Overview

The Leona Hughes Hughes Heart and Hand Fund aims to provide financial relief to collegiate and alumnae members in good standing who are experiencing financial distress due to natural disasters, medical events or other dire circumstances. 

Grants from the Leona Hughes Hughes Heart and Hand Fund are limited to covering only the basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter, transportation, utilities, and/or medical care. Phi Mu fees, dues and obligations, including House Corporation expenses are not eligible for grants from the Leona Hughes Hughes Heart and Hand Fund.

Applicants must be active collegiate or alumnae members in good standing with Phi Mu Fraternity and initiated for at least one year.

Provisions

Natural disasters are defined by Phi Mu Foundation as:

• Sudden and terrible events in nature (such as a hurricane, tornado, or flood) that result in serious damage

Medical events are defined by Phi Mu Foundation as:

• Critical illnesses (cancer, heart attack, stroke, organ transplant, coronary bypass surgery, angioplasty, kidney failure, loss of hearing, loss of vision, loss of speech, paralysis, coma, etc.), terminal illnesses (a disease or condition that cannot be cured) or a life-threatening accident.
• The medical event must impact the member, the member’s spouse or the member’s dependent child. The committee will consider the member’s parents or legal guardian if the applicant is a dependent or if the applicant is the sole caretaker of the parent(s).
• All medical events must be verified in writing by a medical provider.

Other dire circumstances are defined by Phi Mu Foundation as:

• Circumstances that are life-threatening (seriously dangerous and could result in death)
• Circumstances that cause the member to have monthly expenses for basic necessities only (food, clothing, shelter, transportation, utilities, and/or medical care) that exceed the member’s monthly income.
• For an application to be considered under other dire circumstances, the member must be employed or actively seeking work, collecting unemployment, disability or social security. The member must have also exhausted all other financial assistance options (insurance, family loans, personal bank loans, etc.).

Examples of situations that are not eligible for grants from the Leona Hughes Hughes Heart and Hand Fund:

• Elective medical procedures
• Personal, family or marital conflicts, including divorce, separation or child support
• Legal expenses
• Voluntary unemployment

Overview

The Betty Nell Wilkinson Emergency Fund, aims to provide financial relief to members who are experiencing financial distress due to divorce, natural disasters, medical events or other dire circumstances.

Grants from the Betty Nell Wilkinson Emergency Fund are limited to covering only educational expenses. Phi Mu fees, dues and obligations, including House Corporation expenses do not qualify as educational expenses, and therefore, are not eligible for grants from the Betty Nell Wilkinson Emergency Fund.

Applicants must be active collegiate or alumnae members in good standing with Phi Mu Fraternity and initiated for at least one year. Applicants must also be enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited college or university working toward a degree, credential or certificate and at least a 3.0 GPA.

Applicants must be experiencing financial distress due to divorce, natural disasters, medical events or other dire circumstances.

Provisions

Natural disasters are defined by Phi Mu Foundation as:

• Sudden and terrible events in nature (such as a hurricane, tornado, or flood) that result in serious damage.

Medical events are defined by Phi Mu Foundation as:

• Critical illnesses (such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, organ transplant, coronary bypass surgery, angioplasty, kidney failure, loss of hearing, loss of vision, loss of speech, paralysis, coma, etc.), terminal illnesses (a disease or condition that cannot be cured) or a life-threatening accident.
• The medical event must impact the member, the member’s spouse or the member’s dependent child. The committee will consider the member’s parents or legal guardian if the applicant is a dependent or if the applicant is the sole caretaker of the parent(s).
• All medical events must be verified in writing by a medical provider.

Other dire circumstances are defined by Phi Mu Foundation as:

• Circumstances that are life-threatening (seriously dangerous and could result in death)
• Circumstances that cause the member to have monthly expenses for basic necessities only (food, clothing, shelter, transportation, utilities, and/or medical care) that exceed the member’s monthly income.
• For an application to be considered under other dire circumstances, the member must be employed or actively seeking work, collecting unemployment, disability or social security. The member must have also exhausted all other financial assistance options (insurance, family loans, personal bank loans, etc.).

Educational expenses are defined by Phi Mu Foundation as:

• Tuition and fees required for the enrollment or attendance at an educational institution, as well as books, supplies and equipment required for the course of study at the educational institution.

Examples of situations that are not eligible for grants from the Betty Nell Wilkinson Emergency Fund:

• Elective medical procedures
• Personal or family conflicts
• Legal expenses
• Voluntary unemployment

Overview

The intent of this fund is to provide financial support to Phi Mu members who have lived experience with interpersonal violence, including but not limited to, intimate partner violence and/or abuse, domestic violence and/or abuse, sexual violence and/or abuse, child abuse, stalking and human trafficking.

In this regard, the Fund could be used to:

• Cover educational activities related to interpersonal violence, including prevention.
• Provide financial assistance to members with immediate needs related to situations of interpersonal violence, e.g., assistance with shelter, food, clothing, medical needs, legal expenses and other expenses related to addressing the current needs and circumstances. This support would be related to both: (i) promoting the health of these women in getting them to safety and tending to their basic needs and also (ii) caring for the distressed. Given the nature of these situations, such support will be provided without requiring a demonstration of financial need.
• Provide financial support to cover counseling and other recovery services for those who do not have immediate needs as described above but are now recovering from an experience of interpersonal violence. To be eligible for this support, members generally must demonstrate financial need.