*Applicants must show how the project will specifically improve the organization’s ability to serve older people in Illinois.

Activities include, but are not limited to:

• Board Development: Defining the board’s role, strengthening governance, and the executive transition/search process.

• Communications and Marketing: Website development, public relations, use of social media, and “Reframing Aging” updates.

• Evaluation: Program evaluation, return on investment analysis, and quality improvement efforts.

• Fundraising: Resource development, annual campaign plans, and stewardship.

• Human Resources (HR): Staff and leadership development, diversity, equity, and inclusion training, succession planning, training that is specific to improving older adult services, and “Reframing Aging” training.

• Internal Operations/Financial Management: Improving financial, volunteer, or HR management, strategic restructuring, partnership building, and technical assistance on quality improvement or facility planning.

• Organizational Strategy Planning: Organizational assessments, strategic plan development, expansion of older adult services, business planning, and succession planning.

• Strategic Program Planning: Programming focused on older adults, not for a specific area or event, but from a strategic planning perspective.

• Information (IT) Technology Improvements: IT capacity updates, staff training, and short-term technical assistance. Grants are often used to support consultants, and if so, a bid must be submitted with the application.