22 (n=742,949) as shown in Figure 7.

**Figure 7: Total number of volunteering and non-volunteering seniors who benefited from the Community-based project - by age group**

4.2 Funded organizations offered mentoring opportunities for intergenerational knowledge and cultural exchange, including digital learning workshops, financial seminars and recreational initiatives, contributing to senior's engagement in their community

Funded organizations are expected to develop projects that offer intra- and intergenerational engagement opportunities. These initiatives seek to enable seniors to share their knowledge and experience with peers and younger generations, fostering meaningful connections and ensuring that seniors feel valued and recognized within society.

Evidence from administrative data analysis of Community-based funded projects suggests that funded mentoring initiatives has increased over the evaluation period. Between 2019-20 and 2022-23, 32% (3,767/11,653) of all projects incorporated mentoring activities, with this proportion rising from 20% (n=364) in 2019-20 to 43% (n=1,308) in 2022-23.

Most interviewed representatives from funded Community-based organizations (7 out of 9) indicated that mentoring has emerged as a key objective under their project's organization. They emphasized creating opportunities for seniors to build technological skills (e.g. operating cameras and sound systems), enhance digital literacy (e.g., computer classes tailored for senior women), and participate in intergenerational knowledge and cultural exchange, particularly within Indigenous and multicultural communities.

Among seniors (end users) who responded to the survey, 61% (894 out of 1,472 seniors), reported having participated in mentoring activities. Of those, 56% (498/894) were mentees and 44% (396/894) were mentors.

Among Community-based organizations who participated in the survey and offered mentoring activities (505/965), 96% (485 out of 505 organizations) reported successfully achieving their projects objectives.

"We always create a committee of seasoned volunteer seniors as ambassadors to create activities, suggest ideas for presenters, bring ideas for outreach, and train other seniors to be mentors to new members. Seniors will plan topics for information sessions, workshops, financial seminars, virtual gatherings (for those unable to join), volunteering opportunities and mentoring activities."

Respondent to the survey of Community-based organizations

This upward trend in mentoring-focused projects is reflected in performance data submitted by funded Community-based organizations, which shows a 4% increase in overall engagement in mentoring activities from 124,912 in 2021-2022 to 128,561 activities in 2022-23.

Among the 8 selected case study projects under the Pan-Canadian stream, 3 have engaged seniors in mentoring through various approaches, focusing on intergenerational engagement, coaching activities, and peer support.

4.3 The support provided by funded organizations contributes to increasing opportunities for seniors to participate in their communities

Beyond mentoring, funded organizations have developed strategies to support social participation through a wide array of activities. These include physical exercises such as yoga, along with singing, drawing, painting, and cooking classes. An analysis of administrative data indicates that from 2019-20 to 2022-23, 86% of funded projects (10,004/11,653) identified social participation as their objective. The focus on social participation aligns with the experiences of seniors, as most seniors (end users) who responded to the Community-based survey reported engaging in various social activities as detailed in Figure 8. Yet, it is not possible to determine whether seniors would have taken part in similar type of activities in the absence of the Program.

**Figure 8: Senior respondents reported taking part in social participation activities**

Source: Survey of Participating Seniors (End Users).

Note: Respondents could select multiple choices, so the percentages should not be totaled.

The chart illustrates types of social participation activities reported by senior survey respondents:

most common activity: Recreational (e.g., sports, fitness classes) - 59% participation
least common activity: Spiritual activities - 18% participation
other activities include cultural and educational activities with varying levels of engagement
purpose: To show which social activities seniors most frequently participated in through Community-based projects

All Pan-Canadian case studies (8) showed that the projects enhanced seniors' social participation either by offering new activities or expanding existing ones. Effective practices in developing social participation activities included catering to different interests, empowering seniors through enriching experiences, and leveraging partnerships to broaden engagement opportunities. Examples of such activities included wellness programs, book clubs, and intergenerational initiatives.

"For me, it was the socialization and getting out of the house. I live alone, so getting out of the house, socializing with other people, and meeting people [is important]. And I really enjoyed the interaction with the students. I do participate in the sage committee volunteer activities. And besides the exercises, they have a lot of other programs, such as trivia games, cards, and I participate in those a lot, and I really enjoy that."

Senior respondent from the case studies

Community-based organizations who responded to the survey reported an increased capacity to support seniors' initiatives. Most respondents (86%- 833/965) indicated an increase in social participation of seniors, 82% (795/965) expanded their ability to provide activities/programs that benefit seniors, and 61% (588/965) developed partnerships/networks to support community activities. This was supported by the performance data submitted by Community-based organizations, where 83% of projects reported increased senior participation in 2021-22, rising to 87% in 2022-23.

Most of participating seniors (end-user) who responded to the survey, 86% (1,271 out of 1,472 respondents), reported increased involvement in social activities during their participation in the projects. Additionally, 80% (1,180 out of 1,472 respondents) indicated improved access to community resources and services, with immigrant, Indigenous, and visible minority seniors reporting the highest levels of improvement (Figure 9).

**Figure 9: Respondents from vulnerable senior populations indicated having better access to community and services**

4.4 Case studies suggest that existing Pan-Canadian projects contributed to enhancing seniors access to information and services

Five (out of 8) Pan-Canadian project case studies showed that projects broadly contributed to increasing seniors' access to information, resources, programs, and services to varying extents. Projects reviewed relied on different approaches and strategies, including utilization of traditional information sharing channels (e.g., posting on bulletin boards, community meetings and newsletters) and access to virtual resources. For example, one project created "Minute ads" on the radio to help seniors stay connected during the pandemic, while another developed a shared directory of community services and resources to facilitate information access for rural Francophone seniors.

Among the Pan-Canadian project case studies (3 out of 6), some participating seniors interviewed experienced improved access to information that not only helped them obtain services they needed, but also ensured they stayed connected, engaged, and empowered. A few interview representatives from funded organizations (backbone organizations, partners) across three case studies said that cross-promotion and resource sharing created a "snowball effect" that expanded outreach. Documents and several interviewees indicated that three projects developed virtual resources, while two projects engaged outreach workers to ensure seniors received information in accessible formats (e.g., virtual, in-person, phone) and through local channels.

Finding 5: Responses from funded organizations and senior participants in Community-based and Pan-Canadian funded projects highlighted that involvement in volunteer, mentoring, and social participation activities contributed to social inclusion for seniors, including social connections, a sense of belonging, well-being, and quality of life.

According to the Performance Information Profile, reducing barriers to social participation^{Footnote 37}, providing activities related to volunteerism, offering opportunities for mentoring and social participation, all contribute to social inclusion. Social inclusion creates the conditions for individuals to engage meaningfully in economic, social, political, and cultural life^{Footnote 38}, fostering social connections^{Footnote 39} and a sense of community belonging^{Footnote 40}, that enhance well-being^{Footnote 41} and quality of life^{Footnote 42}.

These outcomes are shaped by both material and non-material factors, including dignity, participation, and social engagement^{Footnote 43}. Evidence suggests that seniors involved in these activities reported great satisfaction, strong sense of achievement and purpose, feeling recognized for their contributions and being less socially isolated. In turn, these activities would be expected to support seniors' social inclusion, sense of belonging, and overall well-being.

Performance data submitted by funded Community-based organizations shows that, in 2022-2023, 84% (1,930/2,299) of funded projects reported that the greatest satisfaction of senior volunteers came from contributing to their communities, 78% (1,783/2,299) experienced a strong sense of personal success and achievement, and 61% (1,404/2,299) felt recognized for their contributions. Similar observations were reported by many (4 out of 9) of interviewed representatives from Community-based organizations indicating that seniors became more active and visible within their communities, often stepping into leadership or representative roles, especially when internal resources were limited.

"Among all the activities I have participated in, serving as a volunteer and mentor has had the most significant impact. These experiences have not only allowed me to contribute positively to the lives of others but have also profoundly influenced my personal growth. Through volunteering and mentoring, I have developed valuable skills, gained deeper insights into the needs of my community, and helped foster a supportive environment for those I work with. The roles have been transformative, enabling me to make a meaningful difference while also enriching my own understanding and empathy."

Respondent to the survey of participating seniors (end users)

Participating seniors who responded to the Community-based survey substantiate this finding by reporting personal benefits associated with their involvement in volunteer and mentoring activities as shown in Figure 10.

**Figure 10: Seniors benefit from participating in Community-based volunteering and mentoring**

These results suggest that participating in volunteering, mentoring or social participation activities contribute to positively affect seniors' social inclusion.

This is also supported by the performance data submitted by funded Community-based organizations in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, which points to the highest share of projects seeking to reduce social isolation (86% in 2021-2022 and 89% in 2022-2023) as shown in Figure 11.

**Figure 11: Benefits to participating seniors in Community-based projects - by percentage of contributing projects**

In addition, participating seniors who responded to the Community-based survey and interviewed seniors from five of the six Pan-Canadian case studies reinforced the connection between taking part in community activities and the positive results related to seniors' social inclusion, sense of belonging and quality of life:

social Inclusion: 89% (1,316/1,472) of senior respondents stated that funded projects enhanced their social inclusion, which helped reduce feelings of isolation. Notably, 86% (229/266) of low-income seniors reported feeling less socially excluded after engaging in funded activities
sense of belonging: 93% (1,364/1,472) senior respondents felt more connected to their communities, and 91% (1,333/1,472) reported a stronger sense of belonging since participating in Program activities
quality of Life: 82% (1,203/1,472) of senior respondents indicated that these activities improved their well-being. Relatedly, 90% of funded organizations who responded to the survey (871/965) reported that their activities improved seniors' well-being

The survey asked seniors how their participation in NHSP-funded activities made a difference in their life:

" Socialization, improvement in my physical mobility, decreased feeling of isolation and loneliness, helped meeting old friends and new friends as well. "

"Firstly, it improved our mental wellbeing by helping us feel connected with others. This in turn helped with our general health and decreased the feeling of isolation, especially as elders. Some of us are alone and this gave an opportunity to such members to participate and enjoy events that they would not normally do as single elders. So, thank you NHSP for the funding that allows us these programs and benefits."

