Matching Grant 101
Director’s and Cosponsorship Developer’s
Conference
Miami, June 2010
Matching Grant
What is it ?
Where does the Money
Come From?
A welfare alternative funded by the Office
of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
 Provides resettlement assistance to
refugees, asylees, and other eligible
clients
 Emphasis on Employment Services
 Administered by the national voluntary
agencies
It is not a housing subsidy!
It is an
Employment Focused
alternative to Welfare.
Public/ Private Partnership
Enables affiliates to fund:
additional staff time for expanded
case management and
employment services
Cash support for eligible clients for
an extended period
Funding
 Voluntary agencies receive federal funds in the
amount of $2,200 per client.
 A predetermined amount is passed through to
the affiliate agencies, provided that the required
match is met.
 Funds are to be spent providing MG services
and cash assistance to MG clients.
MG Program Goal
To support clients in achieving
economic self-sufficiency within
120 to 180 days after the date
of eligibility, without accessing
public cash assistance.
Duration of Services
Clients are enrolled in the
program for a period of
180
days from the date of eligibility.
Self Sufficiency
Economic self sufficiency means earning a
total family income at a level that enables the
family unit to support itself without receipt of a
cash assistance grant.
Clients receiving food stamps and/ or Medicaid
without cash assistance are considered self
sufficient.
ENROLLMENT CRITERIA
AND STRATEGIES
Eligible Populations
 Refugees
 Asylees
 Cuban and Haitian Entrants
 Certain Amerasians from Viet Nam
 Victims of a Severe form of Trafficking
 Iraqi and Afghan aliens granted special
immigrant status (SIVs)
Other Eligibility Requirements
At least one member of the
case must be deemed
employable and wish to work.
Clients must be enrolled within
31 days of the date of eligibility.
Ineligible Populations
Those expected to receive SSI
Clients who are already self-
sufficient
Clients receiving ANY form of
public cash assistance
Dates of Eligibility
 Refugees and Amerasians: Date of arrival
 Cuban Haitian Entrants or Iraqi/ Afghan
SIVs: Date they obtain status
 Asylees: date of final grant of asylum
**Note that ORR may grant an exception
for asylees who receive their letter granting
asylum significantly later than the actual
date of asylum grant.
 Victims of Trafficking: date of certification
or eligibility letter
120 and 180 Day Measures
are taken from the date of
eligibility, NOT the date of
enrollment!
Employability
Determined by family and agency
Ages 18-64
At least one client per case must
be employable
ORR Definition
Employable:
A person who is between the ages
of 18 and 64 and is determined by
the family and serving agency as
either a needed wage earner or an
additional wage earner who desires
to work.
Enrollment
Some Enrollment Strategies
 Enrollment into the MG Program must be a
choice!
 MG is meant to serve the people who need it
most, not necessarily those who are
seemingly the best candidates for early
employment.
 Avoid profiling.
 Cases who plan to out-migrate should not be
enrolled.
Refugee clients must enroll
with an affiliate of the
VOLAG that resettled
them.
Exceptions
 If a case out-migrates within their period of
eligibility, and no affiliate of their resettling
VOLAG exists in the new location, they may
enroll with an affiliate of another VOLAG with
 approval
of the resettling VOLAG and ORR;
 Proof that they did not enroll in MG or any
public cash assistance program in the original
location.
Exceptions, con’t
 ORR may authorize cross-enrollment at the
end of the year for:
 Joint
sites where one of the VOLAGs has
exhausted its slots.
The affiliate should contact the VOLAG with
unused slots.
 VOLAGs will coordinate with ORR for approval.
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 In
rare instances, to ensure that all slots are
utilized.
Budgeting your Slots
 Sites are given a finite number of slots to use
each program year.
 There is competition for slots and they are
limited.
 Enroll those who need MG, but pace yourself
when possible.
 Although there have been times where ORR
has provided supplemental slots, this is never
a guarantee.
Budgeting Slots, con’t
 If any affiliate leaves slots unused, the entire
network suffers.
