Originally Published by TD Bank.
A total of $3.125 million will be awarded and distributed across 25 local non-profit organizations this year that are transforming lives by providing affordable housing in communities served by TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank.
The theme of this year’s competition is Expansion of Access to Affordable Housing; which will seek to fund programs that provide access to safe, clean, physically accessible affordable housing units for families, individuals, the elderly, new Americans, Veterans, the disabled, women and youth. The competition will also look to fund the development and maintenance of programs that educate and assist individuals in finding permanent or transitional housing opportunities that meet their needs.
Earlier this year, TD launched The Ready Commitment, a multi-year program to help individuals and communities prosper. As part of The Ready Commitment, TD targets CDN $1 billion (US $775 million) in total by 2030 towards community giving in four areas critical to building an inclusive tomorrow Financial Security, a more Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Financial Security initiatives seek to increase access to the opportunities people need to help improve their financial wellness, ranging from access to affordable housing to financial literacy to early learning and income stability. Grants made through Housing for Everyone help local non-profits provide affordable housing to individuals and families, leading to improvements in their ability to plan for the future and participate more fully in educational and economic opportunities. Non-Profits seeking to expand access to affordable housing are encouraged to submit a free application for consideration of Housing for Everyone funding.
Applications will only be accepted through the TD Charitable Foundation’s online application system and should be submitted by 4:00 p.m. (EST) on August 31, 2018. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Notification of awards will be made by mid November 2018. The online application and additional information about the Housing for Everyone grant competition is available at: https://www.tdbank.com/community/housing_grant_competition_guidelines.html.
Applications for funding must focus on:
Preservation/Rehabilitation/Expansion of viable existing affordable housing properties: This may include the redesign, reconfiguration and/or re-use of existing space in affordable housing properties to create increased quality and quantity of affordable housing units that will meet the specific needs of the population which they are intended to serve. Upgrades to systems, structure and efficiency of properties to preserve and prolong their use will be considered.
Creation of new units of affordable housing: This may include rental units or homeownership units and could focus on single-family housing, multi-family housing, or housing complexes that feature multiple units of housing.
Programs or services that help individuals access affordable housing: This may include programs that keep individuals and families in their existing homes or programs that help low to moderate-income individuals and families access units of affordable housing.
Special consideration will also be given to those initiatives that focus on energy efficiencies to be realized through foundation funding. Initiatives may also benefit from utilizing underused or abandoned properties.
Applications must meet the following guidelines:
Applicant organization must be tax-exempt under IRS Code 501(c) (3) or must be a state or local government entity;
Housing units or properties to be improved must be located in a TD Bank, N.A. metro market area;
Applicant organization must not discriminate on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, marital status, family status, veteran status, disability or other characteristic protected by law;
Applicant organization must have a history of developing, maintaining and/or providing affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families;
Applicant organization must be able to show the impact they have made to affordable housing efforts in their community;
Applicant organization must show fiscal responsibility and ongoing viability;
All housing units or properties to be improved or developed must be for and occupied by low- and moderate-income families;
Applicant organizations seeking funds for the creation of new units must, if ground-breaking has not already occurred, break ground for those units sometime during the period from the receipt of the funds (November 2018) through December 2019;
Applicant organization must be current on all outstanding debt obligations, utility payments and taxes, there can be no unsatisfied judgments/liens for which the applicant is liable;
Applicant organization must be able to quantify the impact of their proposed affordable housing project;
Applicant organization must not have any pending legal actions against it.
