Life Church Benevolence Fund Policy

Purpose

• Set forth an objective process for the evaluation of requests for assistance from the Life Church Benevolence Fund.
• Provide clear eligibility guidelines and requirements for receiving assistance from the Life Church Benevolence Fund.

• Outline the request for assistance and approval process.

Biblical Basis and Oversight

• The Benevolence Fund Policy is guided by Biblical principles. (Acts 2:42-47)
• The Benevolence Committee is responsible for administering the Benevolence Fund.
• The Benevolence Committee will preserve the anonymity of anyone requesting assistance with the exception of the Ministry Leaders Team as required.
• The Benevolence Committee will approve or deny all requests or require more information.

Benevolence Funding

• The Benevolence Fund shall be funded by donations specified for Benevolence purposes.
• Per IRS regulations regarding charitable contributions, all gifts to the Benevolence Fund must be unconditional, without personal benefit to the donor and not earmarked for particular recipients.

Priority Recipients of Assistance – Recipients of assistance shall be prioritized as follows:
1. Members of Life Church
2. Members of the broader Life Church community

Intended Purpose and Assistance Parameters

The purpose of the Benevolence Fund is to help meet the needs of and demonstrate the love of Christ to individuals or families during a time of financial hardship or crisis.

As part of the process, the Benevolence Committee may require recipients of assistance to seek financial counseling including budgeting and debt management. Requests cannot generally exceed the lesser of the balance in the Benevolence Fund or $300.

Assistance from the Benevolence Fund is intended to cover an individual’s or family’s basic needs on a one-time basis. However more than one annual request, requests greater than $300 or multiple requests over time may be considered at the discretion of the Benevolence Committee.

Benevolence Funds may NOT be used for:

• Business investments, debts or anything that brings financial profit to the recipient.
• Credit card debt. Unless credit cards were used for valid emergency purposes. • Legal fees resulting from criminal behavior.
• Gambling debts.
• Late payment penalties.
• School tuition or fees.

Disbursement Guidelines

Individuals or families requesting assistance are expected to explore all other valid means of assistance from appropriate sources (i.e., family members, savings, assets, etc.) prior to requesting assistance. The Benevolence Fund is intended to be the source of last resort during a time of crisis or other hardship.

Benevolence Fund assistance may not be disbursed in the form of a loan.

Benevolence Fund recipients must be willing to receive financial and Biblical counseling. The Benevolence Fund may reject applications for assistance that in its view will reinforce irresponsible behaviors.

Benevolence Request Form

Attribution: Seeds of Security Benevolent Fund Policies and Guidelines