"Felt a sense of belonging in my community, felt less lonely by making new friends and learned new skills. Work out sessions helped me a lot in feeling more active."

Respondents to the survey of participating seniors (end users)

"[The Program] gave me a sense of belonging - I made new friends and met new people. It gave me a sense of independence and improved my mental health. I am grateful. I picked up new hobbies and always look forward to times to volunteer for events and charity events. It gave me a sense of commitment and purpose."

Senior Respondent from pan-Canadian case studies

Enhancing seniors' access to information and services (as stated in section 4.4), contributed to reducing social isolation among seniors, especially for vulnerable seniors' groups. Five Pan-Canadian case studies (out of 8) reported positive effects. For example, in one of the selected case study projects, survey data conducted by the Pan-Canadian organization showed that 86% of participants felt less isolated, while another project reported a decrease in self-reported social isolation observed in the early stages of implementation from 24% in 2021 to 17% in 2024. Seniors who provided feedback to the Pan-Canadian case studies expressed confidence and pride in their contributions, noting that such opportunities helped provide a platform for seniors to voice concerns and contribute to identifying solutions for social connections.

Finding 6: Projects that included capital assistance helped senior-serving organizations improve access to program initiatives by repairing physical infrastructure or purchasing equipment. Data shows a decline in the number of applications received and in the total funding invested in capital assistance.

Program funding also aims to provide Community-based organizations with capital assistance to enhance their physical infrastructure, such as building, expanding, or repairing facilities, as well as purchasing equipment. These improvements are intended to strengthen the organizations' capacity to deliver program activities to seniors^{Footnote 44}

According to administrative data analysis, from 2019-20 to 2022-23, a total of 4,091 (out of 11,653) projects, representing 35% of all funded initiatives, included capital assistance projects. In 2019-20, 48% of projects (n=857) received capital assistance out of 1,793 total funded projects^{Footnote 45}. By 2022-23, the number of funded projects that selected capital assistance objective increased to 1,001. However, in terms of their proportion relative to the total number of funded Community-based projects, their share declined to 33% (1,001/3,074). Figure 12 presents trends in the number of funded projects that included capital assistance and projects under other primary objectives from 2019-20 to 2022-23.

**Figure 12: Annual comparison of funded projects with capital assistance and projects funded under other primary objectives**

The document review and all interviewed experts suggest that rising construction and labour costs have reduced the purchasing power of the available funding amount, which is up to $25,000. Performance data from available project completion reports (Figure 13) confirm that 47% of funded projects in 2021-22 and 39% in 2022-23^{Footnote 46} included capital assistance, indicating a decline in the proportion of projects with this objective.

**Figure 13: Number and percent of projects reported to receive capital assistance from 2021-22 to 2022-23**

Evidence indicates that capital assistance continues to play a role for some organizations. A few interviewed Community-based funded organizations (2 out of 9) indicated that capital assistance continues to enable meaningful infrastructure additions and improvements. These improvements include enhancing access to facilities and services for seniors. Additionally, among the 965 Community-based organizations surveyed, 25% (n=244) reported using capital assistance for building or repairing infrastructure, or for purchasing or upgrading equipment. Despite the findings, it is not possible to determine if these improvements would have taken place in the absence of the Program.

«Rénovation majeure de la salle devenue multi fonctionnelle à la suite de la rénovation. »

"Purchased specially designed 'bikes' to take people with mobility challenges and requiring wheelchairs for bike rides."

"We built a longer ramp for wheelchair patrons, as well as an automated door for easier access to the facility. We had a ramp before but not according to a standard code. This one is much better, and wheelchairs and walkers are able to safely enter the building. We appreciate the help of NHSP for accomplish this."

"Further deterioration of the building, which would not have helped, and the community would have had to do more fund raising to provide the funds for the project. By that time the roof would have further deteriorated."

Respondents to the survey of Community-based organizations

Finding 7: The document review, performance data and survey results indicate that increased elder abuse awareness through targeted initiatives combined with improvements in access to program initiatives contributed to empowering participating seniors and reducing barriers to social inclusion.

7.1 Community-based organizations helped raise elder abuse awareness among seniors through a range of initiatives, including safety workshops, and wellness activities.

Analysis of administrative data indicates that the Program provided funding to 1,692 (14%) projects to address elder abuse from 2019-2020 to 2022-2023. Of these, 11% focused on elder abuse as a primary objective (1,305/11,653) and 3% as a secondary objective (387/11,635).

In 2021-22 and 2022-23, funded projects primarily focused on addressing financial abuse, followed by neglect and psychological abuse, as seen in Figure 14. Activities implemented by funded organizations included:

one-on-one, remote, and group sessions aimed at helping seniors navigate electronic devices. These sessions aimed to improve digital literacy and covered essential topics such as fraud prevention and safe browsing practices
initiatives featured literacy afternoons, monthly community lunches, creative series, and workshops focused on elder abuse. These programs intended to empower seniors to identify fraudulent communications and protect themselves from psychological and financial abuse
wellness initiatives, including exercise classes, nutritional counseling, and mental health support, aimed to promote overall well-being and prevent neglect among seniors

**Figure 14: Types of elder abuse addressed through the Program**

Performance data submitted by funded Community-based organization suggests that, through these elder abuse awareness initiatives, funded projects collectively reached 550,902 individuals over two years, 233,376 in 2021-22 and 317,526 in 2022-23, representing a 36% increase in outreach.

Among Community-based organisations focused on elder abuse awareness and who responded to the survey, 93% (279/301 organizations) reported successfully achieving their project objectives, highlighting how these funded activities can play a role in organization raising awareness of elder abuse among seniors.

7.2 By raising awareness on elder abuse and improving access to program initiatives, funded projects contributed to empowering seniors with the knowledge to protect themselves and to reducing barriers to social inclusion

Projects aiming at increasing elder abuse awareness and use of the capital assistance, may have contributed to reduction of barriers to social inclusion, as indicated in the Program's logic model. According to program documents, reported projects sought to improve access to initiatives as well as seniors' safety, comfort and well-being, leading to greater social interaction. Moreover, among Community-based organizations who received funding for a capital assistance project and responded to the survey, 93% (226/244) reported that their accessibility improvements initiatives contributed to reducing barriers to social inclusion. Similarly, 92% (276/301) of organizations that implemented elder abuse awareness activities responded that their projects contributed to reducing barriers to social inclusion.

Seniors' perspectives highlight the benefits of these initiatives and their contribution to reducing barriers to social participation. Among seniors who highlighted physical accessibility issues and transportation challenges, respectively 93% (14 out of 15) and 84% (155 out of 184) reported experiencing fewer barriers to their participation, as shown in Figure 15.

**Figure 15: Perceived reduction of barriers to social inclusion**

Furthermore, among participating seniors (end users) who responded to the Community-based survey and who faced challenges in participating in community activities and took part in elder abuse awareness initiatives, 83% (135/163) reported experiencing a reduction in barriers to participation.

Finding 8: While it is early to assess its effect on long-term sustainability, interviewed organization representatives reported that the collective impact model (CIM) implemented for Pan-Canadian projects has strengthened long-term collaboration among organizations, thereby fostering potential continuation of activities beyond the funding period.

For the purpose of this evaluation, sustainability^{Footnote 47} refers to the ability of funded initiatives to continue operating beyond the Program funding period. This includes predictable funding that extends beyond short-term or one-time projects^{Footnote 48}, building strong partnerships, and promoting the exchange of knowledge and resources. These elements help senior-serving organizations maintain consistent service delivery over time.

8.1 The implementation of collective impact plans has supported Pan-Canadian organizations in enhancing collaborative efforts across sectors.

Under the Pan-Canadian stream, Program funding arrangements supports longer-term projects, allowing organizations to receive funding for initiatives lasting up to five years. This is supported through the collective impact model (CIM), specifically designed for the Pan-Canadian stream, which aims to enhance cross-sectoral collaboration between backbone organizations and other funded organizations by aligning them around a common goal of promoting social inclusion.

From 2019-20 to 2022-23, program documents revealed that 17 out of 22 projects implementing collective impact plans had been completed at the time of this evaluation relative to 9 organisations back in 2015-16.

Among all 8 selected Pan-Canadian case studies, funded organizations emphasized that this structured collaborative approach is essential for projects' success and long-term sustainability. However, given the funding period of the 8 selected case study projects, it is too early for the evaluation to determine whether the collective impact model supported the continuity of seniors' initiatives beyond the funding period. In particular, among selected case study projects, 6 were ending in the third and fourth quarters of 2024 and 2 in the first quarter of 2025.

Nevertheless, among the 8 selected case study projects, 2 interviewed funded organizations pointed to some activities continuing beyond the funding period.

As found through the selected case studies, the majority of funded organizations discussed only the "potential" for sustainability by outlining their intention to pursue specific sustainability efforts through various strategies, such as fostering ongoing partnerships, integrating initiatives into existing programs, developing sustainability plans and tools, and pursuing new funding sources. However, the extent to which activities will be maintained varies. Some projects aim to fully sustain activities (n=4), while others intend to continue delivering some components (n=3).

