Apply for a grant

The RTOERO Foundation awards grants between $10,000 to $50,000 to projects that aim to improve seniors’ health and wellness, promote social engagement for older adults and/or pursue innovative research in the field of geriatrics and gerontology.

Application process

The RTOERO Foundation reviews grant applications once or twice annually, in the spring and/or fall. Applicants should review the guidelines and requirements as well as timing and deadlines outlined on this page before applying for funding.

The RTOERO Foundation grant application process consists of four stages:

  • Letter of Intent (LOI): Applicant will be asked to provide a project summary, some detail regarding outputs, as well as a draft budget and schedule (LOI approximately 750 words). A submitted LOI will be evaluated based on adherence with the foundation’s objectives and funding criteria. If the project summary as articulated in the LOI meets all requirements, the applicant will be invited to submit a full proposal.
  • Proposal: Applicant is responsible for completing and submitting all the required detail of their project proposal (approximately 3,000 words), on or before the stated deadline. Applicant will also be asked to attach a detailed budget and workplan.
  • Committee review: Our peer-review committee will assess proposals and make recommendations for funding.
  • Final approval: Funding recommendations are brought to the RTOERO Foundation board of directors for final approval.

Applicants are encouraged to review our funding requirements in detail prior to submitting a letter of intent.

Please note: Although we very much encourage applications from Francophone organizations and researchers, the application platform is only available in English. Applications must therefore be submitted in English. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us and we will do our best to help.

Any questions? Contact us at [email protected]

Timing and deadlines

The RTOERO Foundation has one or two granting periods each year; spring and/or fall. Grant proposals are accepted only during application periods.

Next deadline to submit Letter of Intent: October 7, 2022

Invitations to submit full proposal: October 14, 2022

Deadline to submit proposal: November 18, 2022

Approved applicants contacted by: February 2, 2023

Please note: the foundation does not provide feedback on submissions that are not accepted.

Funding requirements

The RTOERO Foundation will only consider applications from registered Canadian charities or other qualified donees as identified by the Canada Revenue Agency. A non-profit group working in partnership with a registered Canadian charity may also apply. Only projects that meet eligibility criteria and fall within one of our funding areas will be considered.

General criteria

In order to be considered for funding, projects must:

  • Align with the RTOERO Foundation’s vision of a society in which all seniors live with dignity and respect
  • Directly address one or more of the foundation’s focus areas
  • Include a detailed and reasonable budget
  • Include measurable objectives and strong evaluation components to prove project impact
  • Provide proof of ethics approval (only for applicants whose institution requires ethics review and approval)

The RTOERO Foundation has a strong preference for projects that also include:

  • Sharable, lay-oriented output materials such as toolkits, manuals, videos, etc.
  • One-year project timeline
  • A sustainability plan to continue project viability after initial funding period
  • Partnerships and collaboration with other organizations
  • Potential to scale and/or replicate project after initial funding period
  • Experienced project leadership and implementation team
  • Opportunities for involvement from RTOERO members

The foundation will not consider proposals to fund the following:

  • Conferences or event sponsorship
  • Endowment
  • Emergency appeals
  • General fundraising campaigns
  • Partisan political activities
  • Projects outside Canada
  • Reducing a capital/operating deficit
  • Religious activities
  • Retroactive funding

 

Focus areas

The RTOERO Foundation grant program has three focus areas. Project proposals must address one (or more) of these areas in order to be considered for support. Each year the foundation may be accepting proposals for one or more, but not necessarily all, focus areas.

  • Geriatrics research. Accepting proposals in 2022.
    Initiatives that take a scientific approach to an examination of healthy aging, health services, and the quality of life for older adults. Projects will consolidate and analyze existing knowledge and/or discover new knowledge with the goal of better understanding issues that affect older adults. Applicants are typically academic or medical institutions.
  • Seniors’ health & wellbeing. Accepting proposals in 2022.
    Initiatives that have as their primary focus, improved physical, mental and/or social health and wellness among older adults. Projects will increase our understanding of critical issues related to older adults and propose innovative methods to address those issues. Applicants may be national or provincial nonprofits or smaller, community-based organizations.
  • Social engagement. Accepting proposals in 2022.
    Initiatives that have as their primary focus, improved social engagement for older adults. Projects will increase our understanding of social isolation and loneliness among older adults and propose innovative methods to help solve the social isolation crisis. Applicants may be national or provincial nonprofits or smaller, community-based organizations.
Applicant responsibilities

Successful applicants will be required to enter into a “grant agreement” with the RTOERO Foundation, outlining requirements related to communication, accountability and evaluation, including:

  • Commencing project within six months of approval
  • Spending of funds for intended purposes as outlined in applicant’s proposal and budget
  • Returning any unused funds to the foundation
  • Recognizing the foundation in project materials, publications, etc.
  • Making key project staff available for discussion or interview for foundation marketing and communications materials (newsletter articles, webinars, etc.)
  • Submitting an interim report and final report
  • Securing ethics approval (only if required by applicant’s institution)
Getting started

Our Fall 2022 letter of intent deadline has now passed. Please follow us on social media to stay connected and get information about our upcoming 2023 grant cycle.

 

Before continuing, please ensure you have reviewed all of the information on this page to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for funding from the RTOERO Foundation.

New applicants will be asked to create an account with a username and password. Work can be saved at any point to return and complete/submit at a later date.

The RTOERO Foundation grant application is an entirely online process. Submissions made via mail or email will not be considered. Although we very much encourage applications from Francophone organizations and researchers, the application platform is only available in English. Applications must therefore be submitted in English. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us and we will do our best to help.

Any questions? Contact us at  [email protected]