WHAT IS SHARE THE DOUGH?
Share the Dough is our nonprofit designed to support our own team because we are compelled in Christ to show grace and mercy. Through the voluntary contributions from Manna employees, we have created a fund to be used for our team members facing catastrophic situations and impact the communities we are in. What a blessing to be able to help each other out. Since 2014, Share the Dough contributions have supported numerous Manna employees for various emergencies, provided educational scholarships, adopted families for Christmas blessings, donated $16 million yearly in day-end food donations, financially supported local community organizations and built homes and churches in the developing world.
WHAT IS THE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND?
Share the Dough Emergency Assistance is a program funded by Manna employees (through voluntary payroll donations) and cafe guests (through at-register canister donations) to support Manna employees when they are faced with an emergency situation that is catastrophic and damaging to life, health or property and they are faced with severe financial hardship when all other sources of funding have been exhausted.
WHO IS ELLIGIBLE FOR ASSISTANCE FROM THE SHARE THE DOGUH FUND?
All employees of Manna Development Group (part-time and full-time) are eligible for emergency assistance through Share the Dough. An employee must be employed with Manna for at least 90 days consecutive days before he/she can apply for funding. An employee does not have to donate to the fund to apply for and receive funding. Terminated and suspended employees may not apply for or receive funding (status must be Active or LOA).
WHAT IS CONSIDERED AN EMERGENCY SITUATION?
Applicants must have a documented emergency situation that results in a loss of life, health or property and is in the face of severe financial hardship where all other sources of funding have been exhausted. This crisis situation must be an event beyond the employee’s control. Emergency situations considered for assistance are:
LOSS OF HOME DUE TO FIRE/FLOOD
EMERGENCY TRAVEL
LOSS OR PURCHASE OF MEDICALLY NECESSARY EQUIPMENT
MEDICAL OUT OF WORK (short term/long term)
UNEXPECTED MEDICAL EXPENSE
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
FUNERAL EXPENSE (must be financially responsible)
LOSS OF CHILD CARE
WHAT TYPE OF REQUESTS DOES SHARE THE DOUGH NOT COVER?
Qualifying emergencies do not include rent or mortgage payments, circumstances that involve providing assistance to pay for debt consolidation, poor financial planning, non-essential items (i.e. cable TV, credit card payments, utility bills, etc), bail, garnishments, or other expenses deriving from non-emergency situations. Extreme financial hardship and emergency situations not included in the Eligibility Requirements may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
WHAT IF MY REQUEST IS DENIED OR I KNOW I AM NOT ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?
If your request is not eligible, we may be able to supply you with resources outside of financial assistance. Manna Development is pleased to share with you the work-life balance employee assistance program (EAP) that is provided as part of your long term disability or life insurance coverage through Unum (www.lifebalance.net Password lifebalance). Contact share@mannadevelopment for additional resources and check out the “Resources” tab on the Share the Dough website.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR A GRANT FROM SHARE THE DOUGH?
Applicants for Share the Dough can apply online at www.sharethedough.com/receive/ No one can apply on behalf of an employee, except in situations where an employee has passed away. In this case, a family member can apply for an Emergency Grant. Applications will not be reviewed without proper documentation which can be faxed/emailed to Share the Dough (760-874-0340/ share@mannadevelopment.com). Once an application is received, it is reviewed by the Share the Dough Director to ensure all necessary documentation is included and is then submitted to the Review Committee for review and decision. The Share the Dough Director will contact the applicant if any necessary paperwork is missing. In the event that an employee does not speak, read, or understand English, that employee bears responsibility to arrange for translation services. Specifically, please designate an English-speaking person to communicate with the Share the Dough Director on your behalf regarding your application.
WHAT DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED?
All decisions made by The Share the Dough Review Committee are determined based on the information submitted. In addition to a completed Emergency Assistance Application, the Committee requests third party documentation of expenses pertaining to the emergency as well as any official documentation of the incident that has created the financial hardship (See the Share the Dough Eligibility Guidelines page for more details). This includes but is not limited to the following types of information:
Physician’s statement (including dates unable to work)
Accident, police or fire report
Death certificate
Expense receipts
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SHARE THE DOUGH DIRECTOR OR REVIEW COMMITTEE REQUESTS FURTHER INFORMATION?
If further information is requested, the employee has two (2) weeks to provide the requested information. Following receipt of the requested information, the application will be presented to The Share the Dough Review Committee again and The Share the Dough Director will notify the employee of the status of the application. If the requested information is not provided in the two-week time period, the application will not be considered and employee must reapply for grant consideration.
HOW MUCH FUNDING IS AVAILABLE AND WHAT LIMITS APPLY TO THIS FUNDING?
Depending on the nature of the request, grants can range up to $1,500 (see the Share the Dough Eligibility Guidelines page). During any twelve-month period, an employee may only receive one grant.
WHO WILL KNOW THAT I HAVE APPLIED FOR ASSISTANCE THROUGH SHARE THE DOUGH?
Each employee completes an application that is maintained by The Share the Dough Director in the Encinitas Home Office. When the application is given to the Share the Dough Review Committee, the applicant’s name will not be given. At no time is an applicant’s identifying information available to anyone involved in the decision-making process. The application does provide the option for the applicant to give permission for the Share the Dough Director to contact their GM in cases where they can provide information to support and expedite the processing of the application.
HOW LONG DOES THE APPLICATION/FUNDING PROCESS TYPICALLY TAKE?
Typically, applications are processed 1-2 business days after received and funds are made available to the employee within 24-48 hours from the time the committee considers and approves the application. Checks are typically sent through FedEx and are delivered in 2-3 business days. Please note, an application cannot be fully processed until all required documentation is received from the applicant. To expedite the process, it is best practice to send the required documentation when you apply (documentation can be sent to share@mannadevelopment.com or faxed to 760-874-0340).
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I HAVE APPLIED FOR ASSISTANCE?
The Share the Dough Review Committee receives a copy of the application to review. This group has the very important responsibility of making sure that the funds are used in the most helpful manner possible. Unfortunately, Share the Dough is not able to provide financial assistance to all applicants. The committee makes decisions for assistance based on documented crises, the eligibility guidelines, and the bylaws that govern the committee. After the Review Committee has reviewed your application, the Share the Dough Director will contact you regarding the status of your application. The committee can approve or deny an application or request additional information. The Director will tell you what the next step in the process is following the committee’s decision.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR ASSISTANCE?
If the application is approved for assistance, checks are made payable directly to the employee except in situations where the committee decides to pay the expense directly to entity rather than the employee. The employee can choose to have the check sent to their home address or work location. Checks are usually issued within 24-48 hours after the committee considers and approves the case.
DO MONIES HAVE TO BE REPAID?
Funds distributed are a grant – not a loan – and do not need to be repaid.
These FAQs provide general information regarding the operations of the Share the Dough fund. Share the Dough Board of Directors and Review Committee reserves the right to change its operating policies and procedures at any time in accordance with provisions set forth in its bylaw.