As well, funded organizations interviewees and document reviews from 4 case studies showed that many of the partnerships are anticipated to endure beyond the project's duration. To this end, some funded organizations interviewees from the 4 case studies highlighted that the combination of Program funding and the Collective Impact Model (CIM) reinforced their capacity to effective coordinate their efforts and collaborate with other parties in addressing the complex social challenges faced by seniors.

"Across Atlantic Canada, the (Pan-Canadian) funding facilitated the development of over 630 partnerships involving organizations from varied sectors, all aligned by the common goal of improving the social inclusion of Francophone seniors in official language minority communities."

"The Program's use of the collective impact approach and emphasis on community collaboration ensures that more organizations work together and build stronger ties in the service of seniors which helps lead to the implementation of more effective strategies tailored to the unique challenges faced by local seniors".

Pan-Canadian organization interviewed as part of the case studies

8.2 Although sustainability is not a core objective for the Community-based organizations, experts as well as interviewed and surveyed Community-based organizations have pointed out challenges to sustaining senior services due to reliance on short term and maximum funding limit.

The Program does not require Community-based funding recipients to plan activities beyond the end of their funding period. Interviewed Program officials noted that the Program Community-based stream focuses on short-term projects, typically lasting one year without a continuation plan.

Funded organizations and experts highlighted that the existing one-time funding model restricts Community-based organizations from developing long-term initiatives aimed at supporting seniors. In interviews with Community-based organizations, 3 out of 7 respondents indicated that the current grant funding model, which provides up to $25,000 for a single year, limits their capacity to implement multiple larger projects that could offer lasting benefits to seniors. For instance:

2 out of 7 funded organization interviewees^{Footnote 49} emphasized that the one-year timeframe is insufficient to develop and implement projects that will yield long-term benefits. This was supported by all the three experts consulted^{Footnote 50}
1 out of 7 funded Community-based organization and all interviewees from unfunded organizations (n=3) confirmed that financial constraints can affect their plans and implementation of projects
all interviewed experts (n=3) highlighted the insufficiency of the Community-based streams' maximum funding amount to execute projects in an environment with rising costs

One criticism we could make about this program is whether it would be possible to have grants that allow us to continue promising projects beyond a single year. While one year may seem sufficient elsewhere, that's not the case in NHSP. Also, I know that the $25,000 funding amount has remained the same for many years. Considering inflation, this amount is not much. Project coordinator salaries are increasing, so with $25,000...

Expert Interviewee (Translated from French)

"Yes, the funding of projects now has to be supplemented with more volunteers and fund raising. Costs have gone up for food, rental spaces and all other expenses but the maximum funding for this very necessary grant is still tapped at 25K."

"Additional funding is needed to continue the project for at least three years. The demand from seniors for this initiative was high, but we were unable to continue the workshops due to a lack of financial resources. To achieve meaningful results and reach more seniors, the project needs to become sustainable."

Respondent to the survey of Community-based organizations (Translated from French)

Program design and delivery

Finding 9: The Program implemented delivery improvements, such as streamlined application and funding allocation processes, extended project timelines, and enhanced support to applicants, making the Program more accessible and inclusive. However, some applicants still encounter challenges with application requirements and navigating the online portal.

9.1 The document review reveals that the Program used data and stakeholder feedback, including input from MPs and funded organizations, to propose and implement design changes in both funding streams.

According to the document review, the Program implemented several delivery improvements aimed at enhancing the reach of program funding and promoting inclusivity. These included adjustments to the funding model to ensure national coverage, updates to the assessment grid to prioritize vulnerable populations, and an increased emphasis on strong community support^{Footnote 51}.

In the Pan-Canadian stream, the shift from a Call for Proposals to a Call for Concepts streamlined the intake process; while extending project timelines from 3 to 5 years the Program also introduced a third-party funding redistribution model to support backbone organizations in achieving collective impact.

Evidence from the document review indicates that the Program used internal (e.g., lessons learned report from Pan-Canadian stream), external data (e.g., HUMA report) and stakeholder input (e.g., engagements with MPs and funded organizations) to inform program design changes and support 2019-20 funding request. Specific changes to the Program components of both streams are described below:

Community-based stream
- The Program used application data and final reports to inform outreach to communities that historically submitted fewer applications
- Ministerial memos showed that external data (e.g., Statistics Canada) and stakeholder input led to simplified application forms and the addition of new questions to prioritize projects for vulnerable and rural seniors
- Funding distribution zones were introduced based on Statistics Canada data, national priorities, and recommendations from HUMA^{Footnote 52} and the FPT Forum^{Footnote 53}, improving access and equity of funding distribution
Pan-Canadian stream
- Lessons from Cohort 1 informed Cohort 2's funding process, including a Call for Proposals that reduced application burden
- Cohort 3 benefited from longer project durations (5 years) with larger maximum funding enveloped (up to $5 million), based on stakeholder consultations and progress discussions

To further support applicants, the Program enhanced outreach and communication efforts. These included hosting information sessions, sending targeted emails to organizations serving vulnerable populations (e.g., seniors with physical disabilities or limited mobility, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, as well as 2SLGBTQI+ groups). Additionally, to address barriers related to digital literacy, language, and internet access, supports such as multilingual resources (e.g., translation to indigenous language), sample answers to clarify requirements, workshops on completing applications, and alternative submission methods were introduced. These efforts were particularly beneficial for smaller organizations and those serving remote or diverse communities. Interviewed organizations expressed satisfaction with the support received, and the Program demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement in delivery in both streams.

These changes appear to have improved the application process, based on direct feedback collected by the Program from funded organizations and stakeholders. According to Community-based organizations survey, an average of 87% (N = 842 out of 965) of respondents reported satisfaction with their experience of the Program's administrative process changes^{Footnote 54}, as illustrated in Figure 16.

Figure 16: Organization's level of satisfaction with: — **Figure 16: Organization's level of satisfaction with the application process**

9.2 Despite support measures, some organizations continued to face challenges during application process, including complex forms, online navigation issues.

Despite these improvements noted under 9.1, some funded organizations reported challenges at the application and program delivery stages. These included some surveyed and interviewed Community-based organizations expressing dissatisfaction with lengthy and complex applications, and difficulties navigating the online portal.

Within the Community-based stream, among interviewed applicants, 3 out of 7 reported difficulties with lengthy and complex application forms, navigating the online portal, and delays in funding decisions. These issues were further reflected in survey results, where 72% of Community-based organizations (694 out of 965) identified proposal writing as the most significant challenge-particularly for capital assistance projects. Additionally, 12% (120/965) expressed dissatisfaction with the time required to complete the application, and 11% (105/965) cited problems using the online submission service.

« Le défi est de compléter et d'amener tous nos arguments afin d'être admis. Les formulaires sont assez exhaustifs pour nous bénévoles qui n'avons pas toujours les mots justes pour justifier nos demandes. Mais nous y avons réussi malgré les heures que nous ne comptons pas. »

"We didn't receive an information on why exactly our application was denied or no one provided us with any insight as what we should do to make changes that might give us a better result."

« Avec les années, la demande de financement à votre programme est de plus en plus difficile à faire et en décourage plus d'un. Vous semblez oublier que les demandes sont souvent faites par des bénévoles âgés et que vos questionnaires volumineux en découragent plusieurs. J'ai rempli plusieurs demandes de financement et d'année en année ça devient plus ardu et stressant il ne faudrait pas oublier que ce programme s'adresse à des ainés bénévoles et pas toujours habitués à remplir toute cette paperasse. Merci »

Respondents to the survey of Community-based organizations

In the Pan-Canadian stream, 6 out of 8 selected case studies found similar challenges related to the application process and funding decisions. Additionally, 3 case studies pointed to the need for clearer communication and more consistent support.

"Some aspects of reports required detailed explanations (e.g., each sub line in budget), whereas others only broke down spending into a few categories (e.g., quarterly claim forms). We did not understand why certain items were under more scrutiny than others."

Pan-Canadian organization interviewed as part of the case studies

With regards to the Program delivery stage, organization representatives (2 out of 8 selected case studies) expressed the need for more consistent meetings of the Community of Practice^{Footnote 55}, and improved support.

Monitoring and reporting

Finding 10: The Program has improved data organization and document clarity, which helps inform program performance. However, data quality issues, lack of program outcome targets and the limited number of revisions of these targets impede the ability to fully assess program performance.

10.1 The Program provides standardized final report templates and has improved documentation practices, including clearer labeling and streamlined data collection confirmed through file and data review.

Document reviews confirm that tailored templates are proactively shared with funded organizations under both Program streams to enable data collection. Under the Pan-Canadian stream, a common final report template was developed to standardize data collection. The reports are expected to include output and outcome measures, as well as reporting on partnerships and sustainability of results. Tailored reporting templates and ongoing communication between ESDC and backbone organizations are being implemented to improve data collection and annual reporting efficiency. Cohort 2 (Call for Concepts 2019-20), consisting of 22 projects with project agreements up to 5 years, appears to further benefit from an enhanced performance measurement approach, with activity and final report templates provided from the start of projects, based on stakeholder consultations, lessons learned reports, and ongoing progress conversations with backbone organizations.

Under the Community-based stream, reporting templates includes key indicators, such as targeted populations, objectives, volunteer involvement, and demographics, enables funded organizations to document their completed activities and the reach of their initiatives.

The analysis of the current performance database of Community-based projects suggests that many Community-based organizations have the ability and capacity to track and report on their project results. In total the Department received 93% of final reports in 2021-22 (2,782/3,003), and 92% of final reports in 2022-2023 (2,831/3,074). However not all organizations submitted fully completed final reports, performance data indicates that 75% (2,299 out of 3,003) of funded organizations in 2022-23 and 77% (2,309 out of 3,074) in 2021-22, submitted a complete final report following the conclusion of their projects. They also provided progress reports when solicited. The Program began compiling performance data from Community-based projects' reports with two years of compiled data available at the time of the evaluation. These improvements allow for more systematic performance monitoring and will enable more refine analysis in future evaluations.

