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• Funds and Grant-Making Policy for Churches and Projects

Standard Statement

The Reliant Board of Directors delegates Reliant leadership the authority to approve church and project funds to further Reliant’s tax-exempt purposes by establishing these types of church and project funds as defined in the above policy, in Church and project funds as defined in the Policy linked above, are utilized to finance ministry projects and activities that are not typically financed through Ministry Team Development (MTD). Monies from funds are disbursed through the grantmaking process. The establishment and disbursement of church and project funds must be consistent with, and further, Reliant's tax-exempt purposes in a matter compliant with applicable laws and regulations and according to the requirements outlined below. If deemed necessary by Reliant leadership, the Reliant Board may be asked for their additional approval. The Program Team will oversee all church/project fund requests, including obtaining approvals, coordinating with relevant departments, and finalizing fund set upin accordance with the information outlined below. 

Roles:

Affiliate Fundraiser is a foreign national raising funds through a church/project fund on behalf of Reliant. They must attend a Reliant training and become an officially approved deputized fundraiser. 

Reliant Point Person is desired to be a Reliant employee/associate assigned to be the main contact for the church/project fund and is required for all church/project funds. The Reliant Point Person acts as a custodian of the fund, is responsible for the management of the fund and compliance with policy and standards, and in some cases may receive and distribute monies on behalf of the church/ministry. 

Authorized Signer(s) is the individual(s) who is authorized by the church/ministry to approve transfers, reimbursements, grants, and other payments from the church/project fund as outlined on the original church/project fund request form. 

Designated Grantee(s) is a foreign national receiving monies distributed from the church/project fund in the form of a stipend.

Partnership:

All church and project funds must be vetted first by the Program Team lead to confirm the church/ministry partnership with Reliant (a Memo of Understanding has been signed) and to confirm that this request is one that they believe Reliant should move forward on.

Restricted church/project funds may be requested by Reliant partners regardless of whether that partner has Reliant employees/associates. Unrestricted church/project funds may only be created for partners who have Reliant employees/associates due to the purpose of the fund. 

Purpose:

The purpose of the requested fund must be determined to be in alignment with Reliant's tax-exempt purpose as outlined in the policy linked above. If the agreed-upon purpose of the fund changes in the course of the life of the fund, an addendum to the Master Grant Agreement is required. 

Unrestricted Church Fund: The Program Team will review and approve every unrestricted church fund request as the sole  The sole purpose of these designated funds (accounts) is to absorb leftover funds (money) from exited staff that were a part of their church/ministry (typically for residencies/internships) and use those funds to help support other staff at the same church/ministry who need assistance with raising support.  Any partner within any program team may create an unrestricted church fund for this purpose. These are unrestricted, non-revenue funds (accounts), and funds (money) only come in and out through internal transfers. (Exit transfers must follow the order of eligibility (outlined in Exiting MTD Funds Transfer) for exit funds distribution.) Any partner within any program team may create an unrestricted church fund. 

Restricted Church/Project Fund: The purpose of church funds tends to be more general and fund distribution tends to be determined by church leadership. The purpose of project funds can vary but they tend to be more specific with a focused purpose in mind. Those restricted church/project funds that include stipend distribution to Designated Grantees, should have a two-fold purpose. 1) To enable the church/ministry to expand its ministry activities through these Designated Grantees and allow for the training and spiritual formation of these Designated Grantees as they prepare for/serve in full-time ministry. 2) These monies would be used as a monthly stipend for those Designated Grantees. Reliant acknowledges that a Designated Grantee receives a stipend to fulfill the purpose of the fund through conducting the ministry activities outlined in the agreed-upon purpose of the fund. 

If the purpose of a church/project fund includes supporting the funding of a Designated Grantee(s) stipend, the following applies:

