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General Standards

Church/Project funds are created for Reliant church/ministry partners to further Reliant's tax-exempt purpose. Accounts Payable requests, internal fund transfers, Reimbursements and ERBs, and/or grants are used to distribute monies from those funds. (See Reimbursements vs. Grants for more details.)

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. Affiliate Fundraisers are often also Designated Grantees. 

Fund Custodian 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 Fund Custodian 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. The Fund Custodian signs the Master Grant Agreement on behalf of the church/ministry and as a representative for all parties associated with 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 and is required to sign a Stipend Agreement (See Grant-Making Standard for more details on stipend agreements) before grant disbursement can begin. Designated Grantees are often also Affiliate Fundraisers.

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 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. 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 restricted general church/ministry funds (accounts) and restricted project funds (accounts) 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. These are restricted, revenue funds (accounts). Monies may come in through donations or internal transfers, and monies can go out through grants, AP requests, reimbursements, and internal transfers. Any partner within any program team may create a restricted church/project fund. 

Those restricted church/project funds that include stipend distribution to Designated Grantees should have a two-fold purpose: 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, and 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 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.

Fundraising:

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. 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.

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

A U.S. citizen who is not a Reliant employee/associate must become an associate with Reliant in order to raise church/project funds on behalf of Reliant. Associates are eligible to submit church/project fund reimbursements and grant requests.

Foreign nationals may raise support as 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 become officially deputized by Reliant

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

  Note

  Foreign nationals may raise funds on behalf of the church/project fund but do not receive an individual MTD fund number. If a registered foreign organization with multiple Affiliate Fundraisers partners with Reliant, they can request solicitor reporting tags be used for tracking donations. However, we can only provide the solicitor functionality once there are at least two solicitors. Also, the solicitor functionality is only available through online giving.

  
  

Submission Standards:

Requests:

Unrestricted Church Funds may be requested by Reliant partners who have field employees/associates 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 Reliant partners regardless of whether that partner has Reliant employees/associates. The individual who will become the Fund Custodian may request the fund by submitting a Church/Project fund request form to their Program Team, with the following information completed: 

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

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 submission of a new church/project fund request 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 and is signed by the Fund Custodian and a Reliant representative. It includes an acknowledgment and approval of the requested purpose of the fund by both parties. It also includes an acknowledgment that the Fund Custodian read and agrees that all parties associated with the fund will follow the Funds and Grant-Making Policy for Churches and Projects, Grant-Making Standard, Church and Project Fund Standard. (See Sample 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 church and project fund requests 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.

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

Approval Workflow:

Unrestricted Church Funds requests are reviewed and approved by the Program Team and shared with Accounting to process the fund creation. 

Restricted Church/Project Fund requests undergo review and approval by The Director of Organizational Affairs to confirm the following: 

• The purpose of the fund is in alignment with Reliant's tax-exempt purpose as outlined in the policy. 
  • If the purpose varies too greatly from the normal purpose requests, secondary approval by the Chief Financial Officer may be deemed necessary. 
  • 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 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 additional approval is required related to the projected amount of the church/project fund according to the following:
  • Funds projected to annually receive under $25,000 are approved by the Director of Organizational Affairs.
  • Funds projected to annually receive between $25,000 and $100,000 require approval from the Director of Organizational Affairs and the Chief Financial Officer.
  • Funds projected to annually receive over $100,000 require approval of the Reliant board. The Director of Organizational Affairs will submit a request to the board.

Fund approval authorizes fund creation by Accounting as well as the solicitation and receipt of any donations for the approved funds.