Volume 18 | Issue 17 | April 26, 2023

Generations This Week

News for Advocates of Children, Youth, and Older Adults from Generations United

Visit our Website
Make a Donation

Global Conference Updates - Accepting Nominations for the Brabazon Award for Evaluation Research


Generations United is now accepting nominations for the Brabazon Award for Evaluation Research, which honors a researcher or team of researchers whose outstanding work has advanced the understanding of intergenerational programming. The award will be presented during the 22nd Global Intergenerational Conference in Washington, DC! Submit your nomination by May 12, 2023Learn more.


Want to put your organization on the map at Generations United's 2023 Global Intergenerational Conference? Snag a spot in our conference program book! Submit your ad by June 1, 2023. Learn more.


Register for Generations United's Global Intergenerational Conference, taking place July 26-28, 2023 in Washington, DC! Register today!

Thank you to The Eisner Foundation, our premier sponsor of the 22nd Global Intergenerational Conference.

Webinar: Collaboration Strategies for Tribes, or Non-Native Service Providers Working with Tribes, to Support Kinship/Grandfamilies


Join us May 10, 2023 from 2:00-3:30 pm ET for a webinar hosted by the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network.


Dr. Terry Cross will provide a brief review of collaboration: what it is, why to collaborate, and how it can be successfully accomplished. He will focus on specific strategies for tribal programs wishing to engage in collaborative services. In addition, Dr. Cross will address how government or private organizations can best prepare for collaboration with tribes.


Register now.

Global Youth Service Day 2023


Celebrating 35 years of youth changing the world, Global Youth Service Day April 28-30, 2023 is the longest-running annual youth participation event in the world and the only one that asks all youth ages 5-25 to find meaning and purpose by working together for the common good. Learn more.

New Resource: Intergenerational Evidence & Gap Map


Intergenerational Interventions and their effect on social and mental wellbeing of both children and older people - a mapping review and evidence and gap map” is a visual and interactive tool that shows the results of a rigorous search for existing research exploring the experiences of those involved in, and the effects of intergenerational interventions. This map shows the types of research that have been undertaken and the types of outcomes evaluated, both for children and young people, older people, and also any measures of its impact on the community. It includes 500 research studies published between 1975 and 2021. Explore the map and for further information visit the project website.

17 New State-Specific Adoption & Guardianship Comparison Charts Are Now Available!


These comparison charts help grandfamilies understand the difference between adoption and guardianship for children leaving foster care to permanency with relatives, made possible with support from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Learn more.


Please contact Chelsi Rhoades, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, at crhoades@gu.org if you are interested in partnering with Generations United on an Adoption & Guardianship Comparison Chart in your state!

This week is Global Intergenerational Week!


This week we're celebrating Global Intergenerational Week with The Eisner Foundation, and organizations around the world. This is an incredible opportunity to come together as a global community celebrating intergenerational connection. Join us!


We want to hear your thoughts on intergenerational bonding! Please take this short Generations Working Together Global Intergenerational Poll to share your thoughts.

Program Spotlight - Grandpas United

Grandpas United is a nationally recognized, intergenerational mentoring program under the White Plains Youth Bureau. The mission of this program, a Generations United Program of Distinction, is to utilize the talents, skills and experiences of our grandpas to improve the community; provide boys and young men with mentoring and intergenerational activities that support their positive development in school and in the community through one-on-one and group relationships. Youth are offered personal counseling, mentoring, academic assistance, and leadership and workforce training. The desired outcome of the program is to improve their quality of life with the aim of reducing risk factors and building protective factors. Many of our youth are confronted with external and internal stressors including poverty, mental health challenges, anger management issues, poor grades, low aim, lack of employment skills, and often by-products of single parent homes. Grandpas are more determined to provide CARE (Credible Authority Related to Esteem), and credible messenger relationships for each youth. The program has a diverse population of 100+ Grandpas in White Plains. With the support of state and local government, the program has expanded to five locations in Westchester. Learn more.


Each week, Generations United is spotlighting a recipient of our Intergenerational Program Certification. The certification is an annual recognition of outstanding programs bringing older and younger participants together and is based on rigorous standards of program effectiveness and sustainability. Learn more about the Intergenerational Program Certification here.

New Resource: Black Kinship Families and Culturally Appropriate Engagement Video and Key Takeaways Document

This 12-minute video presents a conversation between Karyne Jones, President and CEO of the National Caucus & Center on Black Aging, Inc. (NCBA), and Anita Thomas, PhD, Executive Vice President and Provost of St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Thomas is an expert on culturally affirming counseling approaches with African American families, and the discussion touches on several important themes. The key takeaways document collects quotes from the video that emphasize these topics. This short video can serve as a brief tool for professional development. We are grateful to our partners at NCBA for producing these resources. Access the resource.

Accepting Technical Assistance Requests

As always, the Network is accepting individual technical assistance (TA) requests from professionals who work in systems or organizations that serve kinship/grandfamilies. Fill out the TA request form to receive support from our team. Learn more and sign up to access our resources!

