Next Grant Deadline: May 1, 2013 except for an Accessible Faith Grant which is June 1, 2013
To help you make the most of your time and resources, click here for helpful tips and suggestions.
The Retirement Research Foundation knows that grantseekers have many responsibilities and limited time and resources. To assist you in determining whether you should apply for grant funding for your nonprofit, RRF encourages you to review its funding interests and mission, as well as individual eligibility and application requirements for Grants, and for Organizational Capacity Building and Accessible Faith programs.
EXCLUSIONS: What RRF Does Not Fund
Grantseekers should review the following common problems that can result in a nonprofit’s ineligibility or that may disqualify proposals/applications submitted for RRF grant funding:
GRANTS
- General operating support: RRF does not support funding for operations.
- Research: RRF does not support proposals for biomedical research, theory development, or dissertation research.
- Training: Funding is not provided for continuing education that is strictly for recertification purposes. RRF does not support undergraduate or graduate training programs.
- Advocacy: RRF cannot fund lobbying such as efforts to win or defeat specific pieces of legislation.
- Geographic location: Direct service requests will be considered only from nonprofit organizations in these seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Florida. Nonprofit direct service programs outside these seven states are not eligible for funding.
ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING (OCB) PROGRAM
- Geographic location: Applicant organizations located outside the metropolitan Chicago-area are not eligible. Nonprofits that are eligible for OCB funding are located in one of the following six Chicagoland counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, or McHenry County, Illinois.
- Priority: Eligible organizations will give the elderly a high priority with programs and services. Organizations will show: a significant percentage of older adults served; significant percentage of the budget targeted at older adults; dedicated staffing for the elder population; elders highlighted in the strategic plan; or other compelling examples.
- Size and Tenure: Generally, organizations must have been in active operation for a minimum of three years and have annual revenue of at least $75,000, excluding in-kind donations and services.
ACCESSIBLE FAITH PROGRAM
- Lifts: Funding for a chairlift, also called a stair lift, is not allowed. More commonly used in residences, these lifts are not considered accessible for public places because elders cannot exit their wheelchairs and transfer to the lifts to reach different building levels. Lifts that are eligible: Vertical or inclined platform lifts (interior or exterior) because they are accessible to users with any type of mobility aid—wheelchair, scooter, walker, cane, or crutch. Also eligible: LULAs (limited use-limited application).
- New construction: RRF does not fund the construction of an entirely new free-standing building. What is eligible for funding consideration: A newly constructed small addition to house an elevator or a new, more accessible entrance.
- Geographic location: To be eligible for RRF funding, Chicago-area houses of worship must be located in one of these six Illinois counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, and McHenry.
- Tax status: Eligible proposals must include federal 501(c)(3) documentation. This is a letter issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury, not a State of Illinois tax exemption letter. If your congregation does not have a U.S. Treasury-issued letter, contact your judicatory or denomination leaders.
Still have questions? Before you complete and/or submit your application and proposal materials, contact RRF at (773) 714-8080 or by e-mail at info@rrf.org.