Organizational Capacity Building

The Organizational Capacity Building (OCB) grant award program helps nonprofit organizations in Illinois strengthen their capacity to better serve older people. These are modest grants (no more than $15,000) designed to respond quickly to an organization’s need to support infrastructure and capacity. These grants support a variety of initiatives. For example, OCB-funded activities include:

• Board Development
• Communications and Marketing
• Evaluation
• Fundraising
• Human Resources
• Information Technology Improvements
• Internal Operations/Financial Management
• Organizational Strategy Planning
• Strategic Program Planning
• Staff training specifically focused on serving older people

*See descriptions of OCB-funded activities here.

Routine operations within an organization, such as staffing for home-delivered meal services, do not fit within this particular funding category. OCB grants fuel improvements in organizational effectiveness, thereby increasing an organization’s ability to deliver on its mission over time.

RRF accepts OCB Grant applications on a rolling basis throughout the year. Funding requests must be $15,000 or less, and the applicant should complete the project within a six-month timeline. Proposals for OCB projects can be submitted through a simplified application process, and funding decisions are generally made within four to six weeks.