MEMBERS / PRODUCERS

Saskatchewan Craft Council Members' Emergency Fund Procedures

SCC Members’ Emergency Fund program is administered by a committee of SCC members and staff and operates at arms length from the SCC Board of Directors. This program was established by the SCC Board of Directors in 2012 and is based on the CARFAC Saskatchewan Artist Distress Fund.

Purpose:

To establish and maintain a fund the purpose of which is to provide any SCC member, excluding patrons, with immediate, short-term financial aid in a time of crisis.

Structure:

The SCC Members’ Emergency Fund will be composed of not less than three (3) and not more than five (5) SCC members. The members of the committee will be senior artists appointed by the Board of Directors of the Saskatchewan Craft Council.

Staff Liaison/Support

A designated staff person shall be a member of the committee and shall exercise of his/her own recognizance any and all privileges accorded to a voting member of the Committee, including decisions related to the disbursement of emergency funds. The SCC Executive Director may also attend meetings from time to time but has no vote.

Meetings:

Any SCC member or staff person may request that the Chair call a meeting of the committee to review an application for assistance. The Chair will endeavour to ensure that a meeting is convened either in person or via e-mail soon after he/she is contacted.

Term of Office:

Membership terms on the Committee shall be two (2) years and shall not exceed more than three (3) consecutive terms. These terms of office do not apply to the staff member of the committee.

Accountability:

  1. The Committee shall report regularly to the SCC Board of Directors.
  2. The Committee shall report annually to SCC members at the AGM.
  3. Only the SCC Board of Directors, upon due consultation with the Chair of the committee, can remove or replace a member of the committee.
  4. The SCC Members’ Emergency Fund will be managed by the SCC.
  5. Details of disbursements made from the fund will be recorded on a confidential voucher for audit purposes. The voucher must record the name and address of the recipient and the signatures of at least two members of the committee. The vouchers will be kept in a confidential file by the SCC Financial Officer.

Duties:

  1. The Committee shall meet in person or via e-mail as soon as possible after a request for assistance has been made.
  2. The Chair shall ensure that a properly authorized request for disbursement is given to the SCC Financial Officer immediately following a meeting of the committee.

Guidelines:

  1. A crisis is defined as any emergency or desperate circumstance which can be temporarily ameliorated by the provision of short-term financial assistance.
  2. All contact with SCC members and/or staff should be kept in the strictest confidence. The identity of the artists should be known only to committee members and SCC staff. When reporting to the board, the Chair of the committee shall simply report on the number of grants provided without disclosing names or personal details.
  3. The function of the fund is not to provide financial support for long-term or chronic need situations. Its purpose is to provide immediate, short-term assistance. No artist may receive more than five hundred dollars ($500) in assistance within a twelve month period.

Budget:

  1. Monies will be raised through programs and events sponsored by SCC and by requests for donations from individuals.
  2. Committee members are responsible for suggesting and developing strategies for raising money for the fund and ensuring that they are carried out effectively.
  3. Recipients who wish to pay back the money they received to the fund will be asked to make a donation to the organization and will be issued a tax receipt.

Download a PDF Voucher here...

To contact us for more information or to donate by phone, call: 306.653.3616, ext. 0, or email saskcraftcouncil@sasktel.net. Or donate via PayPal below.

Thank you in advance for your support.