• Stipend Agreements are required to be signed by each Designated Grantee (See Grant-Making Standard for more details on stipend agreements) before grant disbursement can begin
• All contributions are the sole property of Reliant; Reliant maintains full control of the donated funds and ultimate discretion as to their use for Reliant’s ministry purposes. Reliant’s desire is to honor the donor preference of the contribution but Reliant has complete discretion and control over the use of the donated funds as part of our 501(c)3 status.
• For contributions to a Reliant fund to qualify as tax-deductible, they must be intended by the donor for use by Reliant Mission and the church/ministry and are not personal gifts for the Affiliated Fundraiser or Designated Grantee. The donor is supporting a pre-approved ministry purpose by a Reliant-approved church/project and ministry partner. Therefore, if an affiliated fundraiser associated with the church/project fund moves to another ministry, the funds do not follow as funds are intended for the church/ministry, not the individual raising support on behalf of the church/project fund. 
• If an organization that is registered in a foreign country has foreign nationals who are working for the organization (such as interns) and the organization desires to partner with Reliant and utilize a church/project fund to help fund their workers in that country, Reliant may determine that the fund can utilize Reliant's solicitor reporting to help tag the Designated Grantee for grant disbursement amount reporting.
• Overfunding of the church/project fund resulting from any support-raising efforts (including those of the Affiliated Fundraiser/Designated Grantee) remains with the fund.
• Grant stipend disbursement amount does not increase based on donations received to the church/project fund. Therefore, the Designated Grantee would not be able to receive additional distributed stipend amounts the following month if they were shorted on their original stipend amount received (as noted in the grant request) the month before. The distributed amount can only be increased by submitting a new grant request.
• In the unlikely event of a cancellation of the church/project fund purpose or plans or if a foreign national who had raised support as an affiliated fundraiser decided not to continue in the role of Designated Grantee for this project/church fund, Reliant will not issue refunds to donors. Reliant will use the funds for other similar Reliant Mission activities beginning with those associated with the connected church/ministry.
• If the sole purpose of a church/project fund is to support the funding of a Designated Grantee, the name of the Reliant project fund must be the church/project name and not the name of the Designated Grantee(s).
• The partner church/ministry agrees to communicate with clarity with all Designated Grantees that the Designated Grantee(s) will be responsible for applicable payment of taxes, withholding for employment taxes, compliance with local law, etc. A clear acknowledgment of these expectations for local compliance will also be noted in the Stipend Agreement.

Request Form:

Field employees may request an unrestricted church fund by contacting their Program Team. Program Team submits a request for unrestricted church funds on behalf of Reliant partners. 

Restricted Church/Project Funds may be requested by a Reliant employee/associate (Typically the person who will become Reliant Point Person for the fund) by submitting a Church/Project fund request form to their Program Team, which includes the following:

• Church/Project Fund purpose and details
• Signed Master Grant Agreement

Approval:

The Reliant Board of Directors delegates Reliant leadership the authority to approve church and project funds to further Reliant’s tax-exempt purposes by establishing these types of church and project funds as defined in the related policy, in a matter compliant with applicable laws and regulations and according to the requirements outlined above. If deemed necessary by Reliant leadership, the Reliant Board may be asked for their additional approval. The Program Team will oversee all church/project fund requests, including obtaining approvals, coordinating with relevant departments, and finalizing fund set up.

All approvals including approval from the Reliant board must be received prior to church/project fund creation.

Approval Workflow:

The Program Team will review and approve every unrestricted church fund request.

The Director of Organizational Affairs will review for approval every restricted church and project fund request to confirm the purpose of the fund is in alignment with Reliant's tax-exempt purpose. If secondary approval is deemed necessary by the Director of Organizational Affairs, it will be sent to the Chief Financial Officer. If the purpose varies too greatly from the normal purpose requests or from Reliant's original tax-exempt purpose, Reliant Board approval may be deemed necessary. 

The Director of Organizational Affairs will also confirm that the proposed budget categories included on the restricted church/project fund request for fund distribution through grants are in alignment with the fund purpose given.

If the sole purpose of a church/project fund is to support the funding of a Designated Grantee, the name of the Reliant project fund must be the church/project name and not the name of the Designated Grantee. Contributions given to the church/project fund are not considered personal gifts for the Designated Grantee. All contributions are the sole property of Reliant Mission; Reliant’s desire is to honor the donor preference of the contribution but Reliant has complete discretion and control over the use of the donated funds as part of our 501(c)3 status.

Projected Amount:

Required approval related to the projected amount of the church/project fund is as follows:

• Funds projected to receive under $25,000 annually are approved by the Director of Organizational Affairs.
• Funds projected to receive between $25,000 and $100,000 annually require approval from the Director of Organizational Affairs and the Chief Financial Officer.
• Funds projected to receive over $100,000 annually require approval of the Reliant board. The Director of Organizational Affairs will create a request for board submittal.

Project funds whose sole purpose is to fund Designated Grantees will not be officially created until the Designated Grantees associated with the fund have been approved and signed a stipend agreement. 

Fund approval authorizes the solicitation and receipt of any donations for the approved funds. Designated contributions generally will be honored, but Reliant shall retain full discretion over the ultimate expenditure or use of those contributions and retains the right to discontinue funding at any time.

