Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2021 ACL AOA EJIG 0047
The Elder Justice Innovation Grants (EJIG) FY2021 opportunity is a discretionary, cooperative agreement program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Administration for Community Living (ACL). Its core purpose is to push the elder justice field forward by funding projects that tackle new or emerging challenges in preventing and responding to elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. The emphasis is on practical innovations that can be shared broadly, scaled, replicated in other places, and/or that add to the evidence base through better data, evaluation, and documented results. In other words, ACL is looking for projects that do more than help a single community in isolation; they should produce tools, models, systems, or knowledge that can improve elder abuse prevention and intervention at a wider level.
This funding announcement focuses on two major demonstration pathways (often described as "options"). The first is Improving Guardianship, which targets adult guardianship and conservatorship systems. Projects under this pathway are expected to examine whether guardianship and conservatorship proceedings are fair, effective, timely, safe, and accessible, and then to develop concrete innovations that improve the experience and protection of individuals who are at risk of being placed under guardianship or conservatorship. The second is the APS-OAA Transitions option, which centers on what happens after Adult Protective Services (APS) intervenes in a crisis. APS interventions are often urgent and short-term; this option funds efforts to understand and strengthen the bridge from that immediate response to longer-term supports available through the Older Americans Act (OAA) network and other community-based services, with the goal of preventing abuse from recurring and improving longer-term well-being.
For the APS-OAA Transitions demonstration option, applicants are expected to do one or more of the following: map and document the mix of human services, social supports, and legal services that most effectively help older adults recover after experiencing abuse, neglect, or exploitation; identify how service packages should differ over time depending on the individual needs of people who have experienced maltreatment; and build lasting, sustainable cross-system relationships so that APS, OAA-funded programs, and other community partners work together more effectively. The underlying idea is to move from a one-time crisis response to a coordinated, longer-term plan that preserves an older adult's autonomy and independence while reducing the risk of repeated victimization.
For the Improving Guardianship demonstration option, funded activities are intended to strengthen oversight, transparency, and victim protections within guardianship and conservatorship. Examples of expected project activities include developing systems to audit guardian and conservator financial accountings; creating or improving case management systems that track guardianship/conservatorship cases; developing judicial training programs and curricula; identifying strategies to avoid, detect, or reduce abuse committed by guardians and conservators; exploring coordination between courts and federal agencies like the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify and remove abusive fiduciaries; and establishing independent ombudsman programs so wards have a place to raise concerns, seek help, and pursue remedies when abuse occurs. Overall, this option is aimed at making court processes more user-friendly and victim-centered while improving the ability of states to identify problems early and respond effectively.
The opportunity also spells out the kinds of outcomes ACL expects. In the guardianship-focused projects, anticipated results include new or improved systems to manage and document guardianships and conservatorships, innovations that prevent or reduce exploitation by guardians/conservators, and court processes that are easier to navigate and more responsive to victims. A key field-building goal is the creation of foundational data: these projects are expected to generate some of the first systematic datasets on how state guardianship/conservator systems operate and on the incidence of abuse and exploitation within those systems. For APS-OAA transitions projects, expected outcomes are longer-term and person-centered: measurable improvements in health, social connection, and functional status for people who have experienced abuse, preservation of autonomy and independence, and reduced risk of future abuse.
Across both options, evaluation is not optional. Grantees must develop clear evaluation criteria and a plan to measure progress and outcomes from the baseline at the time of award through the full grant period. This reflects the program's broader intent: not just funding services, but producing evidence, lessons learned, and replicable models that can strengthen elder justice work in other jurisdictions.
Administratively, this was released under Funding Opportunity Number HHS-2021-ACL-AOA-EJIG-0047, with applications originally due May 24, 2021 (created March 25, 2021). The award ceiling listed is $500,000, with an anticipated 16 awards. Eligible applicants include state governments, and the eligibility field also indicates the competition is otherwise broadly open (unrestricted) subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full notice. The program is cataloged under CFDA 93.747 and falls under the public service area of income security and social services.Apply for HHS 2021 ACL AOA EJIG 0047
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Elder Justice Innovation Grants FY2021" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.747.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 25, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 24, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 16 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Elder Justice Innovation Grants (EJIG) FY2021
What is the Elder Justice Innovation Grants (EJIG) FY2021 program?
EJIG FY2021 is a discretionary, cooperative agreement program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Administration for Community Living (ACL). It funds projects intended to advance the elder justice field by addressing new or emerging challenges in preventing and responding to elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.
What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The main goal is to support practical innovations that can be broadly shared and that can be scaled, replicated, and/or contribute to the evidence base through stronger data, evaluation, and documented results. Projects are expected to produce tools, models, systems, or knowledge that improve elder abuse prevention and intervention beyond a single community.
Which federal agency runs this opportunity?
The opportunity is run by HHS through the Administration for Community Living (ACL).
What type of funding mechanism is EJIG FY2021?
This opportunity is described as a discretionary, cooperative agreement program.
What problems or issues is EJIG designed to address?
EJIG focuses on preventing and responding to elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, particularly by supporting innovations that address new or emerging challenges in these areas.
Are there different project tracks or focus areas in this announcement?
