Emergency Grant Program

The objective of the California Lions Foundation (CLF) Emergency Grant Program is to provide immediate emergency relief assistance to victims of California through the service work programs of California Lions clubs. 


APPLICATION AND CRITERIA REQUIREMENTS: 

Emergency grants in amounts of $500 and above are available to help Lions districts and clubs with the distribution of immediate relief aid to disaster victims where 100 or more people have been displaced or affected. The district governor or club president must submit the grant request for an Emergency grant and provide specific details on the damages sustained within their district or local club community. Individual clubs may submit requests for Emergency grants. CLF should receive this request form within 30 days of the disaster’s occurrence or end of its duration. Requests received after this 30-day time period are not eligible for funding. To help meet this 30-day submission deadline, it is recommended that requests be submitted via e-mail, fax or phone to the California Lions Multiple District Four office.

The CLF Executive Committee or Board of Directors has approval authority for Emergency grants. Emergency grant funds are limited to providing immediate needs including the purchase of food, bottled water, clothing, blankets, medicine and cleaning supplies. Emergency grant funds may not be used for non-immediate needs such as providing shelter, rebuilding damaged facilities and homes or replacing household and personal belongings lost as a result of the natural disaster. CLF is following the LCIF template, therefore, please refer to the LCIF Emergency Grant Guidelines document available at www.lcif.org for more information on what is considered an immediate need. 

EMERGENCY GRANTS CRITERIA: 

  • Grant requests will be considered for situations evidenced by an urgent need for water, food, clothing, medical supplies, blankets and cleaning supplies not available from other agencies. The requesting district governor or club president will provide a plan of action for a Lions-led relief effort that involves local Lions in distributing the CLF-funded relief supplies.

  • An Emergency grant recipient shall be obligated, as soon as reasonably possible, to supply all information required under the usual grant application process as a condition of acceptance of an Emergency grant.

  • CLF shall not be a primary relief agency nor shall it seek to duplicate the work of such agencies in their efforts to meet immediate disaster needs, nor attempt to assume responsibilities of governments, insurance carriers or private efforts.

  • Emergency grants shall not be given or used to provide direct cash assistance to disaster victims. Numerous other agencies exist principally for that purpose and, in most cases; an Emergency grant is not sufficient to effectively provide for victim's needs.

  • Receipt of an Emergency grant will not necessarily preclude further application being made for additional wildfire emergency grants.

  • Emergency grant recipients are obligated to use grants funds for their original intended purpose within 30 days of receipt of the grants unless given an extension by CLF. The grant must be used within this time period, immediately after which the district or club receiving the grant shall send CLF any unused funds and a detailed grant report of how the funds were expended, along with appropriate receipts and supporting documentation.

DISASTER DETAILS: 

The district governor or club president should answer the following questions in detail. It is important that as much information as possible is provided about the damages sustained within the district. A delay in providing this information will delay processing of the Emergency grant request. 

  • When and where did the emergency commence and is it still ongoing? (Specify cities, counties, villages, etc.)

  • What is the extent of the damage, deaths and injuries? How many homes and families were affected?

3). What current relief efforts are underway by the community, relief agencies and Lions? 

4) What is the district’s/club’s plan of action to purchase and distribute immediate relief aid such as food, clothing, blankets, bottled water, medical supplies and similar items with the CLF Emergency grant funds? 

When all information is received by CLF from the district governor or club president and if it meets the Emergency grant criteria, the request will be acted upon ASAP by the CLF Executive Committee or Board of Directors.  CLF will not reimburse Lions for money spent on relief efforts executed prior to grant approval. 

CERTIFICATION BY DISTRICT GOVERNOR/CLUB PRESIDENT: 

This is to certify that I have reviewed the CLF Wildfire Emergency Grant Criteria. I endorse the need for an Emergency grant and will do everything in my power to assure proper and efficient administration of the Emergency grant funds to purchase and distribute only food, clothing, blankets, bottled water, cleaning supplies, medical supplies and similar items through a Lions relief program.