The Program has improved documentation practices, including clarity of labeling, and continues to enhance data collection methods by revising templates with GBA Plus-related fields and clearer questions, and introducing the Interactive Fact-Finding Service online submission form to streamline reporting and reduce manual processing.

10.2 The data review revealed limitations in performance data quality

While the PIP program includes performance measurements, the data review revealed several limitations.

Although the Program's Terms and Conditions mandate grant recipients to share information on results achieved for performance measurement and departmental reporting as needed, the Community-based organizations that receive funding are not obligated to complete every section of their final project report template, or to demonstrate how their project activities contributed to the Program's intermediate outcomes. If the Program could receive completed final reports for all projects of the Community-based stream, this would contribute to enhancing program performance measurement and reporting. While it is not mandatory for funded organizations, per the Directive on Transfer Payments to provide final reports for grants, the Department does enforce submission of final reports. However, various factors can hinder an organizations' capacity in completing their final report beyond the Program's control, such as limited resources, insufficient staff expertise, and time constraints, which sometimes can also lead to inconsistencies in the reported data across reports.

A common issue faced by grants and contributions programs is their dependence on self-reported data from organizations. In the Pan-Canadian projects stream, where final reports are mandatory, the significant dependence on self-reported data can lead to biases or generate an overly optimistic view of performance, which can cause difficulties in verifying the accuracy of the information provided.

The current clauses in the contribution agreement only allows the funded recipient to collect and report information on behalf of the seniors, collaborative and partners organizations, limiting the ability of the Program to contact participating seniors for direct feedback. This would be valuable in assessing the Program performance towards its immediate, intermediate and ultimate outcomes. Overall, this limitation affects the quality, breadth and reliability of the data collected from funded organizations, potentially impacting the accuracy of project reporting.

While the evaluation was successful in gathering information from participating seniors and in part address this data gap, limitations remain in fully assessing the extent to which the Program influences seniors' social inclusion and, consequently, their quality of life and well-being.

10.3 The targets in the Program's PIP are not periodically revised for the Community-based stream and incomplete for the Pan-Canadian stream. Furthermore, the Program's zone designations are also out of date.

The Program's performance indicators outlined in the Performance Information Profile (PIP) include targets set for fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21. Targets for the Community-based stream did not reflect changes to the Program's scope including its increased budget and number of funded projects observed over the evaluation period (see detailed example in Table 5 - Annex B.) Additionally, for several outcome-level indicators, including the number of senior beneficiaries reporting increased social participation and the inclusion of vulnerable populations, their targets remain the same over the evaluation period.

For the Pan-Canadian stream, the PIP does not have established targets dates. This limits the Program's ability to consistently track progress over time or compare current performance against defined targets.

Given limited use of targets, the Program will have difficulty determining long term progress for many of the outcomes referred to in the logic model. For example, what percentages of participating seniors are expected to experience reduced barriers to support their social inclusion? What percentage of projects are expected to be sustained after the funding period? Having these documented percentages and results will allow the Program to assess results against targets on an annual basis.

Finally, the Program zone designations used for funding allocation are based on the 2016 Census data, which may less accurately reflect the current distribution and demographic realities of seniors, limiting the Program's ability to fully respond to actual needs.

Management response and action plan

Overall management response

Thank you to all members of the Evaluation Advisory Committee and the Evaluation Working Group for their valuable contributions to this evaluation of the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP).

Launched in 2004, the NHSP supports the Government of Canada's overarching goals to enhance the quality of life and promote the full participation of individuals, including seniors, in all aspects of Canadian society by supporting projects that engage seniors and address seniors' issues. It supports the Department of Employment and Social Development's (ESDC) core responsibility of social development, which aims to increase inclusion and opportunities for the full participation of Canadians in their communities.

The NHSP is a grants and contributions program that supports projects aimed at increasing the social inclusion and wellbeing of seniors and combatting social isolation. Evidence of the need to combat social isolation has never been stronger. Studies have shown the health risks from social isolation are comparable to smoking daily, excessive drinking and obesity. This evaluation's findings show that NHSP is helping organizations combat social isolation. In so doing, the Program is having a positive impact on the lives of seniors, the organizations that serve them, and their communities.

The Program supports the role that communities and not-for-profit organizations play in helping seniors' wellbeing and providing these organizations with the tools and skills to respond to current and emerging issues. By supporting a variety of activities under both streams, the Program seeks to strengthen communities while addressing the diverse needs of Canada's aging population.

Community-based grants are supported by communities, inspired or led by seniors, and often volunteer-based. Pan-Canadian projects are generally multi-year contributions, and address the social inclusion of seniors through partnerships, and through the engagement and contributions of seniors themselves.

The evaluation explores how the Program benefits seniors and communities, identifies barriers to social inclusion that may have an impact on the Program and its beneficiaries, and explores the implementation of innovative approaches. The key findings presented in the evaluation indicate that the Program is working well towards achieving its intended outcomes and help identify areas where improvements can be made. Evidence demonstrates that the Program remains relevant and responsive to seniors and the organizations that serve them, particularly during the pandemic.

Projects under both streams are increasing social participation and social inclusion of seniors.

The evaluation report includes three recommendations which management supports, though it notes that actions are already underway to address these recommendations since the end of the evaluation period, in line with an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement.

The Program intends to continue to ensure that funded projects serve a diverse and inclusive range of senior beneficiaries and communities, while balancing the need for robust performance measurement, cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

The Management Response and Action Plan will be implemented by the Income Security and Social Development Branch and the Program Operations Branch, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders where appropriate.

Recommendation #1

The Program should continue exploring approaches to help senior-serving organizations to better address barriers to seniors' participation, with a focus on vulnerable populations.

Management response

Management supports this recommendation. It is pleased to note the evaluation shows that the NHSP was successful in reaching vulnerable populations, as demonstrated by administrative data, survey results and key informant interviews. For example, the evaluation finds that most senior survey respondents do not experience challenges that limit their participation in the projects.

Organizations reported challenges reaching vulnerable populations, and the report attributes this to barriers faced by seniors, particularly in rural and remote communities. Experiencing some challenges (in both streams) is to be expected, especially in implementing a complex approach like collective impact under the Pan Canadian stream. Some challenges are beyond the mandate of the Program, such as infrastructure like transportation and digital access. As the evaluation notes, many projects took place during the pandemic outbreak, response and recovery, and therefore had more challenges than most. In response, the Program sought feedback in 2021 from Pan-Canadian recipients on the challenges faced by backbone organizations leading the implementation of complex collective impact projects.

Management is committed to ongoing improvement and will continue to explore how barriers may limit some seniors' inclusion and participation in the NHSP and how it can more systematically support seniors serving organizations.

As this evaluation period ended in 2023-2024, some activities to address this recommendation have already commenced and are ongoing. For example, under the Pan-Canadian stream, while the 2019 funding call encouraged projects to serve vulnerable seniors, the most recent funding call in 2023 is supporting projects that exclusively target vulnerable seniors. Further, they were required to describe the needs of the vulnerable groups they intended to address. Organizations are expected to be aware of the barriers seniors face that may affect their ability to fully participate in the projects. Feedback and results from the current cohort of funded organizations is expected to further improve the Program's understanding of barriers facing seniors that funded organizations are serving.

Actions to address this recommendation will continue to be taken. The Program will also continue to recognize both the complexity of factors that contribute to vulnerability of seniors, as well as the challenging nature of the work that seniors serving organizations do in this regard. While taking action, the Program will aim to be consistent with the government priority to manage grants and contributions programs efficiently.

Management action plan 1.1

For the Community-based stream, ISSD and POB will continue to work in collaboration to explore opportunities to improve how the Program supports projects serving vulnerable groups, including those in rural and remote communities. This might, for example, include reviewing the tools the Program uses.

Planned completion date: March, 2027

Action status^{Footnote 56}: In progress

Accountable lead(s): Social Programs, Income Security and Social Development Branch and Program Operations Branch

Management action plan 1.2

For both streams, Program will continue to explore the barriers to social inclusion experienced by seniors and how funding recipients address these barriers by continuing to analyze existing information sources and exploring information gaps, including related to those in rural and remote communities. This might, for example, include leveraging the Pan-Canadian stream's Community of Practice to explore the issue.

Planned completion date: March, 2030

Action status: In progress

Accountable lead(s): Income Security and Social Development Branch

Management action plan 1.3

For the Community-based stream, the Program will look at outreach activities that could be leveraged to increase access for specific vulnerable seniors populations.

Planned completion date: March, 2028

Action status: Yet to commence

Accountable lead(s): Income Security and Social Development Branch and Program Operations Branch

Recommendation #2

The Program should take steps to continue improving the performance measurement strategy, including the Performance Information Profile, and the associated data capacity and collection methods to better support and inform policy analysis, research and evaluation activities.

Management response

Management supports this recommendation. It would also note that the Program's existing performance measurement and monitoring activities already meets the departmental reporting requirements. The NHSP is part of the overall ESDC target setting process and reporting to Parliament regime, which is focused on outputs.

Management agrees that there is a need to continue to support funding recipients in fulfilling the reporting requirements, and is pleased that the evaluation acknowledged that the Program has made notable progress in improving data collection and organization.

Since an organizational realignment in 2022, the Program has identified and addressed issues with basic data collection and results reporting, ensuring a more effective and consistent collection and analysis of information on results. ISSD and POB have increased their collaboration and significant progress has been made in a relatively short time. The Program will continue to make improvements to augment client service and data quality.