Yes. The funding announcement describes two major demonstration pathways (often called "options"): (1) Improving Guardianship and (2) APS-OAA Transitions.
What is the "Improving Guardianship" option focused on?
The Improving Guardianship option targets adult guardianship and conservatorship systems. Projects are expected to assess whether proceedings are fair, effective, timely, safe, and accessible, and then develop concrete innovations that improve protections and the overall experience for individuals at risk of being placed under guardianship or conservatorship.
What is the "APS-OAA Transitions" option focused on?
The APS-OAA Transitions option focuses on what happens after Adult Protective Services (APS) intervenes in a crisis. It funds efforts to strengthen the transition from short-term crisis response to longer-term supports available through the Older Americans Act (OAA) network and other community-based services, with the goals of preventing recurring abuse and improving longer-term well-being.
What kinds of activities are expected under the APS-OAA Transitions option?
Applicants are expected to do one or more of the following: (1) map and document the mix of human services, social supports, and legal services that most effectively support recovery after abuse, neglect, or exploitation; (2) identify how service packages should change over time based on individual needs; and/or (3) build lasting, sustainable cross-system relationships among APS, OAA-funded programs, and other community partners to improve coordination.
What is the underlying idea behind the APS-OAA Transitions option?
The underlying idea is to move from a one-time crisis response to a coordinated, longer-term plan that preserves an older adult's autonomy and independence while reducing the risk of repeated victimization.
What kinds of activities are expected under the Improving Guardianship option?
Funded activities are intended to strengthen oversight, transparency, and victim protections in guardianship and conservatorship. Examples listed include: developing systems to audit guardian and conservator financial accountings; creating or improving case management systems to track cases; developing judicial training programs and curricula; identifying strategies to avoid, detect, or reduce abuse by guardians/conservators; exploring coordination between courts and federal agencies (such as SSA and VA) to identify and remove abusive fiduciaries; and establishing independent ombudsman programs so wards can raise concerns and seek remedies.
Does the announcement give examples of innovations it is looking for in guardianship projects?
Yes. The announcement includes examples such as auditing systems for financial accountings, case management systems, judicial training curricula, strategies to detect or reduce abuse by guardians or conservators, coordination with SSA and VA to address abusive fiduciaries, and independent ombudsman programs for wards.
What outcomes are expected from Improving Guardianship projects?
Anticipated outcomes include new or improved systems to manage and document guardianships and conservatorships, innovations that prevent or reduce exploitation by guardians/conservators, and court processes that are easier to navigate and more responsive to victims. The announcement also emphasizes building foundational data, including systematic datasets on how state systems operate and on the incidence of abuse and exploitation within those systems.
What outcomes are expected from APS-OAA Transitions projects?
Expected outcomes include measurable improvements in health, social connection, and functional status for people who have experienced abuse, preservation of autonomy and independence, and reduced risk of future abuse.
Is evaluation required for funded projects?
Yes. Evaluation is not optional. Grantees must develop clear evaluation criteria and a plan to measure progress and outcomes from the baseline at the time of award through the full grant period.
Why does ACL emphasize evaluation and data collection?
The program is intended to produce evidence, lessons learned, documented results, and replicable models that can strengthen elder justice work in other jurisdictions, rather than only funding services for a single area.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS-2021-ACL-AOA-EJIG-0047.
When was this funding opportunity created and when were applications due?
The announcement was created March 25, 2021, and applications were originally due May 24, 2021.
What is the maximum award amount listed for EJIG FY2021?
The listed award ceiling is $500,000.
How many awards were anticipated under this opportunity?
The announcement anticipated 16 awards.
Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?
Eligible applicants include state governments. The eligibility field also indicates the competition is otherwise broadly open (unrestricted), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full notice.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The program is cataloged under CFDA 93.747.
What public service area is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under the public service area of income security and social services.
Does EJIG prioritize projects that can be replicated or scaled?
Yes. A central emphasis is on innovations that can be shared broadly and scaled or replicated in other places, and/or that strengthen the evidence base through improved data and evaluation.
Does ACL want projects that only help one community?
The announcement emphasizes that ACL is looking for projects that do more than help a single community in isolation. Projects should produce broadly useful tools, models, systems, or knowledge that can improve elder abuse prevention and intervention at a wider level.
What does "cooperative agreement" imply in this context?
The announcement describes EJIG as a cooperative agreement program. (No additional details about what that entails operationally are provided in the text.)
What kinds of partner relationships are encouraged for APS-OAA Transitions projects?
The announcement highlights the importance of building lasting, sustainable cross-system relationships so that APS, OAA-funded programs, and other community partners work together more effectively.
Are courts and federal agencies mentioned as part of the guardianship work?
Yes. The Improving Guardianship option includes exploring coordination between courts and federal agencies like the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify and remove abusive fiduciaries.
Are ombudsman programs mentioned as an allowable or encouraged activity?
Yes. The Improving Guardianship option includes establishing independent ombudsman programs so wards have a place to raise concerns, seek help, and pursue remedies when abuse occurs.
What does ACL mean by "foundational data" in guardianship projects?
The announcement indicates that guardianship projects are expected to generate some of the first systematic datasets on how state guardianship/conservator systems operate and on the incidence of abuse and exploitation within those systems.
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