During the George Washington University Center for Aging, Health, and Humanities’ Age-Friendly Ecosystem Summit, Lindsay Goldman, CEO of Grantmakers in Aging (GIA), delivered a presentation titled Aging is Living: The Case for Investing in Aging. She highlighted how aging intersects with every philanthropic priority, from health and housing to transportation and caregiving, and emphasized that funding aging initiatives is about funding the future for all. GIA works to mobilize money and ideas by supporting funders, strengthening age-friendly community efforts, and advancing policies such as the Older Americans Act reauthorization and multi-sector plans for aging.

Goldman also discussed shifts in philanthropic practice, including trust-based philanthropy, which emphasizes multi-year unrestricted funding and transparency, and impact investing, which leverages larger, recyclable funding streams to drive structural change. These strategies ensure that communities have the flexibility and resources needed to sustain age-friendly initiatives over time. Her message was clear: aging is not a niche issue—it is the human experience, and embedding age-consciousness across philanthropy and policy builds more equitable and resilient communities. To stay connected, join the GW Center for Aging, Health, and Humanities’ email list or its Facebook group, Building Age-Friendly Ecosystems.