As this evaluation period ended in 2023-2024, some activities to address this have already commenced and are ongoing. The Program has continued to analyze challenges related to reporting under both streams and has put in place mechanisms to improve the reporting approach. For example, under the Community-based stream, it has introduced statistical methods to improve data validity and accuracy.

Additionally, under the Community-based stream, the Program will continue to request final reports and explore ways to increase uptake and completion rates. The level of detail required will continue to be proportionate to the grant amount. Management is pleased that the evaluation acknowledges that final report submission rates have increased.

In terms of another example of work already underway, under the Pan-Canadian stream, a cohort of new projects began in early 2025. Contribution funding recipients are required to collect relevant performance data and to report on the results of their projects quarterly, annually and at the close of their projects. Ongoing communication aims to help ensure that these recipients are well informed of the expectations around high quality results reporting, and that they are supported in fulfilling the requirements. This is expected to reduce some of the barriers organizations experience in reporting on results, improve the quality of results reported by them and enhance their projects' alignment with the Program's goals and priorities.

These improvements have helped ensure a more effective and consistent dissemination of information to funding recipients about the Program's expectations around results and reporting. Management anticipates these improvements will lead to a more streamlined and effective approach in addressing the barriers to reporting effectively that funding recipients face. This will facilitate better performance assessment and also align the reporting processes more closely with the Program's objectives and priorities, ensuring consistent progress and enhancement of services. While there have been efforts and successes under both streams, management recognizes that the evaluation has recommended exploring further improvements.

The report identified the need to update the Performance Information Profile (PIP) and the Program agrees to take action to address this. Management is also aware of the possibility that PIPs could be replaced with an alternative tool such as Thematic PIPs.

Actions to address this recommendation will continue to be taken consistent with departmental requirements, while recognizing that the Program's administrative resources are limited and unfair administrative burdens should not be created for funded organizations.

Management action plan 2.1

For the Pan-Canadian stream, based on lessons learned of the previous cohort of projects, the Program put in place mechanisms to improve the reporting approach in time for use by the new projects identified through the 2023 call: a mandatory template for the final report, complementary customized activity reports, and an annual tool to allow the NHSP to collect information on progress rather than relying only on a final report.

Tools were provided to funding recipients at the beginning of the cycle, and organizations know who to contact for support.

This approach is expected to improve the consistency of results. In addition, it is being supported without increasing internal administrative costs.

Planned completion date: March, 2025

Action status: Complete

Accountable lead(s): Social Programs, Income Security and Social Development Branch

Management action plan 2.2

For the Pan-Canadian stream, leverage the Community of Practice to discuss performance measurement to support the current cohort and inform approaches for the next funding call.

Planned completion date: March, 2030

Action status: Yet to commence

Accountable lead(s): Social Programs, Income Security and Social Development Branch

Management action plan 2.3

For the Community-based stream, develop a methodology to improve data analysis.

Planned completion date: March, 2025

Action status: Complete

Accountable lead(s): Social Programs, Income Security and Social Development Branch.

Management action plan 2.4

For the Community-based stream, implement the developed methodology to improve data analysis.

Planned completion date: March, 2027

Action status: In progress

Accountable lead(s): Social Programs, Income Security and Social Development Branch.

Management action plan 2.5

For the Community-based stream, continue to explore how to increase uptake of submitting final reports online. Thanks to efforts to date, from 2022 to 2025, the submission rate increased from 86% to 96%. A higher online submission and completion rate would continue to increase the quality of data and save administrative resources, allowing more time for analysis.

The Program recognizes that the uptake of online reports may never reach 100% due to barriers beyond its control related to digital access (such as in rural areas) or digital literacy levels of personnel or volunteers completing the reports.

Planned completion date: March, 2028

Action status: In progress

Accountable lead(s): Social Programs, Income Security and Social Development Branch and Program Operations Branch.

Management action plan 2.6

For the Community-based stream, POB and ISSD will continue to collaborate to explore and reduce client barriers to completing Program reports and improve client experience. This includes continued updates to the final report template. The time-consuming nature of coding changes contribute to the timelines required for every update.

Planned completion date: March, 2028

Action status: In progress

Accountable lead(s): Social Programs, Income Security and Social Development Branch and Program Operations Branch.

Management action plan 2.7

For both streams, explore whether and how to update the Performance Information Profile (PIP) to address the issue of the Program relying on outdated measures, while following departmental direction. ISSD will lead this exploration while collaborating with POB and other branches as necessary.

Planned completion date: March, 2027

Action status: Yet to commence

Accountable lead(s): Social Programs, Income Security and Social Development Branch.

Recommendation #3

The Program should review the Community-based funding limit of $25,000 on projects to assess its impact on project scope, scale, sustainability, oversight, and the achievement of expected results from funded initiatives.

Management response

Management supports this recommendation. Policy work has already begun and is ongoing in response to stakeholder feedback that the current $25,000 maximum funding amount under the Community-based stream limits organizations' ability to address rising program costs and the complex needs of seniors, especially those who are at higher risk of social isolation.

Management recognizes that costs increased significantly during the time period covered by the evaluation. At the same time, many organizations have been facing increased demand for services from seniors who are also affected by rising costs and other social and economic factors. As the evaluation suggests, increased funding could be used by organizations for costs such as recruiting and retaining the staff they need to continue to deliver high quality programming for seniors. The Program also recognizes that not all organizations and populations are affected in the same way.

The Program will continue to explore options for addressing the recommendation, which will include considering possible scenarios and their impact, both positive and negative, on the Program and its stakeholders. For example, raising the size of grants without an increase to the Program budget would mean that fewer projects would receive funding.

Management action plan 3.1

For the Community-based stream, explore whether and how to increase the current funding maximum for grants, while examining the possible effect this could have on project scope, scale and the achievement of expected results from funded initiatives. ISSD will lead this exploration, while collaborating with POB and other branches as needed.

POB will lead the exploration of the possible effect that changes could have on the Service Canada delivery network, in collaboration with ISSD.

Planned completion date: March, 2027

Action status: In progress

Accountable lead(s): Social Programs, Income Security and Social Development Branch.

Annexes

Annex A – NHSP logic model

Annex B – Evaluation methodology

The five lines of evidence used for this evaluation draw on a mixed methods approach using qualitative data (e.g., document, file and data review, literature review, key informant interviews and case studies) and quantitative data (e.g., survey data and geospatial data). The analytical approaches used were based on nature and quality of the available data. This section describes each line of evidence as well as limitations encountered during the data collection and analysis phase along with the mitigation strategies used to address those limitations.

**Table 2: Evaluation issues and questions**
Issues	Evaluation questions
Relevance	How has the Program adapted to evolving needs of funding recipients and seniors? How has the Program addressed the distinctive challenges posed by the pandemic in meeting the needs of seniors and senior-serving organizations?
Performance (effectiveness)	How successful has the Program been in reaching vulnerable populations across Canada? To what extent did the Program achieve its immediate expected outcomes? What lessons can be documented from funded projects? Have the project's intended outcomes been achieved, and to what extent? How are they addressing the Program's intermediate outcomes? How do the funded projects impact individual beneficiaries? Are there long-term impacts and sustainability of the funded projects?
Design and delivery	Were practices in place for effective Program delivery?
Monitoring and reporting	Were the performance monitoring and measurement activities sufficient to support results reporting and evaluation?

Lines of evidence

Document review

The document review was used to provide information about the context in which the Program operated during the evaluation period and covered the projects in the Community-based funding stream implemented between 2019-2020 and 2023-2024. This line of evidence served as a foundational source of information to assess the effectiveness of the NHSP performance measurement and reporting systems as well as the Program's performance in achieving expected outcomes.

The document review included:

foundational documents pertaining to the Program's design and implementation such as speeches from the throne and budget, Treasury Board submissions, Terms & Conditions, Performance Information Profile, and program performance measurement strategy, among other sources, departmental plans and departmental results reports
projects files: a sample of 30 Community-based projects was selected based on a stratified sample to ensure that factors such as different seniors' sub-populations, project locations, funding amounts and the level of the experience and knowledge among of key informants regarding the Program were well represented by the selected projects (files). The project files include application forms and agreements, letters of support, assessment/screening grids, Regional Committee observation and recommendation tools (where available), progress reports, close-out summary reports, and final reports

Data review

The Program's administrative and performance data were analyzed to address evaluation issues such as whether the Program was able to reach target seniors population including underrepresented groups. It also helped to collect evidence on the progress towards achievement of the Program's expected outcomes. Statistics Canada's data were also used to contextualize the findings, notably the statistics on seniors' population in Canada.

The data review was conducted for the Community-based stream only. Performance data related to the projects under the 2018-19 Pan-Canadian Call for Concepts were not yet available at the time of this evaluation as these projects have a five-year timeline.

Key informant interviews

Key informant interviews were conducted to provide contextual insights into the Program as well as key stakeholders' perspectives on its implementation and results. The interviews supported the evaluation by providing additional details and informed opinions on the Program's design and delivery, and how it measures and reports on its performance. Interview questions also focused on how/whether the Program had met seniors' needs, the effectiveness of its funding streams, and how the NHSP adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 22 interviews were conducted with program officials, key stakeholders of both funding streams (Community-based and pan-Canadian), and experts with experience working with seniors.

Responses were quantified and categorized using the scale presented in Table 3.

