Mutual Aid Criteria

 
 

Working Criteria

The following criteria serves as a set of guidelines to help our mutual aid team evaluate requests. Our goal is to be discrete, fair, equitable, and generous in our attempt to meet the needs at hand. All application materials will be kept confidential, and only visible in full by our Mutual Aid Coordinator (Sanjana Quasem) and Executive Direction (Lauren Schreiber). All applications are anonymized, reviewed by the mutual aid committee and approved by a majority vote. Guidelines and criteria are reviewed/updated on an annual basis.

📋 Who Qualifies for Aid:

    • Recipients must have some direct connection to the Center DC community, like one or more of the following below: 

      • Have attended at least 3 program in the past 3 months

      • Are a chaplaincy client 

      • Are a small group participant

      • Are active in 1 or more peer group

      • Or determined to be a ‘regular’ community member by the team based on historical review

    • Aid applications must be made by the person in need themselves

      • We will not accept applications submitted on behalf of others, or made in anonymity

    • Members can make 2 “reasonable” requests max per 12 month period, with “reasonable” determined by the mutual aid committee. 

📋 Eligibility & Prioritization Criteria

To ensure equity and compassion, we will use the following prioritization factors to guide distribution:

  • Community Member Status: Someone who participates in / is a part of the Center DC community in the avenues listed above.

  • Urgency of Need: Immediate threats to housing, food, medical needs, or safety.

  • Access to Other Resources: Individuals with fewer alternatives (e.g. undocumented, unbanked, disconnected from family, ineligible for government support).

  • Systematic Marginalization: Black, Indigenous, disabled, and low-income individuals may be prioritized.

  • Dependents/Caretaking Roles: Those supporting children, elders, or disabled family members.

📋 TYPES OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT REQUESTS:

    • Direct Monetary Payments: 

      • Aid requests should be for emergencies and urgent needs, which might include:

        • Emergency rent/bill coverage

        • Emergency necessary travel (i.e. to see a dying loved one, etc)

        • Emergency medical expenses

        • Emergency childcare

        • Funeral expenses

        • Unexpected car repair for necessary travel (e.g. to job, medical)

        • Other unexpected urgent, emergency expenses

    • Fee Coverage

      • Aid requests can also be for mutual aid coverage of the following services

        • Social worker consultation

        • Mental health / therapy session

        • Other consultation fees that will improve the requester’s situation

Disclaimer #1: Center DC does NOT vet for Zakat eligibility. All funds given to our mutual aid project should be considered sadaqa, while specific causes and recipients may in fact be zakat eligible. 

Disclaimer #2: Center DC may not be able to fulfill the entirety of your mutual aid request. The amount of mutual aid provided will depend on several factors including, but not limited to, amount of mutual aid funds available, number of other pending requests, prioritization of needs, and number of reasonable requests made by applicant in the last 12 month period. In the event that the need is greater than our Mutual Aid fund can cover, members are encouraged to set up a crowdfunding page, as well as to connect with other resources.

Disclaimer #3: We never send money overseas. If a recipient happens to be located overseas at the time of the request, those cases must be reviewed by legal counsel before decisions are made.