State launches grants to boost social connections in rural communities
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The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) on Monday announced the launch of the Building Socially Connected Communities grant program.
The program, which opens for applications on June 3, was created in response to an advisory report released last year by the U.S. Surgeon General on the effects of loneliness and isolation, specifically noting that 50% of American adults reported experiencing loneliness.
The grants will be open to communities with populations of fewer than 50,000 people that seek to implement a variety of initiatives to address loneliness among adults of all ages.
OCRA Executive Director Duke Bennett told Inside INdiana Business they wanted to take a deep dive on how to better help communities increase social interaction, particularly in rural areas.
“This could be something as simple as having a book club at the local coffee shop or something at the library, an art-related thing, maybe,” Bennett said. “It could also be some kind of a community event that you can do on a smaller scale, that people would feel comfortable with participating in, that might get them out of their house or into the community a little bit more to interact with other people that they probably don’t even know.”
In the report, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said the mortality impact of being socially disconnected “is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity.”
OCRA is allocating $200,000 for the program, which is open to local governments, not-for-profit organizations, and community groups. Projects that could receive funding must fit into one of six categories:
- Community infrastructure enhancement
- Social clubs and interest groups
- Community well-being programs
- Transportation accessibility
- Intergenerational initiatives
- Local business support
“It can be a one-off kind of an event that you do just get the ball rolling. It can be a series of events,” Bennett said. “We’re open to really any creativity that anyone might have in that community to really tear down those walls and that that loneliness factor. It’s not an easy thing to do, but I think you’re going to have to have different kinds of opportunities that are going to be able to reach different people.”
The program will have two types of grants. The first is for “Quick Action” projects that will receive between $1,000 and $5,000 with a 1:1 match required. The second is for “Large Impact” projects that could receive between $5,000 and $50,000 with a 1:1 cash match.
Bennett said the early reaction from communities has been one of intrigue, noting that the program is outside of what OCRA typically does.
“I think it’s going to be one of those unique programs that will generate a lot of interest outside of the normal folks that we deal with and we provide grants to, and get them thinking outside of the box and their community,” he said. “I think there’s going to be a lot of creative ideas that will come up about how they might help people get engaged with that social fabric of their community.”
Once applications open, they will be due by 12 p.m. ET on Sept. 12. You can learn more about the program by clicking here.