The Power of Partnerships
About Iona
Iona is a leader in the community, both in the provision
of services and advocacy
Mission: Support people with the challenges and
opportunities of aging
 Provide support and education to 10,000 older adults
and caregivers annually
 Advocate on behalf of 100,000 older District residents
Faith Communities
 Partnerships are part of our DNA: Iona was founded
by faith communities who came together to meet the
needs of older adults in the city
 Now work with over 20 faith communities
 Clergy focus group lead to program development—
now have a contract to provide social work support
for clergy and congregants at National Presbyterian
Church
University Partnerships
Reach out to departments and individual professors
 The Catholic University of America
 University of Maryland
 Howard University
 George Washington University
 Georgetown University
 American University
 University of Alabama
 Yale University
University Partnerships
Plan….Execute….Evaluate….
If you can provide a good educational opportunity for
students, you can go back to them again and again
Projects. Products. Experience
Philanthropic Partners
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Bloomberg BNA
Law Firms
Senior Living Communities
Home Care Agencies
Under one Roof
Iona: adult day health care, consultation and care
management, fitness and support all in our main center
Here with us:
 Sibley Hospital Physicians Group
 Physical Therapy practice
 National Center for Creative Aging
 Other community groups that use the building
Aging in Community Villages
 We think of Iona as the original village
 Complement, don’t compete
 Contract with Capital Hill Village to provide caregiver
support group
 Creative partnership with Northwest Neighbors
Village:
 Grant support for Iona social work assistance
 Medical Note Taking Program development
 Partner to approach real estate developers
Corporate Eldercare
 Full-time Iona social worker on site at Fannie Mae to
provide eldercare support to employees
 Smaller contracts with other companies such as
Bloomberg BNA to provide pre-retirement seminars
 Contracts with various senior living communities to
provide caregiver support groups
DC Coalition on Long Term Care
 “Hosted” by Iona for 19 years
 Formed in 1995 to increase the choices available to
low income District adults in need of long-term care
services
 Brought together nursing home, hospital, home care
agencies, advocates and consumers
 Significant impact on laws, regulations, program
implementation
DC Senior Advisory Coalition
 Founded by two non-profit leaders in 2008
 Came together to work for and with older adults to
improve community based services
 Started with a small group of 6-8 trusted partners
 Some reluctance at first to be more public with gaps
in service, etc.
 Initial focus on DC Office on Aging management and
services
DC Senior Advisory Coalition
 Grant support for leadership began in 2012
 Continue to build membership and raise visibility
 Successful in securing a $7,000,000 increase in District
funds for the DC Office on Aging in FY14—an increase
of over 30%
 Recognition from Office on Aging leadership that
advocacy is important
Iona on Air
 New partnership with non-profit cable station, DCTV,
to produce TV quality segments on issues related to
older adults and caregivers.