Employee Emergency CARE Fund
Funded entirely by donations from staff, faculty, and other supporters, the Employee Emergency CARE Fund offers grants of between $200-$2,000 to employees who have experienced a sudden financial hardship.
How to Give
It's so easy to donate a few dollars from each paycheck to help colleagues. Convenient giving options include payroll deduction and PayPal.
How to Apply
Apply for an Employee Emergency CARE Fund grant. Learn about eligibility guidelines and the application process.
About the CARE Fund
The Employee Emergency CARE Fund offers financial assistance to faculty and staff who have experienced a non-recurring sudden or emergency-related financial hardship due to an unforeseen or unavoidable event. It is funded almost entirely thanks to the generous donations of faculty and staff. The fund typically has enough donations to award 20-25 grants per year.
The program is overseen by the Division of the Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, with applications reviewed by a confidential committee of Cornell community members.
How The CARE Fund Helps
Natural Disasters
transcript "Natural Disasters"
Domestic Violence Support
transcript "Domestic Violence"
Medical Crises
CARE Fund Stories
"Helped reduce the stress"
“The funds I received were essential in helping me after my house fire. I lost a wall and a half and the entire roof on the east side of my home plus had smoke and water damage throughout. With an exterior wall missing in bitter cold February and no heat source, the house was not habitable. This CARE gift really helped reduce the stress I was under during this time.”
"Allowed me to focus on treatment and recovery"
"At a time when I was hit with the diagnosis of a cancerous tumor, the help the CARE Fund provided allowed me to focus on treatment and recovery with much less stress. This is a wonderful program and I want to thank everyone who contributes to this."
"A blessing"
“The Emergency CARE Fund was a blessing. It made a major difference when I was struggling to get by! I felt guilty about asking for help from strangers, but now I look at the help I received as a blessing. Now that we are getting back on our feet, I plan on giving to the fund so that someone else can feel what I felt when the help came through when it was needed most.”
Volunteer
Fundraising for the Employee Emergency CARE Fund is done by a committee of Cornell employee volunteers. Our subcommittees include marketing & communications, employee ambassadors, and events. Contact us to learn how you can help!
If you are interested in joining the Employee Emergency CARE development fund committee, sign up via our Gig in Workday!
Spread the word
Spice up your meeting and learn about the CARE Fund! A presentation on the CARE Fund, its purpose, and its impact is available by request: carefund@cornell.edu