The TD Charitable Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2015 Housing for Everyone grant competition

CHERRY HILL, N.J., July 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, announced it will award $2.5 million in grants in 2015 to support the creation or preservation of affordable housing for seniors through its tenth annual "Housing for Everyone" grant competition.

The Housing for Everyone grant competition is the TD Charitable Foundation's signature program to bolster affordable housing efforts from Maine to Florida. The competition invites local non-profit organizations throughout the TD Bank footprint to submit proposals that address the most critical affordable housing needs in their communities. Since 2006, the Foundation has donated more than $17.1 million in grants.

The theme of this year's competition is Affordable Housing for Seniors, focusing on initiatives that support the development of safe, affordable, accessible housing for older adults, aged 55 and over.

Twenty-five organizations throughout TD Bank's footprint from Maine to Florida will each be awarded a $100,000 grant for a total grant donation of $2.5 million. Each organization is required to submit a proposal for consideration through the TD Charitable Foundation's online application. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Proposals will only be accepted online at www.TDBank.com (click on Our Community) and must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2015. Winners will be notified in mid- November 2015.

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 increase the quality and quantity of units for older adults aged 55 and over. Upgrades to systems, structure and efficiency of properties to preserve and prolong their use will be considered.

Focus on Senior Citizens: Housing programs and services that address the unique needs of senior citizens in urban, suburban, and rural communities will be viewed favorably. This may include, but is not limited to, access to healthcare and medical services, public transportation, shopping, and recreational facilities as well onsite services (elder care, exercise/fitness programs, community rooms, etc.) that would be attractive and supportive to senior citizens and their families.

Utilization of abandoned properties to create new units of affordable housing: In urban, suburban and rural areas, the utilization of underused or abandoned properties to provide permanent or interim housing for low- and moderate-income individuals provides a tremendous opportunity to reverse neighborhood and community decline. 

Special consideration will also be given to those initiatives that focus on energy efficiencies to be realized through foundation funding. 

Applications must meet the following guidelines:

• Applicant organization must be tax-exempt under IRS Code 501(c)(3) or must be a state/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, sexual 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 or individuals;
• 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 or individuals;
• Applicant organizations seeking funds for the creation of new units must, if groundbreaking has not already occurred, break ground for those units sometime during the period from the receipt of the funds (November 2015) through December 2016;
• 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.

A staunch commitment to active involvement in the local community is a vital element of the TD Bank philosophy. TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank® and the TD Charitable Foundation provide support to affordable housing, financial literacy and education, and environmental initiatives, many of which focus on improving the welfare of children and families.

About the TD Charitable Foundation The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank N.A., which operates as TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, and is one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. The Foundation's mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses in all the communities where TD Bank operates, having made more than $138.8 million in charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The Foundation's areas of focus are affordable housing, financial literacy and education, and the environment. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including an online grant application, is available at www.TDBank.com.

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at approximately 1,300 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com.

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SOURCE TD Charitable Foundation