Our application process has recently changed. KW associates and employees now complete their own Request to Apply for a grant.
LEARN MORE ABOUT
Emergency Grants
Emergency grants are available for immediate, critical needs following a localized housing disaster, the funeral of a qualified family member, air ambulance when traveling abroad, or relocation assistance for survivors of domestic violence.
Emergency Grants can award up to $5,000 (amount based on the qualifying situation and demonstrated unmet financial need) to assist with:
- Essential funeral expenses
- Critical, basic needs following a housing disaster
- Relocation for survivors of domestic violence
- Air ambulance when critically ill/injured outside of Canada/the U.S. and need an air ambulance back to Canada/the U.S. for emergency care
To qualify for an Emergency Grant, applicants must meet the eligibility guidelines, have a qualifying event, a qualifying expense and must demonstrate that a financial need exists.
Learn More about Required Documentation to Apply for an Emergency Grant
How to Apply for an Emergency Grant
To be eligible for a grant, grant recipients must meet all of the following criteria:
- Be a Keller Williams associate or Keller Williams Realty, LLC employee in Canada, the U.S., or a U.S. territory with an “active” associate profile in the KW Command Directory, or their spouse/domestic partner, or legal dependent
- Have less than $60,000 in liquid assets (combined checking and savings account balances)
- Have less than $500,000 in non-retirement investment accounts (e.g., stocks and bonds)
Unfortunately, we cannot make exceptions to these criteria without jeopardizing our nonprofit status.
Once you are confident you qualify for a KW Cares grant, you can submit a Request to Apply by following the steps below:
1. Applicants assess their qualifying event and qualifying expenses.
Before completing the Request to Apply, you should have a clear understanding of your hardship and the amount of financial assistance you need. Applicants must show that they have a qualifying event, a qualifying expense, and financial need.
Which qualifying event(s) are you experiencing?
- Funeral for a qualified family member
- Housing disaster (e.g. house fire, internal flooding, small-scale disaster, etc.) of a primary residence
- Domestic violence
- Air ambulance (emergency transport back to Canada/the U.S. following a critical illness/injury abroad)
Which qualifying expense(s) do you have?
- Essential funeral expenses: cremation, embalming/preparation of body, casket, transfer of remains, professional funeral services, cemetery/burial fee, copy of death certificate
- Critical, basic needs following a housing disaster of a primary residence: temporary food, clothing, shelter, personal care items, and other critical, basic needs when a home is fully or partially uninhabitable and homeowner’s/renter’s insurance does not cover immediate needs
- Relocation assistance for survivors of domestic violence: temporary food, clothing, shelter, personal care items, and other critical, basic needs to assist with immediate relocation
- Air ambulance fees: bill for emergency air transport back to Canada/the U.S. following a critical illness/injury abroad
If you do NOT have a qualifying expense listed above, you may NOT be eligible to apply for a KW Cares grant.
Please review the list of expenses we CANNOT give grants for below. If you have an expense that is NOT listed below either, please contact KW Cares at grants@kwcares.org before submitting a Request to Apply, so we can help determine whether your situation may qualify.
KW Cares CANNOT give Emergency Grants for:
- Non-essential funeral expenses: reception, food, flowers, memorial video, limousines, headstone/name placard, facility rental fees, etc.
- Non-critical needs pertaining to a housing disaster: insurance deductible, loss of certain personal belongings, or shortfall in repair expenses after insurance has settled. These are covered under the Catastrophic Hardship Grant program.
- Rent/cost of living expenses to remain in a home where an applicant has experienced domestic violence. Assistance is limited to relocation assistance.
- Ground ambulance services, routine or scheduled medical transportation, or travel for follow-up, second opinions, or non-urgent care needs within Canada/the U.S. These are covered under the Catastrophic Hardship Grant program.
- Legal issues: divorce/separation, child custody issues, adoption, surrogacy, etc.
- Debt relief: payment of back taxes, wage garnishments, credit card debt, debt consolidation loans, personal loans/payday or auto title loans, loans from family/friends.
- Loss of income from KW or other places of employment: compensation for lost wages due to a qualifying event, or lost income due to slow real estate business.
- Income bridging: covering living expenses during income gaps not due to a qualifying event.
- Real estate fees: license fees, Market Center fees, etc.
- Business supplies/equipment lost in housing disasters.
- HOA expenses.
- Routine car maintenance/deferred car maintenance.
- Damage to a non-primary residence or income rental properties.
Can you demonstrate financial need?
- Less than $60,000 in liquid assets (combined checking and savings account balances)
- Less than $500,000 in non-retirement investment accounts (e.g., stocks and bonds)
2. Applicants complete the Request to Apply.
If you have a qualifying event, a qualifying expense, and financial need based on the assessment in #1, we invite you to submit a “Request to Apply” form for a KW Cares grant (click the Request to Apply box below).
3. KW Cares staff confirms an applicant’s eligibility.
Once KW Cares staff receives an applicant’s “Request to Apply” form, a team member will confirm the applicant’s eligibility based on the KW Cares board-approved policies.
4. The applicant receives an invitation to apply for a KW Cares grant.
If KW Cares staff confirms an applicant’s eligibility, the applicant will receive an email invitation to apply for an Emergency Grant, including a link to the online application portal and instructions for completing the application.
To see the comprehensive list of the documents you will need to submit with your application, download the Emergency Grant Documentation Checklist.
KW Cares will review the application and secure any additional needed information from the applicant prior to submission to the KW Cares’ Grants Review Committee for approval.
