Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Lightheart Foundation

Lightheart Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by Beth Carrigan to address the loneliness, helplessness and boredom experienced by many elders living in retirement, assisted living and convalescent facilities. Originally created in California and later relocated to Cottonwood, Arizona, the foundation now coordinates programs in Northern Arizona and the San Fernando Valley area of California. Its work focuses on building intentional intergenerational relationships between older adults, children, youth and wider community members.

The foundation designs and delivers a portfolio of community projects such as Project H.U.G.™ (Helping Unite Generations), Animals on Parade™ for Valentine’s Day, Spring into Caring™ and other seasonal celebrations and gift drives. These initiatives mobilize schools, youth groups, businesses and civic organizations to bring visits, gifts and creative activities to elders in senior facilities and through programs like Meals on Wheels. Lightheart also participates in state and national advocacy networks to promote age integration, person‑centred care and asset‑based community development.

Lightheart Foundation relies on donations, sponsorships, corporate giving and partnerships to finance its activities. The organization explicitly identifies several types of financial support, including endowments and trusts, event sponsorships and corporate matching funds. In addition to running its own projects, it channels money into targeted forms of assistance described as “Special Grants or Scholarships”. These designated funds can be used for items such as power chairs, support for Meals on Wheels, transportation, dental and eye care, and for educational purposes.

Examples include scholarships for teachers or community members involved in intergenerational programming, internships for college students, continuing education for activities directors in senior residential facilities, support to reunite distant families with elders, and a travel fund to bring speakers to conferences or to introduce Lightheart’s intergenerational model in other communities. Through these mechanisms, the foundation acts as a small grantmaker, directing philanthropic resources to specific individuals, service providers and community partners who advance its mission.

Lightheart Foundation primarily serves elders in senior residential facilities, group homes and home‑delivered meal programs, while also engaging students, teachers, youth organizations and businesses as active partners. Its programs operate in multiple facilities across the Verde Valley, Prescott Valley and Sedona regions of Arizona, as well as several senior communities in the Los Angeles area. By emphasizing reciprocal relationships between generations, the foundation seeks to restore the social status of elders as storytellers and bearers of wisdom, while giving younger participants meaningful service learning experiences.

The organization’s work has been recognized through numerous awards from chambers of commerce, community foundations, state and local governments and national organizations focused on women business owners and intergenerational innovation. These distinctions highlight Lightheart’s contribution to combating social isolation among seniors and strengthening community cohesion through targeted financial support and hands‑on volunteering.