RRF Foundation for Aging

• RRF Foundation for Aging, based in Chicago, IL, funds organisations working with older people (age 60 and above) across Illinois and the US, with priorities such as age equity, caregiving, economic security, housing and social connection; note that direct-service and organisational capacity-building grants are limited to Illinois, while advocacy, research, and knowledge-sharing or awareness-raising work needs national reach if it is not based in Illinois.
• Pitch a modest request: about 8 in 10 of its 487 grants to organisations fell between $300 and $68,000, with a median of $20,000, though the largest grant was about $145,000.
• Start with a brief Letter of Inquiry; only applicants whose work aligns with its priorities are invited to submit a full proposal, and applications follow fixed deadlines set out in its Grant Calendar.
• Only 19% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded the previous year, so most of its funding reaches new or different organisations each cycle.
• Do not apply if your project is not intentionally focused on older people aged 60 and above, is based outside the United States, is for an individual, is based in an institutional setting such as a hospital or care facility, involves lobbying, seeks general operating support without a significant change in strategy, is biomedical research, construction, or an endowment, capital campaign or fundraising event, or if you are a private foundation or facing a financial deficit.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• National Consumer Law Center · A two-year grant to lead a strategic initiative, involving research, training, coalition-building and advocacy, to protect older adults against the consequences of medical and student loan debt that undermine economic security in later life.
  $143,6262024 tax year
• National Consumer Law Center · A two-year grant to lead a strategic initiative, involving research, training, coalition-building and advocacy, to protect older adults against the consequences of medical and student loan debt that undermine economic security in later life.
  $143,6262024 tax year
• Grantmakers in Aging · An 18-month grant for phase two of changing the care conversation, a collaborative initiative designed to ensure equitable family caregiving policies are advanced at the state and national level by empowering state-based caregiving coalitions to advocate for family caregiving issues.
  $132,5002024 tax year
• National Recreation and Park Association · A second-year grant to increase social and intergenerational connectedness for older adults through local parks and recreation.
  $125,0002024 tax year
• University of Alabama at Birmingham · A two-year grant to develop and evaluate a culturally sensitive, self-help web program based on acceptance and commitment therapy to mitigate loneliness and promote connectedness among older korean immigrants in the u.s.
  $125,0002024 tax year
• University of Tennessee · A two-year grant to adapt the savvy caregiver training program to address the unique needs of lgbtqia+ caregivers.
  $125,0002024 tax year
• University of Texas Foundation · A two-year grant to address the impact of dementia on african american communities by partnering with public health agencies to disseminate the alter program, which provides education, resources, and support for dementia caregivers.
  $125,0002024 tax year
• Foundation for Social Connection · A three-year grant to mobilize comprehensive advocacy efforts that seek to secure critical support for programs that enhance the well-being and connectedness for older americans.
  $124,5932024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.