Estimated read time: 4 minutes
Overview
This article defines financial requests, provides examples, and offers important tips and best practices for submitting them. The goal is to help Agency Workers submit the most impactful requests that are likely to receive a response.
Intended audience
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What are financial requests?
Financial requests are focused on the need for some kind of payment — or portion of a payment — to be made on behalf of a family in crisis. No items or services are being requested that a responder may be able to purchase, deliver, or provide. The only way for the request to be met is for money to be given to a third-party organization.
Examples of financial requests include:
- Utility bill assistance
- Rent assistance
- Court fees assistance
- Car note or insurance payment assistance
Important tips & best practices
1. Consider whether goods and services can offset the needed amounts
In some cases, tangible goods and services can be requested instead of financial assistance, which could free up cash in the family's budget to pay what they owe. Since requests for goods and services typically have a higher response rate through CarePortal than financial requests, this should be the preferred approach if possible.
2. Touch base with your Agency Rep to understand policies and limitations
Your Agency may have an agreement in place for financial requests with the local Network Leaders that limits the dollar value or frequency of these types of requests. Check with your Agency Rep to better understand how your request may affect the balance and expectations of the Network's responding partners.
3. Verify the family's claim
The credibility of CarePortal requests relies heavily on the validation and approval of Agency Workers. If a Church or Community Responder offers to help and, in the process of providing that help, discovers details that undermine the legitimacy of the request, they'll be less likely to respond to future requests. This is true for all CarePortal requests — including tangible services — but it's most sensitive when the request involves financial assistance.
4. Proactively answer common questions in your request description
To increase the chances of a request receiving a response, use the Story field to genuinely advocate for the family and thoughtfully address questions potential responders might wonder, such as:
- Will the family be back in this situation next month, and if so, is there a plan for that?
- Has the family contributed anything toward the need themselves?
- What verification have you done to confirm the need?
- Will a partial amount of what you're requesting help achieve the same desired result?
5. Have confirmed payment details ready
When someone offers to help on a financial request, it's important to have the website, phone number, account number, etc. ready to share with them. If you're unsure how the payment process will work, call or research this before submitting the request — it helps set the responder's expectations for what questions or prompts they'll encounter.
Important! In cases where only cash is accepted (such as informal "handshake" lease agreements), CarePortal is not a viable option for direct financial assistance. Consider requesting tangible goods and services instead (see Tip 1 above).
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