Auxiliary Emergency Fund

1. Auxiliary Emergency Fund

2. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Karen M Boehler, National Chairman Department of Colorado Donna Hatfield, Northwestern Division Chairman Department of Nebraska Marcy Schmidt, Department Chairman Department of North Dakota

3. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Department of North Dakota Objectives • Familiarize Units on AEF Roles and Responsibilities • Exceed the dollar amount $3160.59 of AEF donations for 2012-2013

4. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Auxiliary Emergency Fund provides temporary assistance to eligible members during the following: • A natural disaster or weather emergency leaves a member without shelter or food • A financial crisis hits leaving a member without resources for shelter, food or utilities and no other source of aid is readily available. • In extreme circumstances, educational training is needed by a member lacking the necessary skills for employment or to upgrade competitive workforce skills

5. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Assistance Information • Emergency assistance grants may be awarded by the AEF Grant Committee on a case-by-case basis up to a maximum of $2,400. • AEF assistance will not be granted to pay accumulated debt such as medical expenses or credit card debt. • Grant funds may be used only for emergency shelter, food or utilities. • To ensure the integrity of the program, the national AEF Grant Committee directs payments to a provider such as a mortgage or utility company. • Education grant payments are directed to the educational institution.

6. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Resources to check before applying for AEF assistance: • www.legion.org • www.operationhomefront.net(general financial assistance for military families) • www.211.org(referral program for local help with food, housing & employment) • www.fema.gov(disaster assistance) • www.redcross.org(disaster assistance) • www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) • www.liheap.ncat.org(Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) • www.ALAfor Veterans.org (review for additional resources)

7. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Who is Eligible? • Members of the American Legion Auxiliary whose dues are current and who have maintained membership for three consecutive years (the current year and immediate past two years) are eligible to apply in the wake of a financial crisis. • Eligible member seeking emergency assistance apply via a process involving their local Unit, Department and American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters

8. Auxiliary Emergency Fund What can Units do to Support AEF? AEF is open only to Auxiliary members, so it is best to promote member-to-member within the Legion Family • Contact the Department Office to request AEF Brochures and applications • Brochures and applications are also available on the National website ALAforVeterans.org • Inform unit members that the AEF fund is a member benefit • Become familiar with the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ • Hold an informational event/meeting and be prepared to sign up lapsed and/or new members

9. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Local Resources - Units should contact the following for listings of local assistance programs • City and County Government Offices • Local utility companies in your community • Check out North Dakota’s state government website for other assistance programs • Once you have listings, compile eligibility requirements for each of the programs • Review Slide 6 for other resources

10. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Fundraising Ideas • Silent Auction – Plan your fundraising auction within an existing event. • Solicit local businesses for in-kind donations – food for your local food pantry. • Set up information booth at local events – keep a ‘piggy bank’ handy for donations. • Bake sale • Donate money for number of years you’ve been an ALA member. • Raffle • Luncheon • AEF donation – circulate Pringles can or ‘piggy bank at unit meetings.

11. Auxiliary Emergency Fund More Fundraising Ideas • Coupon books • Sponsor a dinner with proceeds going to AEF. • Book Sales • Unit Rummage or Garage Sale Get creative – you will be helping a fellow member in the event of a natural disaster or financial crisis.

12. Auxiliary Emergency Fund AEF Awards - Total donations per department will be tracked by National Headquarters and will be divided by the department’s current membership as of June 1, 2014 to determine the per capita donation amount. • Citation (Plaque) Recognition – Given to one unit and one department contributing the largest donation (per capita) to AEF. • Citation and Lapel Pin Recognition – Presented to any individual contributor donating $50 or more – citation is available at ALAforVeterans.org and may be printed by the unit and department. • Certificate and Recognition at National Convention – One department from each division contributing the largest amount (per Capita) will receive a certificate and special recognition at National Convention.

13. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Frequently Asked Questions • What is the AEF and how did it get started? How is it funded? The Auxiliary Emergency Fund (AEF), established in 1969, was made possible by a generous legacy gift from Helen Colby Small of Burlington, WI. Funding for AEF grants comes from generous contributions from units and members, and can be awarded to members who have exhausted all other personal and community resources due to financial hardship, natural disaster or the need for competitive job skill education.

14. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Frequently Asked Questions • Can you explain the requirement based on years? In short, if your dues have been paid for the last two consecutive year, as well as the current year 3 years total), you are eligible to apply. • How do I know I have the current application? To ensure you have the right application, please download the application from: www.ALAforVeterans.org.

15. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Frequently Asked Questions • What information should I never include on my application? Do NOT include information like your Social Security Number due to liability reasons. • What paperwork is required to be submitted? You must complete the application in its entirety. Not completing the form will delay approval and disbursement of funds.

16. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Frequently Asked Questions • What if I live in a different state than my membership? Contact Kelly Cochran, AEF Case Manager at (317) 569-4563 for assistance. • Why do I need my unit’s recommendation? The unit is asked to provide a recommendation letter and sign off on the application since they know you, the applicant, best. Also, this is a requirement of the AEF rules, per the Unit Handbook.

17. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Frequently Asked Questions • What if the applicant is related to the unit’s president and secretary? If you are related to both the unit president and unit secretary, we ask that the highest-ranking officer, not related, sign the application. Please be sure to indicate this, as it is the only instance in which this is allowed.

18. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Frequently Asked Questions • Why do I need to send my application to my department first? Once the application is signed by the unit, it is forwarded to the department before arriving at National Headquarters so that the Department Secretary can verify your continuous years and current membership. Also, your current dues may not yet have been processed in the National Membership system.

19. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Frequently Asked Questions • How quickly will my application be processed? Under normal circumstances, review and data verification alone take one month, unless expedited at the unit and department levels. Delays due to an incomplete application or missing signatures extend this timeline. Each of the steps must be done in a timely manner to complete the process, so please plan accordingly.

20. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Frequently Asked Questions • Could I have been a donor in the past and still apply for AEF? Yes. There is no rule that says you cannot receive funds once you have contributed to AEF.

21. Auxiliary Emergency Fund Marcy J Schmidt, Department AEF Chairman 1725 Park Blvd S Fargo, ND 58103-4733 Phone: (701) 232-1327 Email: aef@ndala.org Presentation Prepared – October 1, 2013