 Strategize carefully – don’t save all your slots
for the bulge!
 If you have sub-offices, you may reallocate
slots among them without prior approval.
 Communicate with your national office
regularly if concerns arise about too many or
too few slots.
SPLITTING CASES
Cases may be split prior to enrollment.
 Each new case must maintain eligibility for
the program
 Possible reasons for splitting:
 Some
members of the case are ineligible
 Members will live in different households
 Some members will be served under different
programs
Documenting the Split
Rationale
Outcomes
Each separate MG case must
have its own section in the file.
Splitting a Case After Enrollment
Allowable only if:
 Part of the case out-migrates
 At 120 days, part of the case chooses to stay
in the program and part chooses to leave
Note that if any member of the case accesses
cash assistance at any time during the MG
Service period, the entire case is dropped
from the MG program.
Joining or Merging Cases
Allowable only under rare
circumstances-contact your
national agency for specific policy.
Must be joined in a way that is in
accordance with the household
composition of your state
Cases must have the same date of
eligibility
Matching Grant Orientation
All enrolled clients should receive orientation to the MG
program.
Sanctioning procedures must be presented to clients at
the time of enrollment. Clients may be sanctioned
from the MG program if they fail to comply with the
terms of the MG agreement letter or the resettlement
plan.
Orientation does not necessarily need to be only one
session, but is also often provided on an on-going
basis.
Translation must be provided if necessary.
Matching Grant Orientation:
MG Agreement
This form must clearly state in both English and the client’s native
language:
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a. Services and support the agency will provide to the client
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b. Duration of the MG program
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c. Client’s rights and responsibilities
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d. Agency’s rights and responsibilities
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e. Agency’s sanctioning policy
This form/letter is to be signed and dated by each adult
enrolled in the MG program as well as the MG case manager
A copy should be given to the client
Matching Grant Orientation:
Development of Resettlement Plan
 Describes the steps and projected timeframes to be taken by the client
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and the agency to work towards the earliest possible employment
placement.
Assesses the client’s individual employment skills and establish with
the client both short- and long-term employment goals.
Assesses the client’s barriers to employment (e.g. lack of
transportation, need for childcare, limited English language skills) and
establish with the client a plan to overcome these barriers.
Clearly states the amount of earnings necessary to be considered selfsufficient.
The resettlement plan should be reviewed with the client regularly to
ensure that progress is being made.
The short-term employment goal should be achievable during the MG
period.
Raising Matching Resources
Requirements
Raising Match is a
contractual obligation of
the MG program!
Requirements
ORR awards $2 for every $1 raised by the agency,
up to a maximum of $2,200; therefore, the agency is
responsible for raising $1,100 per enrolled client.
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tabulated as an aggregate for the agency; however, it is
important to ensure that each client receives a fair amount of
resources
This is also true at the VOLAG level: the network is required
to raise an aggregate total of 1,100 X the total number of
enrollees. Network agencies raising more than the
requirement may compensate for shortfall at another site,
but please don’t rely on this!
Cash and In Kind Donations
At least 20% of Match raised must
be cash match;
the balance may be in-kind
services or donated goods.
Agencies may count contributions
provided to a particular client up to
and including the 180th day as
long as the client remains in the
program at the time of the
contribution.
Raising Match
All goods and services must relate
directly to the client’s
Resettlement/ Employment Plan
and must be allowable ,
reasonable, and allocable to the
Matching Grant Program.
Raising Match
To determine the appropriateness
of a contribution, consider
whether the item or service
would have been purchased if it
had not been donated.
Cash Match
Can be from:
 Private individual
 Corporate donation
 Any other non-federal source
Cash Match
 Contributions of goods and services can be
considered “cash” if the item was bought.
 The flow of donations does not necessarily
have to go directly from the donor to the
client.
 Original receipts for cash contributions must
be maintained in the case files.
