Professional Education & Training Grants

Overview

RRF funds professional education and training projects that will be broadly disseminated to achieve a national impact. RRF recognizes the importance of a well-trained work force to serve older persons.

Of particular interest are programs that:

• Increase the knowledge and skills of professionals and paraprofessionals who serve older people
• Expand the capacity and number of professionals and paraprofessionals prepared to meet the growing needs of an aging population

Professional Education and Training Grants are provided to nonprofit organizations that are:

• Proposing a project that has a significant focus on those working with persons, age 60 and older
• Proposing a project that will have national reach across the U.S. or regional reach within the state of Illinois

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.

• 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 settings.
• Social and intergenerational connectedness: Strengthening social bonds through efforts that promote meaningful connections, including those that span generations.
• Organizational capacity building: Improve management and governance of organizations in Illinois.
• Other promising projects: While Priority Areas reflect RRF’s primary funding interests, we remain open to supporting other opportunistic aging projects (on a selective basis).

ASU may submit only one (1) letter of inquiry to the sponsoring organization per deadline. 

Application Information & Tips: At RRF, we want you to have the resources you need to prepare successful grant applications. Here you’ll find general grant exclusions, frequently asked questions, and more.

Awards: 2025 awards ranged between $50,000 and $375,000. See 2025 funded projects here.