PURPOSE
The Organizational Capacity Building (OCB) Program supports metropolitan Chicago-area nonprofit organizations in making improvements in their governance, management, and organizational capacity. RRF recognizes that as stronger organizations, these nonprofits can further enhance and sustain their services to older persons.
Two types of funding are available to Chicago-area organizations through RRF’s OCB Program:
- Standard OCB Grants are awarded to help organizations make long-term improvements in their management, governance, or organizational capacity.
- Flexible OCB Funds are available to help organizations set their capacity-building priorities or get short-term technical assistance to weather tough times.
GRANT USE
OCB grants have funded such activities as:
- Planning (strategic, business, and financial plans) to steer an organization through changes.
- Evaluations to develop outcome measurements and strengthen accountability to constituents and funding sources.
- Public relations, communications, and marketing to increase awareness and use of services.
- Financial management and resource development to improve financial systems, explore revenue options, and develop a stronger funding base.
- Human resources management for professional development, team building, and improving the working environment.
- Information systems management, including technology enhancements, to improve efficiency and accountability.
- Restructuring and building relations among organizations to strengthen service delivery, reduce costs, share resources, or achieve other benefits.
- Board development including assessment, recruitment, training, and structuring to strengthen governance.
EXCLUSIONS
RRF does not provide funding for renovations or capital improvements, deficits, or one-time events that do not build long-term capacity, i.e., fundraising events or one-time conferences.
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.
ELIGIBILITY
Applying organizations must:
- Be a nonprofit organization, but not a unit of government.
- Be located in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake or McHenry County, Illinois.
- Provide services to elders.
- Intentionally give a high priority to older persons.