Tulsa Educare Benevolence Fund

The Tulsa Educare Benevolence Fund is designed to provide short-term assistance to teachers and staff experiencing severe financial need due to unexpected and unavoidable emergencies. Eligible applicants may receive a maximum of one grant per calendar year. If you have other resources to meet your needs, you are likely not eligible for this crisis program.

The Tulsa Educare Benevolence Fund is administered by the Tulsa Community Foundation, an organization specializing in assisting corporations in creating emergency assistance and disaster relief funds for employees. Applications are confidential and identifying details of the crisis are never shared with other Educare staff without applicant permission.

Program Guidelines

In the event of an unexpected and unavoidable emergency that causes a severe financial hardship, Tulsa Educare employees may apply for assistance within the following categories and qualifications (Please remember that not all emergencies will warrant the maximum assistance):

• Home Catastrophe/Natural Disaster – Amount of Grant: Up to $2,000
  Assistance for employee’s personal residence destroyed, rendered unlivable or otherwise in need of costly repairs in excess of insurance caused by a natural or localized disaster (hurricane, fire, flood, tornado, mudslide, etc.).
• Funeral of Immediate Family – Amount of Grant: Up to $1,500
  Assistance for those who have incurred the loss of an immediate family member**, if the employee is financially responsible for funeral arrangements and no other resources exist.
• Emergency Travel for Immediate Family – Amount of Grant: Up to $1,500
  For employees who must travel to visit or care for a terminally ill immediate family member** or escort a critically ill immediate family member** to an out-of-state medical facility.
• Military Deployment – Amount of Grant: Up to $500
  Available to assist when an employee or employee’s spouse is deployed for six (6) months or longer.
• Medical Emergency (emergency hospitalization, injury, etc.) – Amount of Grant: Up to $500
  For employees who have encountered financial hardships due to medical emergencies in the household (injury, hospitalization, loss of income during medical emergency, etc.).
• Personal Emergency (theft, partner laid off, acts of violence) – Amount of Grant: Up to $500
  For employees who have encountered financial hardships for unexpected, unavoidable reasons beyond their control (spouse’s layoff, unexpected loss of income, non-routine vehicle or home repair that restricts ability of applicant to care for self and household, etc.).

Documentation will be requested from each applicant. Additional information is available here. 

**Immediate Family Defined: spouse, brother/sister, children, step-children, grandchildren, parents, step-parents, grandparents, in-laws (mother/father-in-law, son/daughter-in-law).

Eligible applicants may receive a maximum of one grant per calendar year; two grants per lifetime at company.

Note: To comply with IRS conditions, program guidelines restrict assistance to employees experiencing severe financial need due to specific unexpected, unavoidable emergencies which can be documented. While all emergencies and financial hardships are unfortunate, incidents outside of program guidelines cannot be approved.

Guidelines on this charity program allow it to provide grants to eligible employees. These are not loans and do not need to be repaid. Donor status is never considered by our Review Committee.  

Employees should use available resources such as medical/life insurance, PTO, short/long term disability, personal savings, assistance from family members, etc. before applying for assistance.  If ineligible, TCF can refer applicants to other resources in their community.

Upon approval, grant recipients are typically mailed a check made payable to the vendor requesting payment (i.e. landlord, utility company, contractor, etc.). We understand that each situation is unique so please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.  After multiple applications to the program, referral to a budgeting and financial counselor will be provided to connect applicants with additional resources.

Situations that will NOT be Considered: Elective bills; bills related to routine vehicle repairs; child support payments by applicant; expenses/bills resulting from divorce or separation; attorney fees; medical expenses not related to medical emergencies; situations related to extended family members; or garnishments of an employee’s paycheck due to past debt. TCF must comply with IRS regulations; further guidelines may apply. Additional information is available here.