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Catastrophic Hardship Grants

Catastrophic hardship grants primarily focus on events such as a medical illness, injury related to a motor vehicle accident, or repairs due to a housing disaster.

Catastrophic hardship grants can award up to $30,000* (amount based on the qualifying situation and documented financial need) to assist with:

Out-of-pocket medical expenses
Travel and/or rehousing expenses necessary to receive essential medical treatment
Modifications to home for accessibility
Assistance with deductible and/or shortfall in repair expenses following a housing disaster, such as fire, flood, tornado, etc. Assistance for housing disasters is for primary residences only.

Learn More about Qualifying Catastrophic Hardship Events

How to Apply for a Catastrophic Hardship Grant

Once you are confident you qualify for a KW Cares grant, you can apply by following the steps below:

1. Meet with Your Market Center Leadership or KWRI Department Head.

Your Team Leader, Operating Partner, or KWRI Department Head should have a clear understanding of your hardship and the amount of financial assistance needed. After meeting with your leadership representative, a “Request to Apply” form will be sent to KW Cares by this leadership representative on your behalf.

2. KW Cares staff will confirm applicant’s eligibility.

Once KW Cares staff receives the “Request to Apply” form, our team member will immediately confirm eligibility of the individual applying for a grant based on KW Cares board approved policies.

3. Grant Applicant will receive an invitation to apply for a grant with KW Cares.

If an individual is eligible to proceed with the grant process after confirmation by KW Cares staff, that grant applicant will be sent an invitation via email to officially apply for a catastrophic hardship grant. The invitation will contain a link to an online portal to begin the application process with clear instructions on how to complete the application.

To see the comprehensive list of the documents you will need to submit with your application, download the Catastrophic Hardship Grant Documentation Checklist.

KW Cares will review the application and secure any additional needed information from the applicant prior to submission to the KW Grant Selection Committee for approval. Within 30 days of the receipt of all required documentation, the applicant will be notified whether the application has been approved. Even if an application meets grant criteria, it does not necessarily mean the request will be approved.