Charitable Fund Award | FAQ

In order to be eligible for this program, a Recipient must have a disability, meet the criteria for demonstrating financial need as described in the application.

Applications must be completed, verified, and submitted online by a representative from a nonprofit organization or public agency on behalf of the intended recipient. Parents or guardians may NOT submit an application on behalf of a potential recipient of goods or services. Any applications received from an individual or representative that does not meet these criteria will be denied.

Responses to all questions on the application are required in order to successfully submit the application. Please supply enough information about the Recipient’s disability and the requested item or service so that the committee can evaluate how the request will impact the life of the Recipient. Preference will be given to applications that:

• Effectively communicate how the request will impact the recipient’s quality of life (of primary importance)
• Demonstrate the lasting impact (versus a short-term benefit)
• Are for a one-time expense (versus an ongoing expense)
• Cover the entire cost of the equipment or service requested

If the amount required for the equipment/service is over $1,000, the maximum amount of $1,000 can be requested. CCT will not fund a project to be partially completed or award partial funds without receiving assurance that the difference between the total amount needed has been secured.

If an application is funded, the award will be made in the form of a bank-issued check made payable to the vendor listed on the application. Before submitting the application, please be sure that the vendor will accept a check. Award checks payable to vendors will be mailed to the representative who completed the application, not directly to the recipient or the vendor.

There are some situations for which the vendor will not accept a check. Seek an alternative vendor who will accept a check. Please note that the following “big-box” retailers have had issues in the past accepting the award checks:

• Amazon
• Target and Target.com
• Walmart and Walmart.com
• Apple and Apple.com
• Best Buy and bestbuy.com
• Lowe’s and lowes.com
• Home Depot and homedepot.com
• JC Penney and jcpenney.com
• Mattress Firm
• Mattress Warehouse
• IKEA
• Rooms To Go
• Other online and “big-box” retailers

If the organization or agency is unable to manage this accounting as a reimbursement, please seek an alternate vendor that will accept a third-party check.

Note: This applies if and only if the intended recipient receives approved funding. 

If a recipient receives an approved award but the vendor will not accept a third-party check, the nonprofit organization or government agency must be able to make the purchase on behalf of the recipient and provide receipt(s) showing the purchase to then be reimbursed by CCT. Please verify with the organization/agency’s financial department to ensure that they will be able to manage this accounting. CCT will only reimburse for approved applications and only up to or equal to the amount of the approved application.

• Be sure to include the name of the Vendor(s) in the application even if the organization or agency will purchase and request a reimbursement.
• If no receipt is provided, CCT will not issue a reimbursement payment.
• If the price of the item or service is less that what was submitted in the application, CCT will reimburse for the lesser amount.
• If the price is more than what was submitted in the application, CCT will reimburse up to the amount that was approved in the award application. The contact and mailing information from the financial department of the nonprofit organization or government agency will be required.

NOTE: Reimbursements are ONLY APPLICABLE if the application receives approval to be funded. Do not make a pre-purchase in anticipation of receiving funds. Unfortunately, not all applications receive funding.

If you have any questions about this policy, please send an email to cfa@trustcct.org.

Notifications for funding are typically made by mid-May. In general, organization/agency representatives will be notified by email, and award checks will be sent out thereafter. No awards will be made before this time, so this program is not appropriate for emergency situations that require timely funding. Every application will receive notification of an award or denial.

While this varies each year based on the variety of applications, the following requests were funded in previous years:

• Assistive Technology, including iPads and computers
• Dental services and dentures, hearing aids and eyeglasses
• Summer camp fees, therapeutic riding and fitness center membership fees
• Equipment such as wheelchairs, van lifts, stair lifts, dehumidifiers, and adaptive bicycles
• Home safety modifications such as wheelchair ramps and grab bars