Emergency Financial Assistance Fund

The Foundation’s social services team has carefully created a list of additional emergency resources to help members find more helpful resources and services during these difficult times. For state-specific resources, see this resource guide. Please check back on a regular basis as the social services team continuously updates the resources list to meet your needs.

Dues-paying members may be eligible to apply, but that does not guarantee you will receive a grant. Members must first meet earnings and other eligibility qualifications (see above). They must also demonstrate they have been directly impacted by a personal emergency, as well as demonstrate their financial need by submitting tax returns, bank statements, copies of bills to be paid, and a detailed statement describing their financial need and crisis.

SAG-AFTRA Foundation assistance grants often pay for:

• Rent or mortgage payments
• Moving expenses
• Emergency housing
• Utility payments (including phone, internet, water, and electricity bills)
• Auto payments and DMV registration
• Medical and dental emergency bills
• Health and auto insurance payments
• Burial/cremation expenses for a recently-deceased SAG-AFTRA member, or for their spouse/child

SAG-AFTRA Foundation Emergency Assistance Grants CANNOT cover:

• Union dues
• Credit card balances
• Student loans
• Personal loans
• School tuition
• Taxes
• Traffic citations
• Childcare
• Rehabilitation
• Personal travel
• Pet/veterinary care
• For burials/cremation: headstones, memorial/funeral services

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 must first submit a completed application through the Foundation’s website. Our assistance department will reach out to you for an interview and then a committee will review all of the information and documents you provided to determine your eligibility to receive a grant. Please be sure to submit all required documentation with your application.

You will be notified by our staff if you are determined to be eligible for a grant. Processing grant payments normally takes one to two weeks but may take longer. Grant payments are typically paid by a check mailed directly to the applicant. 

If your application is denied, you will receive an email from the Foundation including a denial reason as well as referrals to relevant outside resources.

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. 

We provide one grant per crisis, and we cannot provide ongoing support for chronic/long-term issues. The committee rarely provides multiple grants to the same individual in consecutive years, but we retain the discretion to do so in extreme cases.

SAG-AFTRA Pension and Health maintains an online portal where you can review your annual union earnings. Log in here: https://www.sagaftraplans.org/health/log-your-benefits-manager

Emergency Financial Assistance 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 statuses are eligible for emergency assistance:

• Active Members
• Honorable Withdrawal Members 
• Active Members on Dues Waiver

The following statuses are not eligible for emergency assistance: 

• All Non-Member Statuses, including but not limited to: Terminated, Resigned, Expelled, or Leniency Pending/Decision
• Suspended Payment Members (i.e., members owing no more than 2 dues periods)
• Fee Paying Non-Members (Fi-Core)

You can apply for an emergency assistance grant, however please keep in mind that this program is meant for temporary, short-term needs. We are unable to provide long-term, ongoing financial assistance, but we may be able to help bridge a gap in your transition to this new care dynamic.

We strongly encourage members who live in states with Paid Family Leave programs that provide benefits to those who care for ill family members to apply for these programs. California residents can learn more here and New York residents can learn more here. At least ten other states also have similar programs as well.

Yes, child-members that meet the eligibility requirements above are 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. 

No, family members cannot be covered under a minor’s SAG-AFTRA health insurance or COBRA payments.

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.

Please email assistance@sagaftra.foundation with any questions.