Emergency financial assistance

BCTF Assistance Society

The BCTF Assistance Society provides emergency financial aid in the form of loans or non-repayable grants.

Application is available to anyone who is or has been an active BCTF member as well as their spouses and dependents. Financial assistance might be considered in the event of medical emergencies, housing emergencies, local disasters, personal disaster or family crisis.

All information is kept confidential.

Apply here for Emergency Financial Assistance through the BCTF Assistance Society.

GVTA Benevolent Fund

Active members facing extreme unpredictable financial distress may make a confidential application directly to the Benevolent Fund Committee.

The first point of contact for the Benevolent Fund is the GVTA President.  Please email president@gvta.net or contact the GVTA office at 250.595.0181 or info@gvta.net. 

Greater Victoria Teachers' Association Benevolent Fund Regulations

10.1 Composition of the Benevolent Fund Committee

1. The Benevolent Fund Committee shall consist of the President and two active GVTA members appointed by the Executive Committee in June.

2. When appointing committee members, the Executive Committee shall endeavour to consider diversity. Each member should have more than ten years' experience in this local.

3. Members of the Benevolent Fund Committee, with the exception of the President, shall have a term of three years, the term of office to begin on July first of the year appointed.

4. The Chairperson of the committee shall be selected by the membership of the committee.

10.2 Benevolent Fund Procedure

1. The purpose of the fund shall be for the financial relief of extreme unpredictable distress incurred by any active member of the GVTA. The GVTA expects that applicants will have exhausted all other means of financial assistance prior to applying to the Benevolent Fund.

2. Any active member of the GVTA may make a direct application to access the Fund, or may be referred by any member of the GVTA.

3. The GVTA President shall be the single point of contact for members applying to access the Benevolent Fund.

4. The Committee will investigate all requests, and a majority vote will decide if help is justified and will determine the amount of the grant or loan to be given.

5. The Benevolent Fund Committee is empowered to grant no interest loans (normally where no financial loss has occurred) or non-repayable grants depending on the circumstances of the member.

6. The Benevolent Fund committee shall be empowered to expend annually the allocation set out in Policy/Procedure 26.1 (Benevolent Fund). Requests for funding above the budgeted amount may be made by the Benevolent Fund Committee to the Executive Committee.

7. An annual report of the activities of the Benevolent Fund Committee, including the loans and grants approved, shall be provided at the Annual General Meeting. This report will indicate the amount of the loans and grants, and will not identify the recipients.

8. Confidentiality of member names who seek and/or are granted assistance will be maintained.


BC211.ca

If you need support beyond what the union or employer can offer, you might want to check out BC211.ca. 211 is a free and confidential service that connects people to helpful and vital resources in their community.

They provide information and referral to a broad range of community, government, and social services that assist with: