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• • The Reliant Point Person may receive and distribute monies from the fund. 

Approving an Affiliated Fundraiser

The following criteria must be met before approving an Affiliated Fundraiser

• Church/Ministry Partnership with Reliant has been confirmed by the Program Team, and the church has vouched for and approved the individual to represent them as an AF.
• Designated Grantees (foreign nationals NOT living in the United States) agree to inform Reliant if they come to the U.S. for any extended amount of time because Reliant cannot send them payment if they are on U.S. soil.
• The church/ministry partnership determines if the Designated Grantee is receiving monthly payments or one-time payments through grants and that the Designated Grantee is in agreement on those amounts and frequency.
  • The program team will work with the church/ministry partner to determine a monthly amount that may be sent for support. It must be clearly communicated that Reliant cannot hire them or have the appearance that they are being paid for hours worked, even as a contractor.
• How the Designated Grantee expects to receive financial support through the project fund may determine if the Designated Grantee can be approved.

  • Reliant prefers that funds be sent to an officially registered-in-country church or ministry that would then pay out funds to a foreign national.

  • Reliant can send funds directly to a trusted Reliant employee or associate through the project fund, who then distributes funds to a foreign national. 

  • (This is still being debated if we should close the door entirely or if there is another option...) Reliant will no longer send payments straight to a foreign national (direct deposited into their bank account) as a paid contractor. Exceptions remain for those very few already grandfathered in. 

• Assessment for all Affiliated Project Fundraisers is completed through an AF application that is reviewed and approved by the Program Team.

• Accounting finalizes vetting for Designated Grantees using the OFAC Watchlist Verification.

• Affiliated Project Fundraisers raising funds for both Reliant and another organization must complete a dual solicitation agreement (Dual Solicitation for APFs)

• Affiliated Project Fundraisers raising funds must complete training on how to raise support on behalf of Reliant and then be officially deputized.
• The individual receiving funds on behalf of the Designated Grantee agrees to complete training on grants and expense submissions and agrees to send a grant report every 6 months for the monthly payments received.

Once the above criteria have been met, and the Designated Grantee has been officially deputized, then any associated project funds (whose sole purpose was for Designated Grantee funding) can be officially created. 

Grants: Payment type (both recurring and one-time special payments) used to reimburse church and project fund expenses and used to send funds to Affiliated Project Fundraiser. 

Process of Grant Payment Approval

• We propose that the Grant Request and AP Request be combined into one form. The form will include an Office Use Only Tab to be used by Accounting to process the AP Request portion and a tab for approvals from the Director of Organizational Affairs and Chief Financial Officer. The form will be used externally for staff to initiate a grant request and internally for processing payment.

• Grant Payment Approval:
  • Accounting Administrator:
    • Reviews all expenses and receipts to confirm correct documentation has been received
    • Confirms approval was received from the authorized signer of the project fund
    • Links the grant payment request to the original approved project fund request form so that approvers can review fund purpose and fund pre-approved projected yearly grant amount
    • Shares the form with the appropriate approver(s) as outlined in the approval requirements below and strives to make sure approvals are received (with the exception of board approval) in a timely manner.
    • Acts as the communicator/liaison between Reliant and the individual submitting the grant request. 
  • Reliant Approvers Confirm:
    • The expenses associated with the grant request align with the project fund approved purpose
    • Required approvals are as follows:
      • One-Time Grants 
        • One-time grant payment requests under $5,000 will be approved by the Accounting Manager
        • One-time grant payment requests between $5,000 and $25,000 will need approval by the Director of Organizational Affairs & Treasurer (in place of the Accounting Manager)
        • One-time grant payment requests between $25,000-$100,000 will need approval from both the Director of Organizational Affairs and the Chief Financial Officer

        • One-time grant payment requests over $100,000 will need additional approval from the Executive Director

          
          

          Info
          So far in 2023, there have been 28 one-time grant requests.  14 were above $5,000 (requiring additional approval from the Director of Organizational Affairs) Out of those 14, none of them are above $25,000 (requiring additional approval from the CFO or the board)

          
          

      • Recurring Yearly Grants (set up of recurring monthly payment)
        • Requests under up to $1,000 a month ($12,000/year) will be approved by the Accounting Manager
        • Requests between $1,000-$5,000 a month (up to $60,00/year) will need approval by the Director of Organizational Affairs & Treasurer (in place of the Accounting Manager)
        • Grant requests between $5,001-$25,000 a month (up to $300,000/year) a year will need approval from both the Director of Organizational Affairs and the Chief Financial Officer
        • A Grant Request over $25,000 a month will need additional approval from the Executive Director
        • Approval for a recurring grant request will last up to 5 years (depending on how long the grant request is for). A new recurring grant request must then be submitted.
        • If the requested approved amount or individuals receiving funds change at any point after approval, then a new approval will be needed.
    • All grants will be entered into Dynamics by the Accounting Administrator and the payment batch will also be approved by the Accounting Manager.
    • If the Accounting Manager is unable to approve within a reasonable timeframe then the Director of Organizational Affairs may approve in their place. If the Director of Organizational Affairs is unavailable to approve within a reasonable timeframe, the Chief Financial Officer may approve in their place. If the Chief Financial Officer is unavailable to approve within a reasonable timeframe, the President may approve in their place.

Grant Payment Approval Policy:

With our crusade for efficiency, we propose reducing the number of times a grant is reviewed and approved. In the past, we did not have Chanda and we did not have Dynamics with built-in approvals, so now, we propose incorporating both of them into our grant-approval workflow. 

QUESTIONS:

Could we have a project fund entitled Zoe #1, Zoe #2 and each fund represented a person. Solicitor- just saying who raised the money, they decide what they do with the money. Using for salary-is that ok? 

Do all standards need policies? (Override fees)

If giving to church, do we need to know the names of the people that they are giving to? designated grantees

all US people are associates

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