INDIANA HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM FOUNDATION, INC.
HOSPITALITY RELIEF FUND
POLICY
Background & Purpose
Indiana Hospitality and Tourism Foundation, Inc. (the “Foundation) has established the Hospitality Relief Fund (the “Fund”) to provide financial assistance to Qualified Applicants who are experiencing financial hardship due to an unexpected and unavoidable event. The purpose of this Policy is to detail the guidelines and procedures the Foundation will use in facilitating the Fund.
Definitions
- A “Qualified Applicant” is an adult who has worked on a part-time or full-time basis in the hospitality and tourism industry in Indiana for at least 90 days in the 12 months preceding his or her application for hardship relief. Foundation directors and their Family Members are not Qualified Applicants and may not seek relief under the Fund.
- A “Family Member” is a Qualified Applicant’s spouse, legally-recognized domestic partner, child or parent.
- A Qualified Applicant has a “Financial Hardship” when immediately accessible funds available to him or her are insufficient to readily satisfy existing obligations and basic needs. The determination of whether a Qualified Applicant is facing a Financial Hardship is based on an objective analysis of the Qualified Applicant’s financial need and all other relevant facts and circumstances surrounding the Qualified Applicant’s overall financial condition.
- A “Qualifying Event” is an emergency or hardship situation that has caused a temporary Financial Hardship. This event must be caused by a sudden and unexpected occurrence, or combination of occurrences, which causes a pressing financial need for a Qualified Applicant. Events that impact a Family Member of a Qualified Applicant may be a Qualifying Event provided that the event also directly impacts the Qualified Applicant. Qualifying Events include, but are not limited to:
- Natural disasters, including a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or flood or a home catastrophe such as a house fire.
- Pandemics.
- Illness, injury, disability or death.
- Military deployment.
- Other unforeseen events that create hardship for the Qualified Applicant (e.g., victim of a crime, spousal abandonment, etc.).
Amount of Financial Assistance
If a Qualified Applicant’s application is approved, he or she will receive a one-time grant of $500.
Administration of the Fund
The Foundation’s Board of Directors shall appoint the Hospitality Relief Fund Committee (the “Committee”) to manage and facilitate the Fund. The Committee shall create the application process, review applications and recommend grant recipients to the Board of Directors for final approval. All grants will be approved by a majority vote of the Board’s disinterested directors.
Application Process
The application process for the Fund will require Qualified Applicants to disclose a level of personal and financial information necessary to determine whether assistance from the Fund is warranted. While the level of detail required in the application may depend upon the type of aid requested (i.e., immediate v. long-term) and other surrounding circumstances, at a minimum, each Qualified Applicant will disclose: (a) the Qualified Applicant’s name and address; (b) the Qualified Applicant’s employment status; (c) the name of the Qualified Applicant’s current (or former) employer; and (d) details on the Qualified Applicant’s current financial status sufficient to determine whether a financial hardship exists.
A Family Member or legal representative of a Qualified Applicant may apply on the Qualified Applicant’s behalf if the Qualified Applicant is unable to submit an application. Upon receipt of an application, the Boardmay approve the request, deny the request or defer the request and seek additional information from the Qualified Applicant. The Boardwill relay its decision to the Qualified Applicant as soon as practicable. There is no appeals process, and the decision of the Boardis final.
Distributions
Depending on the circumstances, the Boardmay distribute the grant (a) directly to the Qualified Applicant or (b) on behalf of the Qualified Applicant to a vendor or service provider identified by the Qualified Applicant. If the funds are distributed directly to the Qualified Applicant, the Fund reserves the right to request receipts and other records demonstrating the ultimate use of the funds.
Nondiscrimination Policy
Fund decisions will be made in an objective and nondiscriminatory manner. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations or marital status.
Prohibited Use of Funds
Contributions made to the Fund shall not be earmarked for a particular Qualified Applicant. Moreover, the Fund shall not be used to fulfill a legal obligation of any restaurant, hotel or other employer, such as a program that is part of a collective bargaining agreement or a program that is part of a written plan that provides life, sick, accident, supplemental unemployment compensation or similar benefits.
Recordkeeping
The Boardshall maintain adequate records to demonstrate the charitable nature of the Fund and that funding recipients were experiencing Financial Hardships. Records should include:
- Name and address of the recipient;
- A complete description of the assistance provided to the recipient;
- The objective criteria used to determine the amount of assistance provided to the recipient;
- The relationship, if any, between the recipient and (a) the employees, officers or directors of the Foundation; (b) a grantor or substantial contributor to the Foundation or a member of the grantor or substantial contributor’s family; and (c) a corporation controlled by a grantor or substantial contributor to the Foundation (collectively, the “Disqualified Persons”); and
- The way in which the conflict with the Disqualified Person was managed.