The Network is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $9,950,000 with 95 percentage funded by ACL/HHS and $523,684 and 5 percentage funded by non-government sources. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Culture United: From King to Queen


Royal celebrations: as the country prepares for the King’s coronation, Silver Salisbury Intergenerational Jubilee project has published an intergenerational book, titled "From King to Queen," which celebrates the previous monarch’s accession. Learn more.



Culture United highlights films, books, and TV shows with an intergenerational theme. Do you have any suggestions? Share them with us, and we'll share them in the weeks and months to come. We welcome responses or reactions. See disclaimer.

Thank You to Our Members and Supporters

Thank you to Julie Tippens and John Steele for their donation in honor of Bill Libro's birthday and to Roland Pott for his donation in honor of Lucinda Dockery. Thank you to Shaheed Morris for a donation in honor of his grandmother, the late Lucinda Dockery, and to those who joined him. Thank you to our members and supporters! Consider making a donation today to help unleash the potential of a society that values all generations. If you're an organization, join us!

Think Intergenerational - Funding Opportunities

J.M. Kaplan Fund: J.M.K. Innovation Prize seeks to identify, support, and elevate innovators who are spearheading transformative, early-stage projects in the fields of the environment, heritage conservation, and social justice. In 2023, up to ten Prizes will be awarded, each including unrestricted funding of $150,000 over three years, plus $25,000 in technical assistance funds, for a total award of $175,000. Awardees also receive guidance through the Fund and its resource network, accessing tools and a community of support to help turn their innovative ideas into life-changing social impacts. The first-round application deadline is April 28, 2023. Learn more.


NEW: The Yield Giving Open Call is a $250 million open call focused on elevating organizations working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States: communities, individuals, and families with access to the fewest foundational resources and opportunities. This initiative will award unrestricted gifts of $1 million each to 250 organizations. This Open Call seeks community-led, community-focused organizations whose explicit purpose is to advance the voices and opportunities of individuals and families of meager or modest means, and groups who have met with discrimination and other systemic obstacles. Organizations best suited to this initiative will enable individuals and families to achieve substantive improvement in their well-being through foundational resources. Interested organizations must register to apply before 4 p.m. U.S. Central Time on Friday, May 5, 2023. Learn more.


NEW: The Allstate Foundation: Racial Equity Grantmaking program provides support to nonprofit organizations in the U.S. The current request for proposals addresses inclusive economic opportunity, with a focus on the following areas: 1) racial equity and inclusivity in the green economy, including career pathways and pipelines; 2) racial equity and inclusivity in implementation of projects and programs related to the American Rescue Plan and American Jobs Plan; and 3) worker-centric policies and opportunities for frontline and essential workers with a racial equity and inclusivity lens. The Foundation expects to award a total of ten grants of $100,000 each. Phase 1 pre-applications are due May 12, 2023. Visit the request for proposal website to take the eligibility quiz and submit a pre-application. Learn more.


Administration for Community Living Lifespan Respite Care Program: State Program Enhancement Grants. Applicants to this funding opportunity will propose approaches grounded in the principles and actions of the strategy to make advancements in and strengthen their Lifespan Respite Care systems. Grantees will be expected to build on previous efforts to improve equitable access, consistency, quality, and sustainability and reduce duplication in respite service delivery. Additionally, grantees will be expected to provide respite services, continue building collaborations and partnerships across the state, expand options for volunteers, ensure adequate respite provider training is offered, identify gaps in current services and conduct outreach to reduce those gaps, and continue to, or increase, efforts to target underserved populations across the lifespan. Due date for applications: May 15, 2023, 11:59 PM ET. Learn more.


Administration for Community Living Lifespan Respite Care Program: Grants to New States and States Re-Establishing Their Core Respite Infrastructures. Applicants to this funding opportunity will propose approaches to, at a minimum, establish or re-establish state and local coordinated Lifespan Respite Care systems to serve family caregivers regardless of the age, disability, or chronic condition of the care recipient. Applicants will also be expected to propose how they will develop or expand new and emergency respite services and provide such services; train and recruit respite workers, including volunteers; and assist caregivers in gaining access to respite care services that meet the needs of both the caregiver and care recipient. Due date for applications: May 15, 2023, 11:59 PM ET. Learn more.


The MIT AgeLab’s Opportunities for Multigenerational Exchange, Growth and Action (OMEGA) initiative is proud to offer five scholarships to recognize the efforts that teens are making to create multigenerational connections. Each award will include a $5000 college scholarship to the winning student and $1000 to the winning student’s intergenerational initiative to support its activities. High school juniors and seniors in the U.S. are eligible to apply. Applications are due May 31, 2023. Learn more.


NEW: The Herb Block Foundation: Encouraging Citizen Involvement. The Herb Block Foundation is committed to defending basic freedoms, combating all forms of discrimination and prejudice, and improving the condition of the poor and underprivileged in the United States. The Foundation’s Encouraging Citizen Involvement grant program provides support to nonprofit organizations nationally with the aim of helping to ensure a responsible, responsive democratic government through citizen involvement. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 support projects focused on citizen education and greater voter participation in the electoral process. All projects must be nonpartisan and may not involve lobbying for specific legislation or candidates. Letters of inquiry are due June 1, 2023. Learn more.


