Disaster Relief Fund

Natural disasters must be declared as emergencies by state or federal government authorities, and may include: 

• Tornadoes and Severe Storms
• Hurricanes and Tropical Storms
• Floods
• Landslides
• Wildfires
• Earthquakes
• Tsunamis
• Hazardous Materials Accidents
• Severe Disease Outbreak

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s one-time disaster relief program only considers the following short-term needs:

• Emergency Temporary Housing
• Move-in costs for Long-Term Housing
• Temporary Relocation / Transportation
• Moving Expenses 
• Storage Units
• Medical Supplies 
• Prescriptions
• Limited Auto Repair / Rentals
• Limited Basic Needs (e.g., food, clothing, hygiene)
• Unfortunately, this program is only able to support temporary needs, it does not replace your insurance policy or government support.

SAG-AFTRA Foundation disaster relief grants CANNOT cover:

• Home Repair / Construction
• Auto Replacement
• Insurance policy premiums or deductibles 
• Expenses that will later be covered by insurance policies or FEMA
• Loss of income due to lack of work

The Foundation accepts applications for disaster relief within one year of the qualifying event, depending on available earmarked funds.

Every application will be reviewed on an individual basis. Grant awards are determined holistically, based on: SAG-AFTRA earnings, previous grant applications and awards, documentation provided, and the type of critical need.

You may apply for another grant as long as the new application is meant to support a separate financial crisis unique from the one you previously received assistance for.

Disaster Relief Grants are intended as gifts, and you will not have to pay them back. However, please consult a tax professional if you are uncertain whether any amounts paid to you will need to be reported on your personal income tax return.

If your circumstances change down the line, and you have the means to give back to your fellow SAG-AFTRA members in urgent need, we are always grateful for donations of support to the Foundation from former recipients of this vital program.

The following membership statuses are eligible for disaster relief:

• Active
• Honorable Withdrawal
• Dues Waiver

The following membership statuses are not eligible for disaster relief: 

• Non-Member
• Suspended Payment
• Terminated
• Resigned
• Fee Paying Non-Members (Fi-Core)
• Pending Leniency

Yes, child-members that meet the eligibility requirements above would be eligible for our financial assistance programs. In such situations, grants are paid directly to the applicable vendor (e.g., landlord, utility company), not to the child/parent. Parents should be prepared to provide both the parents’ and child’s financial documentation (i.e., bank statements and tax returns), and parents will also need to meet at least once with a staff social worker.

If you have multiple children who are SAG-AFTRA members, and you want them each considered for assistance, you will need to complete a separate application for each child.

If your documents are not already available electronically, you can scan them to create PDFs that can be uploaded to our electronic form. Here are some suggested steps to do so:

1. Search your app store for a free PDF scanner (e.g., Evernote Scannable). There are numerous free apps available to do this, please use what works for you.
2. Download the free app to your phone/tablet.
3. When you are ready, open the app and scan documents to create PDFs.

Given the historic devastation caused by the L.A. wildfires and the number of members who are displaced by the destruction of their homes, at this time, we are prioritizing their applications. Please continue to check back to our website for updates as to when other emergency programs are reestablished and available to others in need. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Please email disasterrelief@sagaftra.foundation with any questions.