GREEN BAY — The Basic Needs Giving Partnership is accepting proposals through noon on Oct. 19 for projects addressing isolation of low-income elderly residents in the region supported by a grant of up to $300,000.

A question and answer session for interested applicants will be held from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, in the lower level meeting room of M&I Bank at 221 W. College Ave. in Appleton.

The partnership was established in 2007 and funded by the U.S. Venture Fund for Basic Needs, the J.J. Keller Foundation, the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, and other community partners.

Isolation often results in inaccessibility to health care, educational opportunities and transportation to appointments. The Basic Needs Giving Partnership has targeted this area of need because of the increasing elderly population in both urban and rural areas of Northeastern Wisconsin.

Proposed programs and services must be collaborative and serve residents in all three geographic regions of the partner community foundations.

"Successful collaborations will go beyond the typical solutions used in the past to address these pressing needs of isolated low-income elderly," the partnership said in a press release.

The selected program or service will receive a maximum grant award of $100,000 per year for up to three years.

Interested agencies and their collaborative partners are encouraged to attend.

The grant will be announced by December 31.

The Request for Proposals and download the application form can be found at www.ggbcf.org.

To receive the forms by mail, or for further information, call Martha Ahrendt at (920) 432 -0800.