Examples of Cash Contributions
 A volunteer pays for a winter jacket and gives
it directly to the client
 A church co-sponsor pays rent for a client
 A client moves in with a family member and
the family’s rent and/ or utility bills increase as
a result of their moving in. The amount of the
increase can be counted as cash match
 A church donates funds to the MG program
and they are used to benefit an MG client
In- Kind Match is
Volunteer services or
donated goods provided to
MG clients in order to
further program objectives
In-Kind Match
The flow of donations does
not necessarily have to go
directly to the client.
The agency must determine a value for
all donations and contributions
These websites provide valuation tables:
http://www.salvationarmysouth.org/valueguide.htm
http://www.goodwillsew.com/text.asp?dbID=295
http://www.idonated.com/charitable-donationvalue.shtml
Volunteer Rates should be
reviewed annually
For more information, refer to:
http://www.independentsector.org
Examples of In-Kind Contributions
 A church donates storage space for
donations
 A volunteer drives a client to the grocery
store. You may count:
 The
hours the volunteer spent with the client
 The miles the volunteer drove
 An intern for the agency with no salary or
stipend provides employment training 16
hour/week to MG clients.
Not allowable as Match
 Goods and Services not directly related to the
self-sufficiency plan
 Trips
to the park, zoo, movies
 Housing provided by anchors in their own
residence (unless there is an increase in rent,
as noted above)
 School tuition (Childcare costs and day
camps for children of newly employed
parents or those in employment-related
training ARE allowable)
Not allowable as Match
Allocable costs incurred and services
provided in accordance with any
Cooperative Agreement
may not be charged to the Matching
Grant Program or counted as a
matching contribution.
If someone does not have the benefit of
services under a cooperative agreement
(R&P, C/H), those services are required
and can be charged to the MG program.
Not allowable as Match
If medical services are performed by private
doctors and hospitals claiming
reimbursement for such services under
Medicaid or Refugee Medical Assistance,
additional fees above the Medicaid
reimbursement level may not be counted as
a matching contribution.
Not allowable as Match
Staff costs for time spent on services provided for under
the Cooperative Agreement
 housing-related matters,
 medical orientation and referral for initial health
screening,
 assistance in obtaining a social security card,
 initial intake and development of a resettlement
plan,
 greeting refugees at the airport
 household goods and furniture during the first
month.
 casework staff costs associated with the
requirements of the Cooperative Agreement.
Strategies for Raising Match
Count donations from or time served by:
 Co-sponsors/ volunteers
 US Ties
 Community Groups- may have a pot of donated
money you can tap into
 Donations from stores
 Interns
 Rummage sales/ Thrift stores- ask for free stuff for
refugees
Strategies for Raising Match
Count donations from or time served by:
 Department or other stores which are closing
 Places where clients work- employers or coworkers
providing transportation/ interpretation/ teaching
clients about job
 Gift cards
 Ask for donations of used vehicles
 Professional organizations
 Holiday gifts/ events
Collecting and Documenting Match
Staff must carefully document the
goods and services provided to
each client enrolled in the
program. Agencies should
develop a strategy to most
effectively gather information
from clients, cosponsors,
volunteers and donors.
Collecting and Documenting Match
Some agencies ask clients to record the
time and goods provided to them by
volunteers and bring documentation with
them when picking up their cash
allowance. This practice is acceptable as
long as the client is not required to
document matching resources in order to
receive cash assistance.
Collecting and Documenting Match
Documentation of Volunteer time via
e-mail is acceptable as long as
such reports are submitted in a
timely fashion and reviewed and
approved by the case manager or
other specified staff.
Tips for making sure all matching
resources are documented:
 Educate clients/volunteers/anchors about the
importance of raising matching resources.
Stress that this helps other refugees. The
federal government will match each dollar
raised with two dollars!
 Create flyers in appropriate languages.
 Provide clients with a monthly activities
calendar to fill out regularly, and a folder to
keep documents organized.
Tips for making sure all matching
resources are documented:
 Give a small bonus or gift card to clients who
bring in commitment sheets regularly.
 Engage staff from other programs. Share
information about this aspect of the program.
 Send regular reminder postcards or e-mails
to volunteers and co-sponsors.
