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Mutual Service Cooperative Fund Announces 2008 Grant Program
Focus on Cooperative Solutions for Seniors in Rural America
Grant applications are now being accepted by the Mutual Service Cooperative (MSC) Fund of the Cooperative Development Foundation for cooperative development initiatives that will enhance the quality of life of seniors living in rural America. This will be the fourth year that the MSC Fund has focused its grant making on this specific area.
"Cooperatives are well-suited to meet the needs of the nation's growing "over 50" population and nowhere is that need more critical than in rural America," stated CDF Executive Director, Liz Bailey. "The last three years of the grant program has laid some important groundwork and we are particularly pleased to see the impact the Fund has been able to have in the areas of co-op home care and co-op housing." Since the focus on cooperative solutions for seniors was established in 2005, the MSC Fund has awarded more than $150,000 in grants supporting growth and expansion of different forms of senior housing cooperatives and over $100,000 in grants supporting the development of sustainable home care cooperatives. This list of all grant awards can be found on the MSC Fund section of the CDF website. 
For the 2008 grant awards program, the Fund, again, is looking for project proposals that will:
- Contribute to the development of systemic approaches to replicate successful cooperative models that serve the needs of seniors in rural areas.
- Provide technical assistance to aid in the development of co-op ventures that will serve seniors living in rural areas.
- Provide a better understanding of lessons learned from co-ops that have served or are currently serving seniors living in rural areas.
The deadline for 2008 applications is July 25, 2008. Information on eligibility and grant guidelines, as well as the application, is available at www.cdf.coop. Grant awards will be made in the Fall of 2008.
The MSC Fund has awarded more than $1 million in grants to the cooperative community over the last three decades. The Cooperative Development Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization promoting community, economic, and social development through cooperative enterprises.
PDF version of "Mutual Service Cooperative Fund Announces 2008 Grant Program" announcement(PDF) (1pg, 85K, About PDF)