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The Foundation funds advocacy efforts, research projects, direct service programs in seven states, and educational initiatives focused on enhancing the quality of life of older persons in the U.S. We also have a special interest in innovative projects with potential for replication or that may affect the scope and shape of services delivered to the elderly across the country.
Funding is not generally available for:
- Grants to individuals
- General operating support
- Biomedical research
- Computer equipment
- Conferences, publications, or travel, unless they are components of other Foundation-funded projects
- Construction of facilities
- Dissertation research
- Endowment or development campaigns
- Scholarships
- Projects targeting students in professional education programs
- Production of films and videos
- Projects focusing on the Arts
- Governmental organizations except for state universities, Area Agencies on Aging, and programs of the Veterans Administration
- Projects outside the U.S.
Requests for support of projects focusing on advocacy, research, and education and training will be considered from anywhere in the U.S. Direct service requests will be considered only from organizations in these seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Florida. The Accessible Faith Program and the Organizational Capacity Building program are limited to applicants from the greater Chicago area.
The Foundation has a strong interest in serving the Chicago metropolitan area. Where projects of equal significance are under consideration, priority is given to proposals that benefit this geographic area.
No, an applicant may submit a proposal without prior communication with the Foundation. However, it is recommended that you speak to a Program Officer if you are unsure if your application addresses RRF's objectives. Foundation staff will also review concept papers as to their potential relevance to the Foundation's current interests and priorities and provide feedback to the applicant. If your organization is considering a multi-year request, please contact the Foundation staff in advance of submitting a proposal.
Yes, a program officer will respond to your questions, if you call the Foundation at 773-714-8080. Program officers respond to questions submitted through the website, info@rrf.org, as well.
The application procedures provide detail on the information the Foundation seeks. Chicago-area applicants may use the common application form developed by the Donors Forum, but only for direct service projects.
February 1, May 1, and August 1. Submissions may be postmarked with the deadline date. We acknowledge, by letter, receipt of all proposals within two weeks. If the date falls on a weekend, proposals postmarked the next business day will be accepted.
The Foundation requests that proposals include a separate two-to-three page executive summary written in lay language. The executive summary should include project goals, significance, proposed methods, and cost. There is no limit on length of the entire proposal. Please number the pages. Applicants should follow the Foundation's application procedures, which describe the required content in detail. Many of the proposals the Foundation receives are for complex research or demonstration projects, and staff recognize that a certain amount of detail is necessary to explain the program and its implementation. We expect these types of proposals to be of the same quality and detail that would be submitted to one of the national institutes, such as the National Institute on Aging or the National Institutes of Health. Extensive technical or methodological information should be treated as appendices to the main proposal.
The Foundation's staff review each proposal. The Foundation also may use outside reviewers to help staff assess proposals. The decision to utilize outside technical reviews is done on a proposal-by-proposal basis. There is no formal committee of reviewers. Final decisions are made by the Foundation's Board of Trustees. Reviewers are carefully vetted to make sure they have no conflicts of interest with the proposal.
It generally takes four to six months.
Given current economic constraints, organizations seeking multi-year funding should contact the Foundation staff in advance of submitting a proposal. Historically, the Foundation has funded multiple year projects, generally for up to three years. In 2009, RRF is more likely to favor one-year requests for renewal in subsequent years if adequate progress is demonstrated.
Yes, but it is limited to a maximum of 10 percent of the total project costs. Itemized project costs can include administrative costs directly related to the project being proposed over and above overhead.
The Board of Trustees will not consider the same request for a one-year period. However, the applicant may submit a different proposal for consideration at any time.
Please call the program officer assigned to your current grant to discuss the timing of your new request.
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