Benevolent
Standing Rules
Part I
COMMUNICATION
Section
1. The mailing address of the
Benevolent
Section
2. Each Director of the
Part II
DECISION TEAMS
Section
1. Two (2) Decision Teams will be appointed by
the President.
Section
2. Decision Teams shall have four (4) members,
who must be Directors.
Section
3. Each Decision Team will be active during
alternate calendar months.
Section
4. No less frequently than each month, Decision
Teams will select a chairperson from among their team members.
Section
5. During the month that it is active, it shall
be the duty of a Decision Team to review each application for assistance
brought forward and to determine the resolution of the application.
Section
6. The chairperson of the Decision Team shall
strive to bring the Team to a timely resolution of each application for
assistance brought forward.
Section
7. In the event of a tie vote by the active
Decision Team, the President shall have authority to cast a tie-breaking vote.
Section
8. Decision Team members shall recuse themselves
from voting upon applications for assistance from themselves or from family
members.
Section
9. When sufficient numbers of the active
Decision Team members cannot be contacted in a timely manner to judge the
merits of an application for assistance, a member or members of the other
Decision Team may be substituted.
Part III
APPLICATIONS
Section
1. The Directors shall approve an Application
Form for use by persons requesting financial assistance. Applicants will be required to submit
applications on this form, except in extenuating circumstances.
Section
2. Copies of all applications for assistance
shall be kept in
Part IV
ASSISTANCE
Section
1. In keeping with the fiduciary duty of the
Board, assistance to applicants may take the form of either loans or
grants. Outright grants shall require
the approval of a majority of the Directors, including the President.
Section
2. It is recognized that each applicant for assistance
will present unique circumstances requiring prudent judgment on the part of the
Decision Team in reaching its determination.
Section
3. Circumstances which may support the approval
of a request for assistance include:
3.1 A life-threatening need on the part of the applicant or a member of
applicant’s immediate family;
3.2 An unexpected financial calamity which upsets otherwise balanced finances;
3.3 Imminent danger of loss of food or vital medical care;
3.4 Imminent danger of loss of housing or critical transportation;
3.5 Membership in the
Section
4. Circumstances which may support the denial of
a request for assistance include:
4.1 Evidence of careless spending or excessive debt;
4.2 Evidence of fraud on the part of applicant;
4.3 Legal bills or judgments;
4.4 Non-emergency quality of life issues;
4.5 Situations in which
4.6 Requested amount would deplete
Part V
PROCESS
Section 1. Requests for assistance may originate through any Director and shall be routed to the Chairperson of the currently active Decision Team.
Section 2. Any Director may assist an applicant in the process of filling out an Application Form.
Section 3. The Decision Team Chairperson shall have the responsibility for obtaining an Application Form from the person requesting assistance and eventually present the Form to the Secretary for archival purposes.
Section 4. The Decision Team shall reach a decision; this decision may be to fund the applicant’s requested amount or a different amount.
Section 5. Decisions to deny assistance shall be communicated to the applicant by either the initially contacted Director or the Decision Team chairperson in a timely and kind manner.
Section 6. An individual who has been denied financial assistance may resubmit a modified request.
Section 7. An individual’s request for financial assistance can lead to exactly one of four possible outcomes:
7.1 The request is denied;
7.2 The request is approved as a grant;
7.3 The request is approved as a loan to be repaid by the applicant in a lump sum after a specified time;
7.4 The request is approved as a loan to be repaid by the applicant through regular payroll deductions;
Section 8. When an individual’s request for financial assistance has been approved to take the form of a loan:
8.1 In keeping with the applicant’s wishes, the appropriate Promissory Note (lump sum or payroll deduction) will be executed;
8.1.1 The original Promissory Note shall be transferred to the Alliance Treasurer;
8.1.2 A copy of the Promissory Note shall be provided to the applicant;
8.2 When the applicant desires to repay the loan through payroll deductions, a new Payroll Deduction Form will be filled out as appropriate and transmitted to the District Personnel office.
Section
9. The chairperson shall inform the Treasurer
and the President of the resolution of each application, and take
responsibility for all necessary paperwork to be completed and routed properly.
Part VI
DIRECTOR’S TERM LIMITS
Section 1. Directors shall be limited to no more than three (3) consecutive terms of service.
Section 2. A partial term, such as might occur when an individual is appointed by the Board to serve the remainder of a vacancy on the Board, shall be counted as one (1) full term for the purposes of this Part.
Section 3. After a break in elected service, an individual can once again seek election or appointment to the Board of Directors. Nothing in this Part shall prohibit the Board from appointing an otherwise qualified individual to fill a vacancy on the Board.
Part VII
FINANCIAL RESERVES
Section 1. In December of each year, the Board shall
determine the dollar amount of
Section 2. No portion of the funds in the Alliance Reserve Account shall be disbursed without the approval of at least 2/3 of the Board of Directors; the Treasurer and President of the Board must be among the approving Directors.
Part VIII
ADOPTION AND
ALTERATION
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall adopt Standing Rules at its first meeting in each school year.
Section 2. The Standing Rules may be amended through addition, deletion, or alteration by a majority vote at any meeting of the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Any amendments made to the Standing Rules shall take effect immediately.
Section 4. Complete copies of the Standing Rules will be provided to all members of the Board of Directors at the first meeting in each school year, and also no later than the first meeting following any amendment of the Standing Rules.