**Table 3: Quantification scale for interviews**
Term	Definition
few	when less than 10% of participants have responded with similar answers. The sentiment of the response was articulated by these participants but not by other participants.
several	when fewer than 20% of the participants responded with similar answers.
some	when more than 20% but significantly fewer than 50% of participants responded with similar answers.
many	when nearly 50% of participants responded with similar answers.
a majority	when more than 50% but fewer than 75% of the participants responded with similar answers.
most	when more than 75% of the participants responded with similar answers.
vast majority	when nearly all participants responded with similar answers, but several had differing views.
unanimous, almost all	when all participants gave similar answers or when the vast majority of participants gave similar answers and the remaining few declined to comment on the issue in question.

Surveys

The surveys targeted two groups: organizations that received NHSP funding (funded organizations) and seniors who benefited from the funded projects (end users). The surveys were conducted to assess whether the Program addressed the needs of funded organizations and seniors, the challenges they faced, and whether and how participating seniors benefited from the implemented projects.

The survey was distributed by email to 5,216 funded organizations that received funding through calls for proposals between 2020-21 and 2022-23, including funding received exclusively from the additional investments in 2020 to conduct projects aimed at addressing specific challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of 5,216 organizations, 965 recipients completed the survey.

The end users (seniors) were reached by using a cascade survey system approach. 617 respondents to the survey of funded organizations who received funding from the 2022-23 call for proposals were encouraged to distribute the survey questionnaire of end users by email to seniors who participated in their funded project activities. 1,472 seniors from 223 funded organizations completed the survey.

Responses were quantified and categorized using the scale presented in Table 4.

**Table 4: Quantification scale for surveys**
Term	Definition
few	when less than 10% of participants have responded with similar answers.
several	when more than 10% but fewer than 30% of participants responded with similar answers.
some	when more than 30% but fewer than 50% of participants responded with similar answers.
many	when more than 50% but fewer than 75% of participants responded with similar answers.
most	when more than 75% but fewer than 90% of participants responded with similar answers.
majority	when more than 90% but fewer than 95% of participants responded with similar answers.
almost all	when 95% or more responded with similar answers.

Case studies

A consultant was hired to conduct eight case studies on Pan-Canadian projects as part of the evaluation. These case studies aimed to demonstrate whether and how the Program meets the needs of funded organizations and seniors, and whether it is effectively designed and delivered. These case studies gathered data from multiple sources, including document reviews, interviews with backbone organizations and collaborators, and interviews or focus groups with seniors.

The projects for the case studies were selected from a total of 22 Pan-Canadian initiatives, based on identified criteria, including project duration, amount of funding, number and characteristics of participants, number of partners/stakeholders, among others, to ensure their diversity and representativeness.

The following scale was used to quantify and categorize responses.

A few: <25%
Some: 25-49%
Half: 50%
Majority: 51-75%
Most: 76-90%
Almost all/All: 91-100%

Geospatial analysis

The spatial data review was used to incorporate a geographic perspective into the evaluation by analyzing the distribution of NHSP funding, project objectives, and participant numbers across different regions, with a focus on NHSP Zones^{Footnote 57}. This analysis provided both national and sub-regional insights into the Program's geographic operations. It helped assess the Program's reach, identify regional patterns or gaps, and support broader evaluation findings. This method was particularly valuable for visualizing trends in program delivery and participation over the evaluation period.

Additional literature review

A limited literature review was conducted in addition to the other lines of evidence to determine common approaches and best practices in assessing value for money. Following recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) 2024 Report 11, the evaluation also reviewed the Program's approach to assessing value for money and outlined potential best practices that could be considered by the department in the future. It was also used to inform the definition of some key terms used in this evaluation report to help with the understanding of the Program context and its contributions to the achievement of the intended outcomes.

Key terms and definitions

Social connections

Social connection refers to the presence, quality, and meaningfulness of relationships and interactions that contribute to a senior's sense of belonging, purpose, and well-being. In the context of this evaluation, social connection could be understood across Social Isolation, which is defined as " a state in which individuals report a low quantity and quality of contact with others, including a lack of communication with others. In addition, such individuals report a lack of community involvement, a perceived sense of loneliness and the absence of basic services". (Source: ESDC.ISSD (2021). NHSP Performance Information Profile, 10)

Sense of belonging

Sense of community belonging embodies the social attachment of individuals and reflects social engagement and participation within communities (Source: Statistics Canada. Community belonging (2016)).

Well-being

A multidimensional concept encompassing values such as dignity, independence, participation, fairness, and security, which are considered desirable outcomes for seniors (Source: Statistics Canada. A Portrait of Seniors in Canada (2006)).

Social inclusion

Social inclusion refers to circumstances in which individuals have the opportunity to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from economic, social, political and cultural life. In addition, social inclusion facilitates opportunities to enhance and maintain the well-being of all people.(Source: ESDC-ISSD (2021), NHSP Performance Information Profile, p.10).

Quality of life

In the context of seniors' social inclusion, quality of life refers to the overall well-being and life satisfaction of older adults, influenced by various social, emotional, and cognitive factors. Additionally, literacy skills are recognized as a critical factor in enhancing quality of life in today's knowledge-intensive society (Source: Government of Canada. (n.d.). A Portrait of Seniors in Canada).

World Health Organizations defines Quality of life as an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns (Source: WHOQOL: Measuring Quality of Life. 1998)

Quality of life (or well-being): The wealth and comfort of individuals based on both material and non-material factors that are important to people's lives, such as health, social connections and material comfort (Source: Finance Canada (2021), Measuring What Matters: Toward a Quality of Life Strategy for Canada Statistics Canada ).

Sustainability

In the context of the NHSP, sustainability can refer to the ability of funded initiatives to continue operating and delivering benefits to seniors beyond the initial federal funding period. This includes establishing long-term funding mechanisms, building strong partnerships, and promoting the exchange of knowledge and resources. These elements help senior-serving organizations maintain consistent service delivery over time. In reference to sustainability, the National Seniors Council underscores the importance of providing funding that extends beyond short-term or one-time projects, recognizing that organizations and initiatives require stable, long-term financial support to achieve lasting impact (Source: Report on Volunteering Among Seniors and Positive and Active Aging(2010), 21 and 35).

Evaluation limitations and mitigation strategies

The evaluation experienced some challenges with the availability of data, which had a minor impact on its ability to address certain evaluation questions due to limited evidence. Reaching seniors for direct feedback presents challenges as well since there is no tracking on individual senior participants available to the Program. The challenges and the corresponding mitigation strategies are detailed below.

Limited reliable performance data available

The evaluation found no program performance reports with aggregated data collected in the Community-based stream since 2018. Only performance data for projects implemented in fiscal years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 was available. Although multiple evaluation lines of evidence were used to address this gap, this limitation was considered when interpreting the findings.

The reliability of performance data is also limited due to its reliance on self-reported information. Final project reports are based on data reported by the Community-based funded organizations. The accuracy of the reported information cannot be consistently verified.

The targets outlined in the Performance Information Profile for fiscal years 2019-2020 and 2020-21 are now outdated and do not reflect the Program's current scope, including its increased budget. Therefore, these targets could not be used to assess progress or compare current performance with the intended goals.

**Table 5: Examples of indicators that lack defined targets or present outdated targets**
Program outputs and/or outcomes	Indicator	Target	Current target date	Rationale
Funded projects based on program priorities and objectives	Total number of New Horizons for Seniors Program projects that received funding	1,850	2019-20	Although the Program budget was increased in 2019 and 2020, the target date (2019-20) does not reflect this adjustment. This should be reviewed to ensure alignment.
Recipient organizations engage seniors through mentoring	Number of seniors engaged in projects to share their knowledge, experience and expertise	18,384	2019-20	This may not be fully aligned with changes in the allocated budget observed during the evaluation period. Furthermore, self-reported performance data by funded organizations is available for two years of the period covered by the evaluation (2021-22 and 2022-23) and the data collection and measurement strategy does not appear to be aligned with the indicator, and lacks direct feedback from seniors. Measurement strategy: Based on administrative data, count the number of seniors who participated in the funded project activities within their communities.
Social inclusion of seniors is increased	Number of senior beneficiaries who reported enhanced social inclusion	233,712	2019-20
Reduction of social inclusion of seniors	(Pan-Canadian stream only) Proportion of seniors who reported a reduction of barriers to social inclusion.	N/A (new indicator- target to be set in 2022-23)	2024-25	Establishing a target would inform the extent to which the Program is achieving its expected outcomes.

The evaluation mitigated these limitations by using multiple lines of evidence, including interviews as part of case studies with seniors participating in Pan-Canadian projects, and a survey of end users (seniors). Despite these gaps, the cleaned dataset still covered projects across all provinces and territories, including rural and remote areas. These data, combined with multiple lines of evidence such as document review, surveys, and interviews, provided a reliable basis for identifying broad program trends.

Outdated NHSP zones

The spatial analysis in this evaluation utilized NHSP zones that were developed in 2016 and based on 2016 Census data. While these zones provided a useful level of granularity for geospatial analysis, they are based on outdated data and do not reflect changes captured in the 2021 Census. As such, the data should be interpreted with caution. Explanatory footnotes were included in the report to provide relevant context.

Low stakeholder response rate to interview requests

The evaluation used purposive sampling to recruit interview participants. This approach may introduce bias, as participants are not randomly selected. Additionally, despite efforts to engage various program stakeholders, the evaluation faced difficulties due to limited responses to interview invitations. To mitigate this challenge, the evaluation team followed up with the stakeholders and/or made phone calls to recruit the right individuals.

For the projects implemented in the early years of the evaluated period (2019 and 2020), it was more challenging to identify key informants with the required knowledge and experience due to the time lapsed. Additionally, email addresses provided in the NHSP database were not consistently accurate or updated.