 Keep on top of your documentation. Include
an up to date amount on your reimbursement
request each month.
In House Services
Employment Services
Objective:
To place employable clients
as quickly as possible into
appropriate jobs which will
enable the household unit to
become self-sufficient within
120-180 days.
Employment Services
Employment services are to be provided to
employable adult clients beginning upon
enrollment in the Matching Grant program
and continuing as needed through the 180th
day. The level of employment services
received by each client should reflect the
skills, needs and barriers determined in the
Resettlement Plan.
Employment Services
 Job Development- networking with employers to
develop job prospects
 Employment Counseling- ongoing interaction with
client both before and during employment
 Job Placement
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identify and contact prospective places of employment;
schedule appointments for job interviews
prepare clients for interviews, and follow up on results
of interview
US ties and volunteers may assist, but the agency is
ultimately responsible for provision of this service
Employment Services
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Follow-up with employer and client
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At two weeks, 120, and up to 180 days
Must be completed by MG staff member
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Services that lead to job upgrades for clients with
particular skills, or when necessary in order for the
family to achieve economic self-sufficiency
 Subsidized employment
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outcomes are only counted when the subsidy ends
and the client retains employment;
the transition to a non-subsidized job must be
completed by the 180th day.
Employment Services
Agencies must assist
clients seeking to be
self-employed in
obtaining required
business licenses and
retain copies in the file.
100 Mile Exception
Agencies must request
permission to place MG
clients in jobs further
than 100 miles from
agency of resettlement.
Maintenance Assistance
provides support adequate to meet the subsistence needs of the refugee
and to preclude the need to access public cash assistance.
Includes provision of:
 food or food subsidies
 suitable housing
 cash allowance
 transportation assistance
Timeframe: throughout the first 120 days from the client’s date of eligibility
or, if necessary, up to 180 days, provided that the grantee’s total grant
budget and the amount charged to the grant do not exceed the grant
award
Maintenance Assistance: Housing
Agencies are responsible for ensuring that housing is
provided for all MG clients.
 In cases where a client’s housing is provided by a family member,
friend, or other source, case files should clearly indicate that such an
agreement exists.
 For clients who require housing as a part of maintenance assistance,
rent payments shall continue at a minimum for the month following job
placement up to the 120th day.
 Agencies may elect to provide housing assistance for an additional 60
days, if necessary.
 Agencies are reminded to pay particular attention to placing clients in
housing that is near employment and/or where public transportation to
employment is readily available.
Under no circumstances should a client use MG cash allowances on rent.
Maintenance Assistance: Cash Allowance
Provided to clients from the date of enrollment until the date of selfsufficiency
Agencies must provide a minimum of $200 cash allowance per
month ($50 per week) to each adult in the case and $40 per
month ($10 per week) to each minor in the case, or the maximum
amount that will not affect Medicaid eligibility.
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Cash payments are to be distributed to clients within ten working days of
enrollment.
This minimum cash allowance should be used by clients to buy personal items as
necessary and not for basic maintenance assistance.
Agencies may provide some of the weekly allowance in the form of vouchers if
such form of payment is in the overall best interest of the refugee and he/she
concurs.
Agencies may opt to withhold a portion of the minor’s allowance until the end of
the MG service period to build up a family’s savings, provided that the monthly
allowance is sufficient to buy personal items as necessary, that such savings will
not affect Medicaid eligibility, and that client has voluntarily agreed to these terms
in writing.
Case Management
Enrollment through the 180th day
To ensure that services:
 are provided in a planned, effective, and timely manner to
eligible clients
 are appropriate to the needs of the clients
 will to contribute to their community integration, early
employment and self-sufficiency
 support and strengthen clients’ motivation and capacities to
become self-supporting.
Case File: Forms Required
MG Letter of Agreement signed and dated, English and client’s language (or
initialed by translator)
Sanctioning Policy signed and dated, English and client’s language (or
initialed by translator)
Employment Plan or Resettlement Plan, depending on the site
Declining Budget
MG-2/3 reports
180 day termination letter
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Language requirements
Indicates self-sufficiency status of client
States eligibility for additional refugee services for up to five years
Provides referrals to services as appropriate.
