Guidelines & Eligibility
HFC (Hilarity for Charity) awards respite care grants to those providing care to their loved ones living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. The respite care grants will be awarded across the United States and Canada. While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, there is care. The goal of the respite care grant is to provide exceptional respite care to families affected by this disease, and to give these families support and rest. 

‍HFC respite grants cover the cost of professional care so you can feel confident about the care being provided to your person while you take some time for yourself.

We grant two types of awards:

• Recharge Respite Grant - 100 hours total of in-home respite care to be used within 3 months of being awarded
• Adult Day Program Respite Grant- 24 days of respite care to be used within 3 months of the first date of care

The HFC Application Review Committee will review applications monthly. After completion of the application review, you will be contacted within 60-90 days. All applicants will be notified of their status.

Only one application per person will be accepted on a quarterly basis. Respite grants provide in-home professional care or Adult Day Program care and have NO CASH VALUE. Cash awards cannot be issued in lieu of care. HFC’s partners with Home Instead to coordinate the in-home care awarded through HFC’s respite grant program. Adult Day Programs are selected by the recipient.

Learn more at www.wearehfc.org/care-grants 

When completing the application, please provide a full narrative of your caregiving experience and current situation.  One-sentence and one-word answers do not give the review committee a full understanding of your situation. If one or two-sentence answers are provided, your application will likely not advance in the review process. Please provide as much detail as you can so that we can learn more about you and your loved one. Be sure to review your information for accuracy before submitting your application.

Once you submit your application, you will be contacted by email within 60-90 days with the review committee's decision. All applicants will be notified of their status via the email used to register for your Submittable account. You may also sign in to Submittable.com at any time and check the status of your application.

   **Please add care@wearehfc.org to your contact list to receive your application status emails promptly. If you are not receiving our emails, please check your spam, junk, or clutter folders.**

When registering to complete the application, the email you use to register is the email that will be used for any notifications regarding grant status. If you are assisting a family caregiver to complete the application, use his or her email address when registering. One application per quarter, per email address/account will be accepted.

Additional Guidelines:

1. Grant awards will be limited to a maximum of THREE (3) awards per applicant within an 18-month period;
2. Once the maximum number of grant awards is reached, the grant recipient will be eligible to reapply 18-months from the start of the first grant awarded;

Please note: Applicants are not guaranteed THREE (3) grants or any specific level of the grant within the 18-month time period.  Additionally, reapplying does not guarantee that applicants will receive a new grant or the same level of grant award received in the past.

Guidelines

Hilarity for Charity (HFC) is committed to supporting dementia family caregivers impacted by natural and other disasters. Our Emergency Relief Grants are designated as $1500 cash grants to families who are most affected by natural or geographic disasters, helping them continue their vital caregiving responsibilities during times of crisis.  Official disaster declarations must be in place from FEMA, state, or local government to qualify.  Grants are issued at the discretion of HFC.  HFC will prioritize applications based on:

1. Severity of Impact – Direct damage to home, loss of caregiving resources, or urgent need for relocation
2. Level of Disruption to Caregiving – Loss of utilities, access to healthcare, or displacement of both caregiver and care recipient
3. Available Funding – Support will be provided based on the availability of emergency relief funds  

To ensure clarity and consistency in our grant distribution for emergency relief, we define eligible disasters under the following categories:

1.  Natural Disaster

A natural disaster is a large-scale, unforeseen environmental event that causes significant damage or disruption to a community.  These include:

Severe Weather Events

• Hurricanes, typhoons, or cyclones (Category 3 or higher, or causing widespread damage)
• Tornados (EF2 or higher, or causing significant structural damage)
• Severe flooding (including flash floods and storm surges)
• Blizzards or extreme winter storms leading to widespread power outages or unsafe living conditions

Geophysical Disasters

• Earthquakes (Magnitude 6.0 or higher, or causing major structural damage)
• Tsunamis
• Volcanic eruptions
• Landslides or mudslides due to natural causes

Wildfires

• Large-scale wildfires that result in mandatory evacuations, destruction of homes, or significant air quality hazards

Extreme Hot or Cold Waves

• Heat waves resulting in widespread public health crises or power outages
• Extreme cold events causing infrastructure failures, prolonged power outages, or hazardous conditions

2. Regional Geographic Disaster

A regional geographic disaster is an event that severely impacts a specific location, making it unsafe or unlivable.  These include:

Infrastructure Failures

• Major power grid failures affecting a region for an extended period
• Water contamination crises making drinking water unsafe
• Transportation system collapses due to natural or structural failures

Public Health Emergencies

• Chemical spills or hazardous material incidents that result in evacuation or long-term health risks

Community-Wide Displacement Events

• Large-scale evacuations due to environmental hazards (e.g., gas leaks, dam failures)
• Government-declared disaster zones affecting residential stability
   

Eligibility for Emergency Relief Grants

To qualify for an HFC Emergency Relief Grant, applicants must:

• Reside in a federally, state, or locally declared disaster area OR provide evidence of direct impact from a qualifying disaster
• Be the primary caregiver for a family member with Alzheimer’s or dementia. A primary caregiver is an individual with primary responsibility for providing care and support, regardless of legal or biological relationship. This care may include physical, emotional, financial, or medical support and must be continuous and substantial. The caregiver does not need to reside with the care recipient.
• Demonstrate financial hardship caused by the disaster that affects their ability to provide care (e.g., loss of home, inability to access medical services, evacuation costs).
• A third party may apply on behalf of a primary caregiver impacted by the conditions above.

Verification & Documentation

Applicants may be required to submit one or more of the following:

• Official disaster declaration from FEMA, state, or local government
• Proof of residence in an affected area
• Evidence of financial impact (e.g., lost wages, evacuation expenses, property damage)
• Confirmation of caregiving responsibilities