Fundraising:

Any Reliant employee/associate may raise funds on behalf of a church/project fund. 

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Foreign nationals may raise support as an a deputized Affiliate Fundraiser through a church/project fund on behalf of Reliant under the conditions that the foreign national:

• Work alongside an existing Reliant partnership.
• Be identified and vouched for by a Reliant worker or church/ministry partner.
• Complete an assessment and application that is reviewed and approved by the Program Team.
• Be vetted using the OFAC Watchlist Verification.
• Complete training for raising church/project funds on behalf of Reliant and be officially deputized.

• Complete a dual solicitation agreement (Dual Solicitation) if raising funds for both Reliant and another organization

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As long as we are following our current boundaries of following tax-exempt purposes, maintaining control of the funds (not just being a pass-through for the church) and giving to project which goes straight to the church (and that it's clear to all that this is not for participant- participant having no control of money, not receiving money if they leave, etc.) then we are good.

Need to add to designated grantee...If an intern goes to another ministry- money does not follow. Overfunding goes to the project not to give more money to the individual who raised it, etc.

• Note
  Foreign nationals may raise funds on behalf of the church/project fund but do not receive an individual MTD fund number.

Roles:

Affiliate Fundraiser is a foreign national raising funds through a church/project fund on behalf of Reliant. A signed deputized fundraising agreement is required. 

Master Grant Agreement:

Church/Project funds are created to receive donations and grants are used to distribute monies for those funds. Therefore, a Master Grant Agreement must be signed at the time of requesting a new church/project fund to ensure a proper understanding of grant use when monies are distributed. 

The Master Grant Agreement is attached to the Church/Project fund request form. It includes an acknowledgment of the requested purpose of the fund, an acknowledgment that the church/ministry  Funds and Grant-Making Policy for Churches and Projects as well as both associated Reliant Standards (Grant-Making Standard, Church and Project Fund Standard) have been read and that the Reliant Point Person who is signing Reliant Point Person is desired to be a Reliant employee/associate assigned to be the main contact for the church/project fund and is required for all church/project funds. The Reliant Point Person acts as a custodian of the fund, responsible for management of the fund and compliance with policy and standards, and in some cases may receive and distribute monies on behalf of the church/ministry . Authorized Signer(s) is the individual(s) who is authorized by the church/ministry to approve transfers, reimbursements, grants, and other payments from the representing the requested church/project fund as outlined on the original church/project fund request form. 

Designated Grantee(s) is a foreign national receiving monies distributed from the church/project fund in the form of a stipend.

New Fund Requests:

Unrestricted Church Funds (Dimension NRE): Field employees may request an unrestricted church fund by contacting their Program Team. Program Team submits a request for unrestricted church funds on behalf of Reliant partners. 

Restricted Church Funds (Dimension CHF) and Project Funds (Dimension PRJ): Reliant employees/associates may request a new restricted church/project fund by submitting a Church/Project fund request form to their Program Team, which includes the following:

• Church/Project Fund purpose and details
• Agreement to follow the Project Fund and Grant Standard
• Signed Master Grant Agreement

Master Grant Agreement:

Church/Project funds are created to receive donations and grants are used to distribute monies. Therefore, a master grant agreement must be signed at the time of requesting a new church/project fund to ensure a proper understanding of grant use when monies are distributed.signs that all parties associated with the fund are in agreement to follow. A Reliant representative will also review the request and will sign the Master Grant Agreement in approval that they agree upon the purpose of the fund and that the fund can now be created.... The Reliant Point Person (agrees to communicate all information on the Master Grant Agreement to the church/ministry they are representing and signing on behalf of) 

Master Grant Agreements are customized for each church/project fund with information found on the church/project fund request form, but generally include acknowledgments of the following:

• Agree in confirmation that Reliant and Partner have a signed Memorandum of Understanding
• Agree that the grants distributed must be used consistent with the agreed-upon purpose of the fund.
• Agree that if A clear purpose for the money, including names of Designated Grantees. If the purpose of the church/project fund changes, including changes to Designated Grantees, an addendum to this agreement change the purpose outlined in this Master Grant Agreement is required. 
• Agree that I have read and agree that we (the church/ministry and myself) will follow the information outlined in the Funds and Grant-Making Policy for Churches and Projects.
• Agree that I have read and agree that we (the church/ministry and myself) will follow the information outlined in the Church and Project Fund Standard
• Agree that I have read and agree that we (the church/ministry and myself) will follow the Grant-Making Standard

Many other items are outlined on the policy/standard but we wanted to highlight the following...