Despite this, interviews were deliberately designed to ensure representation of provinces and territories where most projects are funded or where ratio of seniors to general population is high, in both official languages, and a mix of rural, remote, and urban settings.

Key informants were selected for their high level of knowledge and experience with the Program, and included program representatives, backbone organizations, funding recipients, unfunded applicants, and experts on seniors' issues. This breadth of perspectives helps support the validity of the qualitative findings.

Survey limitations due to potential self-selection and non-response bias

Reaching seniors for direct feedback presents challenges. The end-user survey was administered online, limiting participation for those without digital access. Funded organizations also faced challenges in collecting and managing seniors' email addresses. Despite this challenge, the survey still gathered responses from 1,472 seniors linked to 223 funded organizations across some provinces and territories. These perspectives were complemented by 965 funded-organization survey responses, case studies, and interviews, helping to offset potential bias and providing a broad view of program impacts.

Potential self-selection and non-response bias also posed limitations. Since survey participation was voluntary and no demographic data was available for non-respondents, the findings may not fully represent the broader senior population.

The evaluation mitigated theses limitations by not generalizing the survey results and by using multiple lines of evidence, including key informant interviews, where some findings were corroborated by Community-based funded organizations.

Engaging senior participants in the case studies

Engaging vulnerable seniors in the case study process proved particularly difficult, as many faced barriers such as limited access to technology or discomfort with virtual platforms, making their participation infeasible in some cases. Despite efforts to offer flexible engagement options, these challenges meant that engaging marginalized seniors-such as those living with dementia-was not feasible. 6 out of 8 case studies were able to receive feedback from participating seniors.

Annex C – Program external stakeholders

**Table 6: Role of external stakeholders**
External stakeholders	Role
Funded organizations	In the Pan-Canadian stream funding recipients include: Backbone organization - leads and coordinates the collective impact initiative, initial recipient of and manages federal funding and sub-agreements, supports collaboration, and ensures strategic alignment, accountability, and sustainability. Collaborating organization - organizations that receives funding from and deliver project activities under sub-agreements with the backbone organization, contributing directly to the project's success. In the Community-based stream, organizations selected through a competitive process to deliver approved projects serving seniors. They may include not-for-profits, for-profits, or community groups etc.
Project Partners	Organizations that collaborate^{Footnote 57} with the NHSP funded organization by contributing time, expertise, and resources to support project delivery. They do not receive funding or hold sub-agreements and can represent various industries (e.g., private sector, municipalities, provincial and territorial governments, not-for-profits, community organizations etc.)
National Seniors Council	Engages with seniors, stakeholders and experts to provide advice to the Government of Canada on current and emerging issues and opportunities related to the health, well-being and quality of life of seniors.
Members of Parliament	Support program visibility by announcing funding, promoting projects, and connecting local organizations to NHSP. They advocate for initiatives that benefit seniors in their constituencies.
Seniors	Individuals aged 55+ who are the primary recipients of NHSP-funded projects.

References

Employment and Social Development Canada. (2021). New Horizons for Seniors Program: Performance Information Profile.

House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA). (2018, March). Advancing inclusion and quality of life for seniors (Report No. 8, 42nd Parliament, 1st Session). House of Commons of Canada. https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/421/HUMA/Reports/RP9727458/humarp08/humarp08-e.pdf

National Seniors Council. (2010). Report of the National Seniors Council on volunteering among seniors and positive and active aging. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2010/rhdcc-hrsdc/HS4-97-2010-eng.pdf

Statistics Canada. (2007). A portrait of seniors in Canada, 2006 (Catalogue No. 89-519-XIE). Minister of Industry. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-519-x/89-519-x2006001-eng.pdf

Statistics Canada. (2016). Sense of community belonging. Government of Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-229-x/2009001/envir/cob-eng.htm

World Health Organization. (1998). WHOQOL: Measuring quality of life. https://www.who.int/tools/whoqol/whoqol-bref

Department of Finance Canada. (2021, April 19). Measuring what matters: Toward a quality of life strategy for Canada. Government of Canada. /content/canadasite/en/department-finance/services/publications/measuring-what-matters-toward-quality-life-strategy-canada.html

Statistics Canada. (2024, September 25). Canada's population estimates: Age and gender, July 1, 2024. The Daily. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240925/dq240925a-eng.htm

Office of the Auditor General of Canada. (2024, December). Report 11-Programs to assist seniors (2024 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of Canada, Reports 8 to 12). https://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_202412_11_e_44594.html

Thompson, C., Morris, D., & Bird, S. (2022). Evaluation of the Improving Social Connectedness of Older Australians project pilot: Informing future policy considerations. Centre for Health Service Development, Australian Health Services Research Institute, University of Wollongong. Evaluation of the Improving Social Connectedness of Older Australians project pilot: Informing future policy considerations

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Social inclusion refers to circumstances in which individuals have the opportunity to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from economic, social, political and cultural life. In addition, social inclusion facilitates opportunities to enhance and maintain the well-being of all people. ESDC-ISSD (2021), NHSP Performance Information Profile, p.10

Return to footnote 1 referrer

Footnote 2

Well-being refers to a multidimensional concept encompassing values such as dignity, independence, participation, fairness, and security, which are considered desirable outcomes for seniors (Source: Statistics Canada. A Portrait of Seniors in Canada (2006)).

Return to footnote 2 referrer

Footnote 3

Preventing elder abuse and fraud involves protecting seniors from harm, exploitation, and financial crimes. This includes measures to reduce crime and other forms of harm against seniors, as well as promoting financial empowerment to lower vulnerability to abuse and fraud.

Return to footnote 3 referrer

Footnote 4

Lack of program outcome targets relates to the pan-Canadian stream. According to PIP, the targets were set to be established for the fiscal year 2022-23. Also, the Program outcome targets for the Community-based are outdated.

Return to footnote 4 referrer

Footnote 5

World Health Organizations defines Quality of Life as an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns. Retrieved from WHOQOL: Measuring Quality of Life. 1998

Quality of Life (or well-being): The wealth and comfort of individuals based on both material and non-material factors that are important to people's lives, such as health, social connections and material comfort. Retrieve from Measuring What Matters: Toward a Quality of Life Strategy for Canada Statistics Canada (2021).

Return to footnote 5 referrer

Footnote 6

GC InfoBase - Infographic for New Horizons for Seniors Program

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Footnote 7

ibid

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Footnote 8

The Collective Impact Model is the commitment of a group of important actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem, using a structured form of collaboration: common agenda, shared measurement system, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication.

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Footnote 9

Before 2019, the Program annual budget was $50 million ($35.04 million for Community-based grants, $8.1 million for Pan-Canadian grants and contributions and $6.86 million for the administration of the Program).

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Footnote 10

Baseline funding has been increased to $50M, there is variability each year in the Community-Based stream, the incremental difference changes from year to year.

Return to footnote 10 referrer

Footnote 11

Source: Administrative database of 11,653 funded Community-Based projects, including the additional projects funded during the pandemic in 2020-21 (n= 1,008) as shown in figure 4 below.

Note: the total Program spending (of $ 237 million) between 2019-20 and 2022-23 include the additional funding of $20 million in 2020-21 allocated to projects that aim to address Covid-19 challenges.

Return to footnote 11 referrer

Footnote 12

A total of 848 projects that received $5,000 in grants during the first two years of the evaluation period, including 369 in 2019-20 and 479 in 2020-21 are out of scope.

Return to footnote 12 referrer

Footnote 13

The administrative database comprises the dataset derived from applications received through the Call for Proposals process.

Return to footnote 13 referrer

Footnote 14

NHSP Community-based projects Operational Directives - August 2019

Return to footnote 14 referrer

Footnote 15

Statistics Canada (2025, September 24). Population estimates on July 1, 2025

Return to footnote 15 referrer

Footnote 16

Statistics Canada. (2024, September 23). The older people are all right. StatsCAN Plus. https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/7059-older-people-are-all-right

Return to footnote 16 referrer

Footnote 17

socialisolationreport-final1.pdf

Return to footnote 17 referrer

Footnote 18

Statistics Canada. A look at loneliness among seniors. November 6, 2023. Available at: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/4881-look-loneliness-among-seniors.

Return to footnote 18 referrer

Footnote 19

Ibid

Return to footnote 19 referrer

Footnote 20

Government of Canada. Social isolation of seniors - Volume 1: Understanding the issue and finding solutions. Employment and Social Development Canada. Available at: /content/canadasite/en/employment-social-development/corporate/seniors-forum-federal-provincial-territorial/social-isolation-toolkit-vol1.html.

Return to footnote 20 referrer

Footnote 21

Government of Canada. Social isolation of seniors: A Focus on New Immigrant and Refugee Seniors in Canada. Employment and Social Development Canada. Available at: /content/canadasite/content/dam/canada/employment-social-development/corporate/seniors/forum/social-isolation-immigrant-refugee/social-isolation-immigrant-refugee-seniors-EN.pdf

Return to footnote 21 referrer

Footnote 22

Nine Community-based organizations and two Pan-Canadian backbone organizations were part of the key informant interviews (KIIs). Organizations interviewed as part of the Pan-Canadian case studies are not included.

Return to footnote 22 referrer

Footnote 23

Refer to Annex B for the scale used in the case studies

Return to footnote 23 referrer

Footnote 24

Refer to Annex B for the scale used in the surveys

Return to footnote 24 referrer

Footnote 25

This high percentage may be influenced by self-selection bias, as organizations with higher levels of satisfaction may have been more likely to respond. The findings may not fully reflect the broader population.

Return to footnote 25 referrer

Footnote 26

Unfunded applicants are organizations who submitted eligible applications but did not get funded due to insufficient funding being available.

