The Office of Human Resources has opened the Financial Hardship Fund a fund created to provide financial assistance to current and former College employees affected by recent budget cuts to donations from the public, the department announced in an e-mail sent March 17.
College workers who were affected by layoffs or reductions in hours since Jan. 1, or whose immediate family members were either laid off or moved to reduced hours by any employer, will be eligible for a grant of up to $2,000 from this fund, Lynn Baker, director of compensation in the Office of Human Resources, said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
This money will cover "unmet financial needs not addressed through the layoff package and loan programs," according to the College's web site.
College President Jim Yong Kim, acting Provost and Dean of the Faculty Carol Folt, and Senior Vice President Steven Kadish initially announced in a press conference on Feb. 8 that they would donate 10 percent of their salaries, including $50,000 to the hardship fund, to the College.
College administrators hope the fund will continue to grow through donations from various members of the Dartmouth community, Baker said.
"We don't have a specific target group in mind in terms of who we hope will contribute," she said. "We're just trying to create an opportunity for anyone to contribute at any level."
Baker said she did not know whether additional donations have been made since the announcement.
Ann Root Keith, associate vice president for Development at the College, confirmed in an e-mail to The Dartmouth that gifts are "just starting to arrive" because the announcement of the Hardship Fund is "so very recent."
Earl Sweet, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 560, expressed concern that the available funds will be depleted too quickly to make a true difference. Although he said he decided to allow SEIU employees to take advantage of the plan a little over a week ago, he is unsure that it will succeed.
"I see it as a Band-Aid solution to what the real problem is," he said. "You don't have to be a math genius to figure out that it's not going to go very far in helping all the laid-off workers."
He also questioned officials' expectation that the fund would replenish itself through donations at a time when a majority of the community feels pinched by the economic downturn.
"As the College keeps cutting money, benefits and hours, it seems more than a little unrealistic to assume that other employees will want, let alone have the financial means, to contribute to this fund," he said.
When asked about these concerns, Baker said it is difficult to predict how far the money in the fund will go and whether it will run out.
"We don't know what the need will be or what the level of giving will be, but we're hoping that's not the case," she said. The College will begin to accept applications for funds on April 1.
"On the applications, we will be looking for reasons [employees] are applying for their loan, whether it be for a mortgage, educational expenses or to buy a new computer that will help them with their job search," Alice Tanguay, benefits manager for the Office of Human Resources, said.
The awards will be given on an "honor system," she added, and the College will not require proof of the financial need from applicants.
Baker said she has already received several e-mails from employees inquiring about the details of the fund.
The Hardship Fund will operate until April 1, 2012, as long as funds are available, according to the College web site. If money remains at that time, it will be relocated to the existing emergency loan program for hourly employees.
