If you’re facing a financial emergency or an expense you can’t afford, Modest Needs may be able to help.
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What is Modest Needs?
Modest Needs has been helping people with short-term financial assistance since 2002. This organization focuses on people who are experiencing a temporary financial crisis.
This organization operates somewhat like GoFundMe. They match people in need with donors who want to help.
However, ModestNeeds is different. They support people who generally don’t qualify for assistance from other agencies and they never distribute the cash directly to the person asking for help. The payments will always be made directly to an organization or vendor, such as a landlord or utility company.
Who can get help from Modest Needs?
Modest Needs serves people who are working and live just above the poverty line, so they don’t qualify for assistance elsewhere.
In order to qualify for assistance, you MUST meet both of these crtieria:
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- At least one adult member of the household must be employed at the time of the application. Documentation of employment is required.
- The primary source of income for each applicant’s household must be either earned from employment, child support payments, Veteran’s Benefits or retirement income (including Social Security retirement).
According to their website, they give special consideration to:
- Single persons with no dependent children
- Veterans who are transitioning from the military to civilian life
- Teachers
- First Responders
Please be aware that documentation is required for these grants. You will need to provide documents that prove your identity, income, employment, and the expenses you need help with.
What can these grants help with?
There are many reasons that you may need help from Modest Needs. They can assist you with rent payments, unexpected medical/dental bills, car repairs and other financial emergencies.
However, they cannot help you with any of the following expenses:
- They cannot pay your taxes, including property tax payments.
- They cannot pay past-due child support payments.
- They cannot pay fines or legal fees.
- They cannot assist with bankruptcies.
- They cannot assist with credit card payments.
- They cannot assist with luxury goods or services (such as a vacation or video game console).
They also cannot assist you with any needs that would require them to send money or gift cards directly to you. For example, they cannot assist with the cost of groceries, gas, overdraft fees, or payday loans. They cannot assist with utility deposits (because those funds are returned to you at the end of your tenancy) and they cannot pay your rent if you are renting from a family member.
If you need help with groceries, it would be better to ask for help with rent or another large bill. They can alleviate that cost, which will enable you to use your own funds for groceries.
How does it work?
Donors provide funds to Modest Needs, which uses the money to award these grants. Many donors prefer to give to Modest Needs instead of an unrestricted site like GoFundMe, because they know that those needs have been documented and proven.
What documentation does Modest Needs require?
You will have to answer a lot of questions and submit some documentation as part of your application process. The organization suggests that the application takes around 30-45 minutes to complete. You will need either your most recent tax return or the most recent bank statement for all the adults in your household.
