Donations at Work
The National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) coordinates the annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection and distributes the proceeds to eligible religious communities. More than 20,000 elderly sisters, brothers, and religious order priests benefit. The Retirement Fund for Religious underwrites financial assistance, consultation, and education that help religious communities meet the immediate and ongoing needs of aging members.
Approximately 95 percent of our budget aides senior religious. The remainder is used for administration of the funds and promotion of the nationwide appeal.
Financial assistance
Proceeds from the annual Retirement Fund for Religious appeal enable the NRRO to distribute financial assistance to hundreds of religious communities each year.
The majority of donations are distributed as Direct Care Assistance. Direct Care Assistance is a per capita distribution based on specified criteria, including level of need. Religious communities may apply annually for these funds, which can be used to help meet immediate eldercare needs or saved for long-term retirement expenses. Throughout the year, additional funding is allocated for retirement education and other programming.
Consultation
The NRRO offers a consultation service to assist religious communities with their retirement planning needs. NRRO consultants offer advice on a wide range of topics such as eldercare delivery, financial management, facilities and property, staffing needs, retirement policies, aging in place or outsourcing care, developing a philosophy of aging and eldercare, and more.
Education
Proceeds from the Retirement Fund for Religious underwrite educational opportunities that are designed to enhance eldercare and promote comprehensive retirement planning. Resources include video educational series on eldercare concerns, workshops, publications, online tools, and a quarterly webinar series co-sponsored by the Avila Institute of Gerontology.
Qualifying religious communities may apply for Management and Continuing Education Assistance, which offers funding for a variety of resources, including demographic analyses, the acquisition of basic management tools, attendance at workshops and conferences, and facilitators to support community-planning efforts.