The Brookdale Foundation Group Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the creation or expansion of supportive services to grandparents and other relatives raising children. A seed grant of $30,000 ($20,000 in year one and $10,000 tier two, contingent upon progress made during year one and potential for continuity in the future) is available to non-profit organizations across the United States. On-going technical assistance will be provided. Proposals are due June 22, 2023. Learn more.


If you have—or know of—any intergenerational funding opportunities, please send them to gu@gu.org.

Think Intergenerational - Great Resources

Journal of Intergenerational Relationships Call for Papers for Memorial Issue Honoring Founding Editor Dr. Sally Newman’s Contributions to the Intergenerational Field: Dr. Sally Newman was a guiding force for founding the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships in 2003, serving as its first editor until June 2014. Despite her death in 2022, Dr. Newman’s legacy lives on. In honor of Dr. Newman’s leadership in intergenerational program research, the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships invites scholarly contributions for a special issue focused on contemporary intergenerational research that builds on her foundational work, which can be seen today in different programmatic settings and countries. This special memorial issue will be published in 2024. Submissions must be received by May 31, 2023. Read the full special issue announcement here. Contact Shannon Jarrott with questions.


"Intergenerational Community Planning" Report: Generations United Senior Fellow Irv Katz and Generations United friend and Penn State professor Matt Kaplan, PhD, collaborated on a "guide" to intergenerational community planning published by the American Planning Association (APA). The intergenerational planning guide follows related APA reports on multigenerational planning and planning for all ages. The document suggests that the well-being of children, youth, and older adults--and how they relate with one another--should be integrated into regular city planning processes, such as the comprehensive planning that most cities and towns undertake. "Intergenerational Community Planning" is available for free to members of the American Planning Association and $25 for non-members.

Generations United Resources

2022 State of Grandfamilies Report, Together at the Table: Supporting the Nutrition, Health, and Well-Being of Grandfamilies, includes the latest findings on grandfamilies facing high rates of hunger and food insecurity, as well as policy recommendations to help feed grandfamilies. Read the report to explore the data and learn why we need to change current policies to ensure access to adequate nutritious food for grandfamilies.


Grandfamily Caregiver Tip Sheets on Self-Care and Youth Mental Health are now available in Spanish. These tip sheets were developed with support from our partner, Humana. Learn more.


Updated Intergenerational Evaluation Toolkit, which was created in 2019 by Dr. Shannon Jarrott with support from The Eisner Foundation, includes over 20 reliable and valid outcome measures that have been used in the evaluation of intergenerational programs. Learn more.


Grand Resource: Help for Grandfamilies Impacted by Opioids and Other Substance Use Part 2 includes 5 new resources designed to provide tips, useful information, and a list of additional resources to help grandfamilies both inside and outside the foster care system impacted by opioids or other substance use. Learn more.


Racial Equity Toolkits are designed to give resources and tips to child welfare agencies, other government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, so they can better serve all grandfamilies. Generations United has produced a toolkit for American Indian and Alaska Native grandfamilies, African-American grandfamilies, and Latino grandfamilies. Learn more.


Racial Equity Tip Sheets now available with support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Generations United is pleased to share a new series of tip sheets to accompany our racial equity toolkits. These tools are designed to help professionals serving grandfamilies to provide culturally appropriate services. Learn more.


Sharing Our Space: A Toolkit for Developing and Enhancing Intergenerational Shared Sites is designed for individuals and organizations interested in creating an intergenerational shared site or enhancing services at their current site. Divided into 10 sections, the toolkit details every step of the development and operation process, from initial planning to sustaining long-term shared site programs. Learn more.


Making the Case for Intergenerational Programs provides rationale and facts to help make the case for intergenerational programs. It is based on a comprehensive review of the literature on intergenerational programs and highlights evidence-based findings on how intergenerational programs benefit everyone. There is also an accompanying fact sheet available in English and Spanish. Learn more.


Staying Healthy Across Generations: Vaccines are Essential for All Ages is an infographic that illustrates that vaccines aren't just for kids - they protect all generations, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staying up to date on vaccines for the flu, pneumonia, and whooping cough is important to protect both older adults and children. Learn more.

"Both generations have gifts that they can share with one another, so today’s about bringing us together to do that. They are totally feeding off of each other. There are gifts at every age, at every end of the spectrum for sure."


Tony Brown, Executive Director of Heart of Los Angeles.

We want Generations This Week to be a resource for you. Please send us any national news on intergenerational issues in addition to upcoming conferences, funding opportunities, research, reports, and webinars. You can connect with other intergenerational enthusiasts through our Facebook group. Please also let us know how we can improve! Email us at gu@gu.org. We'd love to hear from you!

Treat Yourself GRAND!

As a reader of Generations This Week, you are eligible to receive a complimentary subscription to GRAND - The Lifestyle Magazine for Awesome Grandparents. 


That's a $26 value for 12 issues delivered right to your inbox. Get valuable offers and inspirational articles like our column on GRAND Families, and more.

Click here for your free subscription
Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  LinkedIn  Youtube