Return to footnote 26 referrer

Footnote 27

The Impact of Internet Connectivity and Technological Tools on Reducing Seniors' Social Isolation and Loneliness During the Pandemic and Beyond. Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors Forum. Retrieved from /content/canadasite/en/employment-social-development/corporate/seniors-forum-federal-provincial-territorial/impact-internet-report.html

Return to footnote 27 referrer

Footnote 28

Ibid

Return to footnote 28 referrer

Footnote 29

When nearly 50% of participants responded with similar answers. Refer to Annex B for the scale used in the key informant interviews analysis

Return to footnote 29 referrer

Footnote 30

Question Period Card, How does the New Horizons for Seniors Program Community-based stream support Canadian seniors and their communities? 2023.

Return to footnote 30 referrer

Footnote 31

When more than 20% but significantly fewer than 50% of participants responded with similar answers.

Return to footnote 31 referrer

Footnote 32

ESDC-ISSD (2021), NHSP Performance Information Profile, p.41

Return to footnote 32 referrer

Footnote 33

Seniors are considered beneficiaries of the projects, as they participate in activities but in this example, they do not serve in volunteer roles.

Return to footnote 33 referrer

Footnote 34

Performance data (projects final report submitted by the funded organizations) is available for only two of the four years covered by the evaluation, and the absence of targets/outdated target dates further limits the analysis; therefore, findings should be interpreted with these constraints in consideration in this report.

Return to footnote 34 referrer

Footnote 35

Throughout the report, the term 'interview representatives' refers to representatives from backbone organizations, collaborating organizations, and project partners from the pan-Canadian stream.

Return to footnote 35 referrer

Footnote 36

Among the 8 selected six case study projects, 6 received feedback directly from seniors' respondents

Return to footnote 36 referrer

Footnote 37

Reduction of barriers to social participation refers to efforts aimed at removing physical, social, institutional, and informational obstacles that prevent individuals, especially those from vulnerable groups, from fully engaging in community life, including civic, economic, cultural, and social activities

Return to footnote 37 referrer

Footnote 38

ESDC.ISSD (2021). NHSP Performance Information Profile, 10, 16

Return to footnote 38 referrer

Footnote 39

Social Connection refers to the presence, quality, and meaningfulness of relationships and interactions that contribute to a senior's sense of belonging, purpose, and well-being. In the context of this evaluation, social connection could be understood across Social Isolation, which is defined as " a state in which individuals report a low quantity and quality of contact with others, including a lack of communication with others. In addition, such individuals report a lack of community involvement, a perceived sense of loneliness and the absence of basic services". (Source: ESDC.ISSD (2021). NHSP Performance Information Profile, 10)

Return to footnote 39 referrer

Footnote 40

Sense of community belonging embodies the social attachment of individuals and reflects social engagement and participation within communities (Source: Statistics Canada. Community belonging (2016)).

Return to footnote 40 referrer

Footnote 41

Return to footnote 41 referrer

Footnote 42

Return to footnote 42 referrer

Footnote 43

ibid

Return to footnote 43 referrer

Footnote 44

ESDC-ISSD (2021), NHSP Performance Information Profile, p.15

Return to footnote 44 referrer

Footnote 45

Note: A single project may address multiple objectives. Therefore, the total count of objectives achieved does not correspond to the number of funded projects, which is reported separately (1,793 in 2019-20).

Return to footnote 45 referrer

Footnote 46

Note: Performance data is collected after program completion. Some responses may contain errors, and projects may have adjusted their objectives during implementation (e.g., adding or removing capital assistance as an objective).

Return to footnote 46 referrer

Footnote 47

The concept of Sustainability is not part of program PIP. The definition used in the report was based on limited literature review.

Return to footnote 47 referrer

Footnote 48

In reference to sustainability, the National Seniors Council underscores the importance of providing funding that extends beyond short-term or one-time projects, recognizing that organizations and initiatives require stable, long-term financial support to achieve lasting impact " (Source: Report on Volunteering Among Seniors and Positive and Active Aging(2010), p. 21 and 35.)

Return to footnote 48 referrer

Footnote 49

These responses are from interviewees in the Community-based stream and do not include COVID-funded projects.

Return to footnote 49 referrer

Footnote 50

Experts are current members of a Research Chair or a Council focused on seniors' issues.

Return to footnote 50 referrer

Footnote 51

The Program modified its funding allocation parameters in 2020-2023 to ensure that all 411 NHSP zones in the country received financial support. It evaluated applications based on their alignment with NHSP objectives, emphasizing equity by prioritizing vulnerable populations, remote regions, and new organizations. Each of these criteria received a 10% score increase to boost their chances of funding. Assessment standards were adjusted to facilitate access for Territories.

Return to footnote 51 referrer

Footnote 52

Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. *Report 8*. 42nd Parliament, 1st Session (Sept., 2025).https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/HUMA/report-8.

Return to footnote 52 referrer

Footnote 53

Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors Forum.

Return to footnote 53 referrer

Footnote 54

Additional information from the Program includes the recent years of client satisfaction survey conducted on NHSP showed high % of orgs reported ease of application (71% and 78%).

Return to footnote 54 referrer

Footnote 55

Community of Practice (CoP) meetings are led by the Program with an objective of supporting backbone organizations in implementation of the project.

Return to footnote 55 referrer

Footnote 56

At the time of evaluation approval

Return to footnote 56 referrer

Footnote 57

NHSP Zone is a geographic area created by grouping Statistics Canada Dissemination Areas based on the proportion of seniors in the population based on 2016 Census. Each Zone represents a community of about 25,000 seniors (except in the Territories) and is used to support equitable funding distribution across regions.

Return to footnote 57 referrer

Page details

2026-07-13

Evaluation of the New Horizons for Seniors Program, 2026

On this page

Alternate formats

List of tables

List of figures

List of acronyms

Introduction

Executive summary

Key findings

Recommendations

Program background

Program objectives and delivery approach

Program financial profile

Program stakeholders

Evaluation findings

Relevance

Finding 1: The aging population and various health and social indicators related to loneliness and social isolation points to ongoing need for this type of Program. Evidence also demonstrates that the Program remained relevant in responding to the evolving needs of seniors and funded organizations.

1.1 Demographic trends point to a growing population of seniors, with a high proportion living alone

1.2 All funded organizations who participated in the evaluation emphasized that Program support was essential in enabling organizations to deliver tailored activities that address seniors' specific needs.

Finding 2: According to funded Community-based organisations, the Program enabled them to deliver projects that supported seniors and helped them reduce social isolation during COVID-19 in a flexible manner.

Reaching vulnerable senior populations

Program outcomes

4.1 Community-based and Pan-Canadian organizations developed approaches to promote seniors' participation in community activities by recruiting seniors to take on volunteer opportunities via various channels including volunteers recruiting friends/peers, e-mails, and social media.

4.2 Funded organizations offered mentoring opportunities for intergenerational knowledge and cultural exchange, including digital learning workshops, financial seminars and recreational initiatives, contributing to senior's engagement in their community

4.3 The support provided by funded organizations contributes to increasing opportunities for seniors to participate in their communities

4.4 Case studies suggest that existing Pan-Canadian projects contributed to enhancing seniors access to information and services

Finding 7: The document review, performance data and survey results indicate that increased elder abuse awareness through targeted initiatives combined with improvements in access to program initiatives contributed to empowering participating seniors and reducing barriers to social inclusion.

7.1 Community-based organizations helped raise elder abuse awareness among seniors through a range of initiatives, including safety workshops, and wellness activities.

7.2 By raising awareness on elder abuse and improving access to program initiatives, funded projects contributed to empowering seniors with the knowledge to protect themselves and to reducing barriers to social inclusion

8.1 The implementation of collective impact plans has supported Pan-Canadian organizations in enhancing collaborative efforts across sectors.

8.2 Although sustainability is not a core objective for the Community-based organizations, experts as well as interviewed and surveyed Community-based organizations have pointed out challenges to sustaining senior services due to reliance on short term and maximum funding limit.

Program design and delivery

9.1 The document review reveals that the Program used data and stakeholder feedback, including input from MPs and funded organizations, to propose and implement design changes in both funding streams.

9.2 Despite support measures, some organizations continued to face challenges during application process, including complex forms, online navigation issues.

Monitoring and reporting

Finding 10: The Program has improved data organization and document clarity, which helps inform program performance. However, data quality issues, lack of program outcome targets and the limited number of revisions of these targets impede the ability to fully assess program performance.

10.1 The Program provides standardized final report templates and has improved documentation practices, including clearer labeling and streamlined data collection confirmed through file and data review.

10.2 The data review revealed limitations in performance data quality

10.3 The targets in the Program's PIP are not periodically revised for the Community-based stream and incomplete for the Pan-Canadian stream. Furthermore, the Program's zone designations are also out of date.

Management response and action plan

Overall management response

Recommendation #1

Management response

Management action plan 1.1

Management action plan 1.2

Management action plan 1.3

Recommendation #2

Management response

Management action plan 2.1

Management action plan 2.2

Management action plan 2.3

Management action plan 2.4

Management action plan 2.5

Management action plan 2.6

Management action plan 2.7

Recommendation #3

Management response

Management action plan 3.1

Annexes

Annex A – NHSP logic model

Annex B – Evaluation methodology

Lines of evidence

Document review

Data review

Key informant interviews

Surveys

Case studies

Geospatial analysis

Key terms and definitions

Social connections

Sense of belonging

Well-being

Social inclusion

Quality of life

Sustainability

Evaluation limitations and mitigation strategies

Limited reliable performance data available

Outdated NHSP zones

Low stakeholder response rate to interview requests

Survey limitations due to potential self-selection and non-response bias