Direct Service Grants

Direct Service Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Retirement Research Foundation
Last Updated: April 02, 2026

Summary

The Retirement Research Foundation (RRF) offers Direct Service Grants to nonprofit organizations focused on enhancing the quality of life for older adults. These grants prioritize projects addressing caregiving, economic security, housing, and social connectedness. Organizations must demonstrate a clear understanding of the aging network and articulate service gaps. RRF emphasizes equity and supports initiatives that foster diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly for historically marginalized populations. Applications are accepted from eligible nonprofit entities, aiming for transformative impacts in communities.

Overview

NOTE: Applicants invited to submit a full proposal have one year after the LOI deadline to submit.  Example – For a LOI submitted on the November 1st deadline, an invited applicant has three deadlines to submit a full proposal: February 5th, May 5th, August 5th Mission & Vision RRF Foundation for Aging’s mission is to improve the quality of life for older people. RRF is one of the first private foundations devoted exclusively to aging and retirement issues. RRF’s vision is that ALL older people continue to be valued and respected as participants and contributors in community life. What We Fund - Priority Areas RRF Foundation for Aging focuses on improving the quality of life for older people. In an effort to strengthen the Foundation’s impact, RRF has established Priority Areas. These Priority Areas are specific topics in aging that will be given higher priority within the Foundation’s grantmaking program. While these reflect RRF’s primary funding interests, the Foundation will remain open to considering compelling applications on other topics. Caregiving: Ensuring that caregivers are informed, well-trained, and supported, while providing care to older people in community settings Economic Security in Later Life: Valuing the dignity of older people through efforts that ensure and protect their economic security and well-being Housing: Promoting efforts that make housing more affordable and provide coordinated services that enable older people to live safely in community settingsSocial and Intergenerational Connectedness: Strengthening social bonds through efforts that promote meaningful connections, including those that span generation Organizational Capacity Building: Improve management and governance of organizations in IllinoisOther Promising Projects: While Priority Areas reflect RRF’s primary funding interests, we remain open to supporting other opportunistic aging projects (on a selective basis) Direct Service Grants By funding direct service, RRF strives to achieve a profound, positive, and enduring effect on large numbers of older people in Illinois. RRF awards Direct Service Grants for projects that: Address an RRF Priority Area;Implement a new program or significantly expand/strengthen an existing program to fill a gap in service delivery;Are transformative for the organization, community, or the field; andApply an equity-focused, race conscious lens (where appropriate).

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. RRF provides funding to nonprofit organizations that are tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as Public Charities; OR nonprofit organizations that are not required to have a 501(c)(3) designation, such as state-funded universities and Area Agencies on Aging. Direct Service Grants are provided to nonprofit organizations that are:have a clear background and understanding of the aging network; are able to clearly define and articulate the gap that their work will fill;have potential to maintain and sustain the program beyond RRF funding; andbuild strategic partnerships, disseminate or scale findings, and add to existing knowledge. Organizations may submit only one Letter of Inquiry per deadline.Common exceptions include LOIs submitted by separate departments of large universities. It is recommended that you check with your colleagues and/or development staff prior to submission to ensure only one proposal is submitted.Those that are not invited need to wait a year before submitting another LOI for the same project.

Ineligibility

RRF generally does not fund:Projects that are not intentionally focused on older people, age 65 and aboveProjects outside of the United StatesGrants to individualsLobbyingGeneral operating expenses or support for ongoing programs without significant changes in strategy or focusBiomedical research, basic theory development for social science research, or research and development for new technologyConstruction of facilities, capital improvements, or computer equipmentConferences, publications, or production of films and videos unless they are integral components of a larger projectDissertation research, tuition expenses, or education programs for undergraduate or graduate studentsEndowments, capital campaigns, or fundraising eventsPrivate foundationsFinancial deficitsRRF does not award grants to governmental agencies, except for state universities, area agencies on aging, and programs of the Veterans Administration.