Reminder to adjust immigration status to Lawful Permanent Resident one
year after date of arrival or asylum granted date.
Reminder to submit AR-11 change of address form to USCIS and a change of
address form to USPS.
Please note: The guidelines require documents to be translated into the
language of each office’s primary caseloads.
Other required documentation
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Intake information: date of eligibility, date of enrollment, date of MG service
termination, number and names of members of the case upon arrival; and, for
those in MG, proof of identification to show eligibility (alien number, birth date,
current address, health status, educational level, native language, literacy and
English level on arrival, prior work experience and skills, and social security
number). This information may be listed on the resettlement plan or other MG
forms.
Signed Assistance vouchers for direct payments to client (client’s signature
and date required)/all cash transactions
Donation sheets
Volunteer Log
Summary sheet of cash and in-kind donations
If case is terminated, documentation and proof of referrals to subsequent
programs
Proof of compliance with tax regulations: pay stub, W-2 or W-4
Copies of business licenses for self-employed clients.
Clear documentation of all services provided to clients based upon the needs
and goals identified in the resettlement services plan (usually in the form of
case notes)
If client enrolled in training program, the date, type, intended duration,
expected outcomes, and provider of the training program should be indicated
in the case file.
Documentation of childcare and after school care, if needed
Documentation of full provision of housing.
Case notes
Documentation of regular contact with, and
monitoring progress of, members of the case over
time with summary notes regarding the purpose
and outcomes of that contact
 Include caseworker initials, mode, date and program
 Represent contact with potential employers on behalf of client,
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referrals to services, any contact with client
Record of two-week follow-up with employer and client
Record of maintenance support termination
Statement of Status at 120th and 180th days
Redact other client names
Separation of MG file documentation from other programs, including
R&P program.
Please note: Emails should not be included in the actual case note log
and should not take the place of case notes.
Reporting to VOLAGS
The following reports are due monthly:
1. MG-1
 MG-1 report used to make sure enrollments are in pace with
projections; employment outcomes are meeting projected
performance goals.
2. MG-2 and MG- 3
 MG 2/3s correspond to the MG-1 and provide more in-depth
information on cases.
 Copies of MG-2 reports must be sent to the VOLAG if a client is
any status other than self-sufficient/status 1 at the 120th day. (
 Copies of MG-3 reports must be sent to the VOLAG if the client
was status 2/not self-sufficient at the 120th day or if there have
been any changes in status since the 120th day.
Reporting to VOLAGS
3. MG-8
 MG-8 report is used for national agency to know how much and
when to reimburse affiliates and to make sure that affiliate
budget expenditures match projected budgets.
 CWS would like to see the maintenance/client assistance to
administration ratio of 60/40%, but each affiliate is required to
provide at least a 50/50% ratio. The national office will review
your agency’s ratio during the proposal process and monitor it
throughout the year. If the ratio is different than suggested,
CWS will request revised budgets.
 Reimbursement for program expenses are contingent upon the
timely submission of both statistical and program narrative
reports, as well as consistently providing the required cash and
in-kind match. *CWS requires that the MG-1 and MG-8 are
submitted together. Reimbursement cannot occur without an
MG-1 submission.
 Match must be reported on a timely and regular basis.
Reporting to ORR
We need timely information from affiliates in order
to relay information to ORR. Data from monthly
reports is used to compile the ORR Program
Progress Statistical (Performance) Reports
which are due at 4-month intervals + one final
cumulative report
External Services
Services Funded Either Directly by the Matching Grant Program or
by Referral (Can be in-house or by outside referral):
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English language training
to be provided without cost to client
enrollment and attendance must be documented in case file
must be taught by certified ELT instructor
classes should not inhibit employment opportunities
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Health and medical services (costs for initial health screenings may only be
charged to MG for those clients without R&P benefits)
Short term job training or recertification (if necessary for employment or
indicated in resettlement plan)
Social adjustment
Mental health services
Support services such as childcare and transportation services
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Match Grant Finance and Budgeting
 Tracking MG Program Expenditures
 Case Budgets and Expenditures
 The Declining Budget
Budgeting and Tracking Expenditures
 Initial MG Budgets are approved by ORR. Changes of
10% or more must be approved.
