Backgrounder: New Horizons for Seniors Program

The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) is a federal grants and contributions program whose goal is to enhance seniors’ social inclusion and ensure they can benefit from, and contribute to, the quality of life in their communities.

Seniors lead and inspire projects to make a difference in the lives of others and in their communities.

The objectives of the NHSP are to:

• promote volunteerism among seniors and other generations;
• engage seniors in the community through the mentoring of others;
• expand awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse;
• support the social participation and inclusion of seniors; and 
• provide capital assistance for new and existing community projects and programs for seniors. 

The NHSP provides seniors access to important recreational and social programs and initiatives that reflect the current realities of seniors and seniors-serving organizations. The Program helps vulnerable seniors through curated program parameters, delivery and access to ensure their needs are met.

Since 2004, the NHSP has funded about 40,000 local projects and broader-reaching initiatives in hundreds of communities across Canada. The total Government of Canada investment has been more than $850 million. Program funding supports community-based projects and pan-Canadian projects.

Community-based projects

Community-based project funding supports activities in which seniors are socially engaged, connected and actively involved in their communities. Organizations are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding.

As part of the 2023–24 NHSP community-based call for proposals, organizations were encouraged to apply for funding that supports the Program’s national priorities for this cycle:

Priority 1: Supporting healthy aging, which includes:

• addressing social isolation, including through supporting seniors’ digital literacy;
• addressing ageism; and
• supporting mental health and dementia.

Priority 2: Preventing senior abuse, which includes:

• providing measures to reduce crimes and harm against seniors, including elder abuse; and
• developing educational material to prevent unscrupulous practices, financial fraud and scams from happening to seniors.

Priority 3: Celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion, which includes:

• promoting intergenerational mentoring and engagement;
• advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and helping to secure a better quality of life for Indigenous seniors; and
• collaborating with diverse communities, notably by serving members of the following vulnerable groups: low-income seniors, Indigenous Peoples, members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities, members of official language minority communities, seniors who primarily speak languages other than English and French, members of racialized and newcomer groups, persons with disabilities, veterans and seniors living in rural or remote areas.

Priority 4: Supporting financial security, which includes:

• helping seniors navigate and access government services and benefits and providing support to file their taxes; and
• supporting the financial empowerment of seniors.

This year, a total of 3,451 community-based projects have been approved for immediate investment, representing $71.27 million.

For more information, visit About the New Horizons for Seniors Program – Community-based projects.

Here’s a breakdown by province/territory: