Grants 101: Winter 2018 Application Presented by: Michelle Landwehr, COO Samantha Watson, CEO #cancerisntfree
Tell me more about these grants Cancer isn t free. The costs go far beyond just the doctors bills: Depleted savings accounts Time away from work COBRA/Insurance premiums Prescription copays Purpose of the grants: Relief from immediate financial pressures so that survivors can instead spend time/energy/money on moving forward towards their goals Help survivors feel motivated, supported and empowered
How much does The Samfund award? The short answer: it depends! 2013: $200,000/108 grants 2014: $250,000/121 grants 2015: $150,000/92 grants 2016: $210,000/138 grants 2017: $117,248/92 grants Average grant size= $1,500-$2,000
Who is eligible to apply? Residents of the U.S. Individuals who are 21-39 years old at the time the application is submitted (by February 8, 2018) Individuals who meet ONE of the following criteria: Completed planned treatment with no evidence of disease, or One year following the completion of planned therapy with stable disease, or In remission and on long-term hormonal therapy (such as Tamoxifen for breast cancer survivors) or long-term targeted therapy (such as Gleevec or Herceptin) Please note: individuals who received a grant in Fall of 2017 must wait until the next grant cycle (June 2018) to reapply.
What types of grants does The Samfund award? We will consider almost all requests. The Samfund does not provide assistance for: Business-related requests Undergraduate tuition requests Credit card repayment requests Payments or repayment to friends/family members Purchase of a car Weddings or vacations For more info about specific categories of funding, please go to: http://www.thesamfund.org/get-help/grants/
What is The Samfund looking for in an applicant? Good candidates for a grant: Can articulate how their cancer experience has impacted their current financial situation (in short essays) Have immediate financial needs that are not being covered by a spouse/domestic partner or a parent/other family member Are not able to get financial assistance from any other source Are struggling financially as a result of their treatment (e.g., lost wages, high medical bills, etc.) or its aftermath (limited ability to work, side effects, etc.) Are limited in their employment options, have lost their jobs, or have sustained a major loss in wages due to their cancer experience
What do I need to apply? Basic personal and contact information Information about your cancer diagnosis and treatment Your current financial picture, including monthly expenses and income, assets and liabilities (debts) Completion of a Medical History Verification Form, signed by a clinician Completion of a Medical Records Release Form, signed only by you Recent Form 1040s (tax forms) or the completion of an Affidavit (if you have not paid taxes in 2015 or 2016) A sense of what type and size of grant would be most helpful (applicants may make up to 3, except in cases of family building all categories listed at www.thesamfund.org/get-help/grants). We will also ask for information about who the grant would be paid to (payee), but it s okay if this information changes or needs to be updated if a grant is awarded. If you are applying for a grant related to family building, we ll need to know more about your current family building plans, your estimated timeline and estimated costs.
How do I set up an online application? Click on the link to the application on or after January 10 th at http://www.thesamfund.org/get-help/grants/ Enter your email address and create a password Read carefully and follow the instructions for each step Answer every question to the best of your ability and as completely as possible Make sure you receive an email confirmation when you click submit your application if not, contact The Samfund office immediately at grants@thesamfund.org.
Medical History Verification Form Download the form from within the application and send it to your doctor (either a digital or printed copy). The doctor will then need to fill out every field on the form, select the appropriate eligibility criteria, and sign it. The completed and signed form can then be faxed or emailed to The Samfund or you can upload it to your application directly. This form is required before your application can be submitted, so download it and get it to your doctor right away!
Medical Records Release Form and Tax Forms Download the Medical Records Release Form from within the application and fill it out with the relevant dates. Only you need to complete this form. The signed and completed form can then be uploaded to the application, faxed or emailed to The Samfund. In the same section, you will need to upload the Form 1040s from your taxes in 2015 and 2016. If you have not paid taxes for these years, you will need to complete an Affidavit explaining why not. You can download a blank Affidavit from within the application.
Submitting forms If you can t upload the forms yourself, you can send them to us to upload for you: Our email address: grants@thesamfund.org Our fax number: 866-496-8070 Please send in any forms no later than February 6 th to insure that they are uploaded in time.
One last word Please be sure everything is correctly filled out and uploaded before you submit! Unfortunately we cannot check applications for errors AFTER you submit, but we are more than happy to answer questions BEFORE you submit. Applications that are incomplete or have incorrect forms will not be reviewed, sorry!
Timeline Application available beginning Wednesday, January 10 th Deadline: Thursday, February 8 th at 5pm EDT. Suggestion: get that Medical History form to your doctor ASAP! No late forms accepted! All applicants notified about the status of their application by April 2018
Good luck! For more info and the link to the application, go to: http://www.thesamfund.org/get-help/grants/ Email us at grants@thesamfund.org with any questions!