Through the Accessible Faith Grant Program, the Retirement Research Foundation makes funds available to Chicago area houses of worship for accessibility improvements to their facilities. The Foundation hopes such improvements will encourage increased participation of older adults in your congregation and the surrounding community in the programs, services, and activities that occur in these facilities.

A total of $300,000 in Accessible Faith Grants is available from the Foundation in 2012. Grants will be awarded for up to 50% of a project’s total cost. The maximum grant amount is $30,000.

Applications will be accepted from March 1, 2012 through Friday June 1, 2012. Applications must be received at the Foundation office or postmarked no later than 5:00 p.m. Friday, June 1, 2012. Notification of grant award or decline will be made in November. If awarded, funds will be available in December.

1. Eligibility
2. Purposes of Grant
3. Restrictions
4. Selection Criteria and Priorities
5. Project Time Frame
6. Reporting Requirements

A. Eligibility

Applications will be reviewed by The Retirement Research Foundation staff and its technical consultant. To be eligible for an Accessible Faith Grant, the facility and congregation must meet the following minimum criteria:

1. Provide verification of tax-exempt status by one of the following methods:
   A.   Submit a copy of the congregation’s 501(c)(3) determination by the IRS; or
   B.   If your congregation is part of a larger denomination that is covered by a group ruling, submit a copy of the IRS group ruling letter and a copy of the page from the official directory showing that your congregation is a member.
   C.   If your congregation is independent and not part of a larger denomination, a signed statement by the principal clergy attesting that your congregation meets the following requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, etc.
   • It is organized and operated exclusively for religious purposes;
   • Its net earnings will not inure to the benefit of any private individual or shareholder;
   • No substantial part of its activities will be used to influence legislation;
   • It will not intervene in political campaigns; and
   • Its purpose and activities will not be illegal or violate fundamental public policy. 

   If you are unclear about this information, you may wish to refer to the IRS tax guide for Churches and Religious Organizations.  (See http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf for complete guide.) or discuss this with officials from your denomination’s central office.  If you have questions about this, you may contact The Retirement Research Foundation.

2. Be located within Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, or McHenry County in Illinois.
3. Provide programs and activities — beyond worship services — that benefit older adults (age 65 years or older) in the congregation and in the wider community.
4. Demonstrate the need for financial assistance to carry out the accessibility project but also the ability to raise sufficient funds to complete the project if awarded a grant.
5. Own the facility where improvements would be made.

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B. Purposes of Grant

Accessible Faith Grants may be used for the following purposes:

1. Construction projects. The grant could be used to increase accessibility in an existing building by carrying out specific projects such as installing elevators, platform wheelchair lifts, or inclined platform wheelchair lifts; constructing permanent ramps; or renovating restrooms for accessibility, etc. These projects generally require a building permit.
2. Purchase and installation of accessibility-related equipment. The grant could be used to improve accessibility through the purchase and installation of accessibility-related equipment, such as assistive listening systems, automatic door openers, etc.

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C. Restrictions

1. Grants will not be made for chairlifts because they do not provide accessibility for all people who have difficulty climbing stairs. To use a chairlift, an individual must be able to get out of the wheelchair or scooter and get into the chairlift. The wheelchair or scooter must then be carried up or down the stairs, which is dangerous to the person carrying it and may damage it. Only vertical platform lifts or inclined platform lifts are eligible for funding.
2. Grants will not be made for used equipment. A used lift or other item may not have had the required maintenance to keep it in safe and effective operating condition. It would probably also lack a warranty.
3. Grants will not be made for the purchase of accessible vehicles or individual mobility aids, such as wheelchairs or walkers.
4. Grants will not be provided for projects that are already completed.
5. Grants will not be provided for constructing entirely new buildings, entirely new multi-room additions to existing buildings, or for overall large-scale facility renovations that include many elements unrelated to accessibility.
6. IMPORTANT: The Accessible Faith Grant Program supports stand-alone accessibility improvements that are intentional rather than ones that, as part of a major new construction or overall large-scale renovation project, would be required anyway under the provisions of the Illinois Accessibility Code (IAC). The IAC is available at http://www.cdb.state.il.us/IAC.shtml. See primarily Subpart F on Page 105 for guidelines on the types and scope of projects that would not meet Accessible Faith Grant intentions. Your architect should be able to give you more information about this. You may also contact The Retirement Research Foundation if you have questions about this matter.

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D. Selection Criteria and Priorities

Grants are awarded at the discretion of The Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

Applicants that meet the following criteria will be given priority:

1. Congregations with a large number and/or high percentage of persons age 65 years or older.
2. Congregations with programs, services, or activities in their facilities that involve older adults. This includes programs specifically targeted to older adults, as well as programs and activities that engage elders with other age groups, such as choirs, faith-sharing groups, scripture studies, finance councils, or food pantries.
3. Congregations that provide space in their facilities for outside organizations holding programs, services, or activities that are geared toward or involve older adults e.g., dance groups, book clubs, classes, homeless shelters, health screenings, support groups, etc.
4. Congregations that demonstrate some financial need; that is, congregations unable to carry out the project without outside funding assistance but able to obtain the balance of funds sufficient to undertake the project if a grant is awarded.  Note that an Accessible Faith Grant provides only 50% of the project cost, up to a maximum of $30,000.
5. Construction projects with accessibility designs that are sensitively integrated into the existing architecture.

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E. Project Time Frame

1. Construction projects must be completed within 18 months of the grant award.
2. Equipment purchase and installation projects must be completed within 12 months of the grant award.

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F. Reporting Requirements

1. For construction projects, reports are required at six and eighteen months. Photos of the completed project must be sent with the final report.
2. For equipment projects, a final report at twelve months is required.

Detailed reporting requirements are specified in the grant award letter.

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