At KW, we’re one family. And family takes care of each other. As an associate, you and your dependent family members are eligible to apply for a grant from KW Cares when facing financial hardship due to a sudden emergency, such as accidents, house fires, medical emergencies, funeral and burial expenses, and natural disaster relief.
Who is eligible to apply for a KW Cares Grant?
Current Keller Williams Realty Associates or Keller Williams Realty International Employees:
- Associates or employees must have been with KW for six consecutive months or more (verified through the KW white pages or Command), who are faced with financial hardship due to unexpected major emergencies are eligible to apply.
To qualify, applicants must have less than $40,000 in liquid assets (checking and savings) and less than $500,000 in non-retirement investment accounts (stocks/bonds/CDs, etc.).
Please note, KW Cares is unable to give grants for:
- Residential or nonresidential substance abuse facilities or treatment.
- Unconventional treatment for cancer or other serious illnesses.
- Legal issues such as divorces, child custody issues, adoptions, etc.
- Debt relief, compensation for lost wages, or to bridge gaps in income unrelated to a specific emergency.
- Non-medically necessary dental work.
- Normal wear and tear and/or deferred maintenance for home repairs
This form initiates the Emergency Grant application process. A member of the KW Associate’s Market Center or Regional leadership team must complete this form. Leadership team members include:
- Operating Principal (OP)
- Team Leader (TL)/ Assistant Team Leader (ATL)
- Market Center Administrator (MCA)/ Assistant Market Center Administrator (AMCA)
- General Manager (GM)/ Market Center Leader (ML)
- Regional Operating Partner (ROP)
- Regional Director (RD)
- Regional Operations Manager (ROM)
- For KWRI/Austin Headquarters employees, this should be completed by a Heart Fund or HR rep.
Emergency grants are available for critical, urgent needs for the following events:
- Small-scale housing disasters (primary residence only), such as a house fire
- Domestic violence
- Funeral expenses for a qualified family member
- Emergency medical travel
To qualify for an emergency grant, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be an active KW associate at the time of the event and with KW for at least six consecutive months
- Have less than $40,000 in checking and savings (business/personal and joint/individual)
- Have less than $500,000 in non-retirement investment accounts (stocks/bonds, etc.)
Applicants must meet the eligibility guidelines above, have a qualifying event, a qualifying expense, and demonstrate a financial need exists.
Emergency grants are capped at $5,000. Grant amounts are based on documented unmet needs.
To complete this form, you will need:
- KW Associate’s name (exactly as it appears in the KW White Pages or Command) and email address
- Grant Applicant's Name (usually the KW Associate and Grant Applicant are the same—funeral grants are an exception; see Request to Apply form for more information)
- Market Center Name/Number
- The grant amount the applicant is requesting
This form initiates the Catastrophic Hardship Grant application process. A member of the KW Associate’s Market Center or Regional leadership team must complete this form. Leadership team members include:
- Operating Principal (OP)
- Team Leader (TL)/ Assistant Team Leader (ATL)
- Market Center Administrator (MCA)/ Assistant Market Center Administrator (AMCA)
- General Manager (GM)/ Market Center Leader (ML)
- Regional Operating Partner (ROP)
- Regional Director (RD)
- Regional Operations Manager (ROM)
- For KWRI/Austin Headquarters employees, this should be completed by a Heart Fund or HR rep.
Catastrophic Hardship Grants can provide up to $30,000* (amount based on the qualifying situation and documented financial need) to assist with:
- Out-of-pocket medical expenses
- Travel and/or rehousing expenses necessary to receive essential medical treatment
- Modifications to home for accessibility
- Assistance with deductible and/or shortfall in repair expenses following a housing disaster, such as fire, flood, tornado, etc. Assistance for housing disasters is for primary residence only.
Before completing this form, you and the applicant should discuss the grant amount the applicant will request.
*Important Notes Regarding Amount Requested by Applicant:
KW Cares grants are intended to provide a degree of assistance and not to make an applicant whole. When requesting an amount, please keep the following in mind:
- KW Cares can assist with unmet needs. Unmet needs are expenses remaining after other sources have been depleted, such as homeowner's insurance, medical insurance, crowdfunding, etc.
- For medical grants, KW Cares calculates the grant amount based on incurred out-of-pocket medical expenses. We are unable to include assistance for projected medical expenses.
- KW Cares may assist with up to two months of unmet living expenses when the applicant cannot work due to a medical condition. Unmet living expenses consist of basic living expenses after exhausting other income sources (e.g. spouse's income, retirement benefits, social security, rental property income, governmental assistance, etc.).
- KW Cares uses a standard cost of living index to determine the average cost of living based on the county of residence and household size.
Non-Producing Agents: If an agent has no production history and requests assistance with living expenses, it is difficult to determine if the lack of income is a result of the event or a result of slow sales/lack of success in real estate. In these situations, KW Cares may only be able to assist with out-of-pocket expenses.
It is the expectation that the grant applicant receive support from the market center or KWRI Heart Fund equal to 10% (minimally) of the applicant’s need and/or other assistance (e.g. meals, transportation, childcare, cleaning, yard services, donated PTO, etc.). Market centers may also waive office fees, pay for license renewals, etc.
To complete this form, you will need:
- KW Associate’s/Grant Applicant's name (exactly as it appears in the KW White Pages or Command) and email address
- Market Center Name/Number
- The grant amount the Grant Applicant is requesting*
- The amount of support provided to the applicant or a detailed fundraising plan.
Emergency Disaster Grants are available to address immediate, critical needs such as food, temporary shelter, and clothing following a large-scale natural disaster. KW associates (agents and staff) and KWRI staff are eligible for assistance if they demonstrate financial need.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants must have less than $40,000 in combined checking and savings accounts.
- Applications must be submitted within 30 days of the disaster. Applications submitted after this period will be declined.
To qualify, applicants must:
- Meet the eligibility criteria,
- Experience a qualifying event,
- Have a qualifying expense, and
- Demonstrate financial need
Important Notes:
- Emergency disaster grants are not intended to assist with loss of income, home repairs, or insurance deductibles.
Steps to Apply:
- Notify Your Market Center Leadership: Inform your market center leadership of your need. KW Cares staff will verify your situation with your leadership, so this step must be completed before proceeding.
- Complete the Eligibility Evaluation and Initial Grant Application: A KW Cares case manager will contact you by phone to conduct a brief intake interview.
- Receive Grant Approval and Funds: Upon approval, KW Cares will initiate a bank transfer through BILL (www.bill.com). You will receive an email invitation to create an account and add your banking information. Follow the instructions in the email to set up your account in BILL.