 Always account for money case by case.
 MG Coordinators (and possibly caseworkers) should
know how much money is available in the MG budget for
overall client direct assistance as well as for each case.
Budgeting and Tracking Expenditures
 Track the amount of funds remaining throughout the year
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Through monthly MG 8 Financial Reports
Reconciling the estimated budget with actual
expenditures for each case.
 Factor in cash and in-kind match as part of your budget
Example
(In this example, the pass through is $2000)
 50 MG slots = total MG Budget of $100,000
 50% for Admin/Staff = $50,000
 50% for Direct Client Assistance = $50,000
 An average of $1,000 per client
Budgeting and Tracking Expenditures
 The MG program is flexible and allows you to
provide individualized budgets based on true
client needs.
 Factor in R&P funds that must be used by 90th
day. Larger families with more R&P per cap
funds will help leverage MG funds for smaller
families or singles.
 Cash Match and In-kind Match is measured on
the aggregate and will vary per case.
Budgeting Overview
According to ORR Guidelines page 8, every case file
must have:
 Proposed budget for the respective case with actual
expenditures to date. (Estimated Budget/Actual
Expenditures)
 Budget for each family unit translated if necessary
showing a list of proposed expenses and income
(from MG cash payments and employment)
necessary to cover such expenses. (Declining
Budget Model)
Budget and Expenditure Summary Sheet
Matching Grant
CASE INFO
Case Number
PA Name
# Weeks of MG Assistance
# of Adults in Case
CASE BUDGET
TOTAL
SUMMARY OF ACTUAL EXPENDITURES
Agency
Cash
In-Kind
Federal
TOTAL
Agency
Cash
In-Kind
Federal
Housing/Utilities
Cash Allowance
Food
Transportation
Medical
Other
Total
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
ame: ____________________________
ase Number: ______________________
ate of Arrival: ______________________
umber in Case: _________
0-60 days
G Month # 1 Expenses
Expenses
Total Estimated
Monthly Expenses
Agency
Responsibility
Number of Employables: __________
Estimated Income of Primary Employable: _________________
Estimated Income of Secondary Employable: ______________
Other Income: __________________________________________
Total Estimated Income: _________________________________
60-90 days
MG Month # 2 Expenses
Co-Sponsor
Responsibility
Refugee
Responsibility
Expenses
Total Estimated
Monthly Expenses
ousing
Housing
tilities
Utilities
hone (Basic)
Phone (Basic)
ood
Food
lothing
Clothing
edical
Medical
ransportation
Transportation
ther
Other
otal
Total
0-120 days
G Month # 3 Expenses
120-150 days
MG Month # 4 Expenses
Expenses
Total Estimated
Monthly Expenses
Agency
Responsibility
Co-Sponsor
Responsibility
Refugee
Responsibility
Expenses
ousing
Housing
tilities
Utilities
hone (Basic)
Phone (Basic)
ood
Food
lothing
Clothing
edical
Medical
ransportation
Transportation
ther
Other
otal
Total
Total Estimated
Monthly Expenses
Agency
Responsibility
Co-Sponsor
Responsibility
Refugee
Responsibility
Agency
Responsibility
Co-Sponsor
Responsibility
Refugee
Responsibility
Per Cap Increase
 Money can be used to pre-pay items, such as rent
in order to spend down R/P money
 R/P money can be also be used to pay rent during
MG: the guidelines state that MG clients need to
have rent covered, but they do not state where this
money needs to come from.
 Funds can be spent concurrently as long as MG
money is not used to supplant services being
provided by R/P funds
Questions?
Please contact me with your questions:
Sonja Ausen
212.870.2815
sausen@chruchworldservice.org
Thank you!