/EINPresswire.com/ -- WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - April 27, 2017) - Rural Americans can be self-reliant and their communities can be strong, but older people in rural places often face a range of daunting challenges, from mobility and economic security to housing and health care. Philanthropic attention to rural projects is also disproportionately low. A newly released publication from Grantmakers In Aging (GIA), New Frontiers for Funding: An Introduction to Grantmaking in Rural Aging, provides a broad survey of the challenges rural communities face, particularly as their populations get older; examples of approaches that are working; and insights from experienced funders and nonprofits on the unique possibilities that rural projects offer.

Download New Frontiers for Funding: An Introduction to Grantmaking in Rural Aging at bit.ly/GIA_rural.

"Rural America is aging faster than the rest of the country, so if you are a funder, policymaker, or service provider working in rural areas, you are already working in aging," said John Feather, PhD, CEO of Grantmakers In Aging. "If you work in health, housing, transportation, technology, community development, or many other areas, and want to consider adding a rural focus, New Frontiers for Funding can help you discover new opportunities for innovation and collaboration and help you increase your impact."

New Frontiers for Funding is part of GIA's rural aging initiative -- Creating a Sustainable Network for the Rural Aging Movement -- a three-year project that seeks to improve the experience of rural aging by sharing knowledge, connecting and supporting key players, and expanding available resources and services. It is supported by a grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. For more information, please visit GIAging.org/rural-aging.

Rural America: Overlooked needs, aging populations, quiet strength
Rural America defies easy definition. It is geographically large, including frontier counties, farms, small towns, and even some exurbs. Its population is diverse, making cultural generalizations difficult, but rural communities do tend to be older, and often poorer, than urban areas. About one quarter of older Americans live in a small town or other rural area, and the needs of rural Americans are frequently overlooked.

"New Frontiers for Funding will be of great utility for new and veteran funders," said Allen Smart, philanthropic and rural strategist, former vice president of programs and director of the health care division at the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, and a member of the steering committee for the GIA rural aging project. "It is the only publication I am aware of that is intentionally focused on real and perceived barriers to being an effective grantmaker for rural older adults."

About Grantmakers In Aging (GIA)
Grantmakers In Aging is an inclusive and responsive membership organization including all types of philanthropies with a common dedication to improve the experience of aging. GIA members have a shared recognition that a society that is better for older adults is better for people of all ages. For more information, please visit www.GIAging.org.