Everence Sharing Fund FAQs

A church member is serving in another country for a few years and her house burned down. Can we apply for a grant for her?
Even though she is not living in the United States at this time, she is a member of your church, so you can apply for a grant to help her with a need.

A former church member has moved to another state and there is no congregation with an Everence advocate for him to attend, so he's now attending a church that doesn't have any ties to Everence. Can his former church apply for a grant for him?
Yes, this is considered a grant for a community person. If your church chooses to help a former member still living in the United States you can request a matching grant.

Can family members give money to a church for a grant for someone in their family so they can receive a tax write-off?
All support by congregations to church member or attenders should be initiated by church leadership with the intent of the support being a congregational response. A family member cannot give a directed contribution to the church to benefit their family unless a special fund has been established in the church for that need. The church could run the risk of loosing their tax exempt status if they were audited by the IRS.

An international student was attending our church while in college. He has returned to his home country and we received word that one of his parents needs a medical procedure. Can we apply for a grant for this family in another country?
Everence grants are for members or attenders of congregations in the United States.

Can we apply for a grant for some members of our church who are going on a service trip to help with clean up after a disaster?
This grant can be used for those types of projects whether in your local community or in another state.

Can we apply for a grant to match the regular support we give to missionaries from our congregation who are working with a Christian organization?
Sharing Fund grants are to be used for emergency situations and not for ongoing support of mission workers.

Could the Sharing Fund grant budget be used up sooner rather than later?
It's very possible, but we want to give churches the help they need to carry out their mission, whether it is with individuals in the community or helping individuals in your church. The good news is that if more church members purchase a product more money would be available. So, if you're aware of needs in your congregation that Everence products could address, contact your Everence representative.

How long does it take for Everence to process a grant request?
If the application is complete, including all necessary information and documentation, the grant check is usually in the mail within seven to 10 working days after it reaches our office. Exceptions would be during vacation times or during November and December.

I thought this was a matching grant? We gave $100 and applied for $100 to come back to the church to replenish our fund. I received a check from Everence for $50. Why did that happen?
The Everence Sharing Fund is designed as a cost-sharing grant program between Everence and the congregation. We match what the church gives as long as it does not exceed the need. If the need was $100 and the church paid that full amount, Everence would reimburse the church for half of what the church gave.

If a family incurred a huge medical bill and is paying it off over a period of years, can the congregation apply for a grant each year until the bill is paid?
As long as the congregation gives additional money each year, they can apply for a grant.

When does the year end for Sharing Fund grants?
Dec. 10, for checks written by the church in that year. However, if you provide a member with eligible assistance between Dec.11 and Dec. 31 of a given year, you may apply for a grant to help meet those expenses. The application must be submitted before February 28 of the following year. Grants made from these circumstances will count against that following year's grant total.

If Everence Sharing Fund is out of money before Dec. 10, will my request be carried over for the next year?
We process grants in the year they are given. If the church check is dated before Dec. 10, we will not carry over this request to the next year.

If a person has a need after Dec. 10, are we just out of luck?
No, church checks dated between Dec. 11 and Dec. 31, may be carried over for the next year. They will be processed in the new year using the new year grant amounts.

If a person pays a bill with a credit card, can the church apply for a grant to help with the credit card debt?
Even though the credit card paid the original bill, the person is still responsible for paying off the credit card. If this is causing a financial need for the family then the church can apply for a grant.

If our Everence stewardship advocate is out of town or the grant is for the advocate, who should sign the application?
Anyone in church leadership can sign the application and include a brief explanation why he or she is signing for the advocate.

Are there limits to the amount of grant money per need?
The only limit a church has is the amount of grant money they have available in a calendar year. For example, a person has to pay $10,000 of their hospital bill. Their church holds a fundraiser and raises $2,000 so they can apply for a grant up to $2,000 as long as they have that amount of grant money available for the calendar year.

There is a family in our community whose child has leukemia. Can other churches in the area apply for a grant for this family?
If each congregation has their own Everence advocate, then they are more than welcome to apply for a Sharing Fund grant! Each church would need to send an application including verification of the money they gave.

We gave a “love offering” to a family. Do we still need to list a total of expenses?
Yes, this information is important because Everence matches what you give as long as it does not exceed the need.

We had to pay the whole bill immediately or our member would have been evicted. Can we ask for a reimbursement to the church?
We will reimburse the church for half of what you paid.