• I understand that all All contributions are the sole property of Reliant; Reliant maintains full control of the donated funds and ultimate discretion as to their use for Reliant’s ministry purposes. 
• For gifts to a Reliant fund to qualify as tax-deductible, they must be intended by the donor for use by Reliant Mission and are not personal gifts to an individual. If an individual associated with the church/project fund moves to another ministry, the funds do not follow as funds are intended for the ministry, not the individual.
• Overfunding of the church/project fund remains with the fund.
• Grant stipend disbursement amount does not increase based on donations received to the church/project fund. The amount can only be increased by submitting a new grant request. 
• Confirm that clarify is I confirm that clarity will be given to donors and designated grantees....For a Designated Grantee to receive stipends from Reliant, the Designated Grantee and donor must any affiliated fundraiser and designated grantees so that they understand the church/project funds are not supporting an individual. They are supporting a pre-approved ministry purpose by a Reliant-approved church/project and ministry partner and are not supporting any individual(s). 
• In the unlikely event of a cancellation of the church/project fund purpose or plans or if a foreign national had raised support but decided not to continue in the internship or role with the church/ministry, Reliant will not issue refunds to donors. Reliant will use the funds for other similar Reliant mission activities beginning with those associated with the connected church/ministry. 
• Local Laws....maybe spell out how detailed we are asking for the purpose...backpay would not be issued the next month if underpaid the previous month

Stipend Agreement

Word the stipend agreement in such a way that Reliant is giving the funds to foreign national so that he can be carrying out ministry activities x,y,z and that Reliant acknowledges b/c of the time it is taking that he may not be able to devote himself to other work activities sufficient to support himself and his family so Reliant recognizes that some of the funds may be used for personal expenses and some used for direct ministry expenses

Encourage where you have a Reliant employee to try to find an entity around there that would partner with Reliant where you could send the stipends to instead. Assign the task to the Reliant employee- to find a local church entity or an NGO set up to monitor the use of the funds.

Would still be inclined to use a stipend agreement but have in that agreement that some of the oversight exercised by reliant will be done by the reliant point person to check in- are there receipts for things they have purchased with the money that helps further the purpose (not just for paying for what a paycheck would pay for)? Stipend agreement with the foreign national would say they are responsible for all the individual tax requirements, national health, etc. being done. If enough foreign nationals consider creating an entity in that country.

Approval:

All approvals including approval from the Reliant board must be received prior to church/project fund creation. 

Project funds whose sole purpose is to fund Designated Grantees will not be officially created until the Designated Grantees associated with the fund have been approved and signed a stipend agreement. 

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• Reliant will not act as a conduit of funds for any recipient.
• Reliant grants cannot be used to cause any private inurement or improper private benefit to occur. 
• Reliant will take reasonable steps of due diligence to ensure that it is not otherwise assisting known or suspected terrorists through its foreign grant-making process.
• We (the church/ministry and myself) agree to communicate with clarity with all Designated Grantees that the Designated Grantee(s) will be responsible for applicable payment of taxes, withholding for employment taxes, compliance with local law, etc. A clear acknowledgment of these expectations for local compliance will also be noted in the Stipend Agreement that will be required to be signed by all Designated Grantees.

Add to the tab for the Master Grant Agreement

I agree that as the Reliant Point Person, I am signing on behalf of the (fill in the blank) church/ministry and that they are fully aware and fully understand the implications of my role.

I agree that I am taking on  the responsibility of the Reliant Point Person as outlined in the policy and standard.

I agree that I will inform the church/ministry of all of the agreed-upon policies and standards related to the church/project fund that will be created for the church/ministry and associated grant distributions. 

Please write YES in agreement of the above statements.  ____-

By submitting this completed Master Grant Agreement, I am agreeing that the information stated above is correct and that I understand and am in full agreement with the information outlined above.

Full Name

Current Date

Purpose: 

Purpose is: 

If purpose is to have designated grantees...

what will be their activities 

Reliant acknowledges that a Designated Grantee receives a stipend to fulfill the purpose of the fund through conducting the ministry activities outlined on the master grant agreement, and due to these ministry activities, may not be able to devote time to other work activities sufficient to support the Designated Grantee's family, therefore Reliant recognizes that some of the funds may be used for personal expenses.

Will contract no more than ___ Designated grantees to carry out these activities