Purpose
To make funds available to help Meeting members and those closely connected with Meeting who are faced with unanticipated emergency situations involving severe short-term financial needs. The fund is not intended to be used to help with ongoing financial difficulties.
Committee roles
The Oversight committee will receive and review requests for assistance and make a recommendation to the Finance and Budget Committee and the Presiding Clerk(s). In addition, Oversight will consult with the Peace and Justice Committee and/or other appropriate committees if it is determined that the applicant has needs which might be met by other community services or by the Meeting.
Criteria
- Any member or attender who is closely connected with Meeting qualifies for this aid in case of a financial emergency, such as but not limited to illness, housing, tide over between jobs, family death, or catastrophic event not covered by insurance.
- Members of the Oversight Committee, the Finance and Budget Committee, the Meeting officers, and the families of all three groups cannot become recipients of monies from this fund without full disclosure to the Meeting for Business. The financial need has to be established to the satisfaction of the Oversight committee.
- There must be a demonstrable immediate need. (Assistance will not be provided to allay fear of possible future need.)
Procedure
- The applicant or the person’s representative needs to submit a request in writing to the clerk of the Oversight committee explaining the emergency as well as his/her financial situation, which includes the extent of their available financial resources.
- The committee will meet (on the phone or by e-mail if the urgency of the situation so requires) to consider the request for aid and at least one member will meet with the applicant.
- The committee will discern a recommendation through our Quaker “sense of the Meeting” process, reaching unity after tenderly but clearly exploring the situation with the applicant.
- The committee will consult with the Finance and Budget Committee and the Presiding Clerk(s) to review the recommendation for financial support to applicant and to assure the availability of funds.
- Grants to one individual or family can be awarded up to $500, with a limit of $1000 within a 3 year period.
- Recipients will be encouraged to repay all or part of the grant as they become able to do so. However, repayment is not required. If an award is repaid within the 3 year limit, the individual or family may be eligible for additional assistance within that period.
- Applications and committee decisions are confidential, unless the applicant indicates that sharing information with other Meeting committees or members would be helpful. The recipient’s letter, including name and address, the deliberations of the committee, the amount given and the purpose for which it was given will be kept in the locked portion of the Meeting’s files.
- The number of financial assistance grants, total amount, and general description of the purposes for which the grants were made will be recorded in the Oversight committee’s annual report to the Meeting.
- The Meeting shall maintain a reserve fund of $3,000 for the purpose of aiding members and attenders whose applications for emergency financial assistance are approved in accordance with this policy.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
