Mardag Foundation

Supporting Innovation in Senior Centers in Greater Minnesota

Request for Proposals

2018

Amount Available / Up to $100,000/year for three years
Application Deadline / Thursday May 31, 2018
Grant Announcement Date / Wednesday August 15, 2018
Informational Webinar / Available at

Background

Established in 1969, the Mardag Foundation is the legacy of Agnes Ober. The Mardag Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations that improve the quality of life in Minnesota for children, seniors and other at-risk populations, and for programs in education and arts. Agnes’ passion lives on through the work of her descendants who serve on the Foundation’s board. The Foundation is an affiliate of The Saint Paul & Minnesota Community Foundations.

Purpose

Mardag Foundation funds projects and programs that support older adults inlivingindependent, healthy lives. The Foundation’sfunding of aging services began early in its history. One of its first grants was to the village of Isanti to help remodel a building as a senior citizens’ center. Over the years, the Foundation has supported multiple programs that help keep older adults active, healthy and connected to their communities.

The Mardag Foundation is seeking requests for proposals from communities which are creating the next model of space and programming for the newest generation of older adults. What does a “senior center” of the 21st century look like? How will it address the diversity, growth and longevity of Minnesota’s older adult population?

Proposals are requested from Minnesota based nonprofit organizations or public entities that serve Greater Minnesota communities exclusive of the Twin Cities seven county metro area; communities in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties are noteligible. This initiativewill award no more than two grants for three consecutive years.

Successful applications will describe:

  • Demographics of older adults in the community
  • Innovative approaches for older adults to connect to one another and to the larger community
  • Programming that is responsive to the needs of their communities, recognizing the differences among adults in their 60s, 70s, 80s and older.
  • How the applicant will develop authentic working partnerships in the community to take advantage of local resources and opportunities
  • A plan for sustaining the work beyond the grant period

In addition, successful applications will have been directly informed by the community members who would participate in its offerings now and by those that would consider participating in the future.

Projects may or may not involve a single separate physical space; projects may be co-located with other community space(s), or not include a physical space.

Allowable expenses include capital and/or programming and administrative costs including staffing, materials and supplies, equipment, etc.

Online Submission

Please apply through the Submittable online portal at You will be required to create an account in order to access the application form and submit an application. You will have the ability to save the document as you work. Once the application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation that contains a link to your application. Please provide the project contact’s email address when submitting the application so that confirmation of receipt and any related correspondence is sent to the person most familiar with the application.

Questions

For content questions, please contact Sharon DeMark, Program Officer.

  • Email:
  • Telephone: 651.325.4262