Temple Employee Relief Fund Guidelines

Temple Employee Relief Fund (the fund) is a program developed out of the desire of Temple and its employees to help other Temple employees most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will continue indefinitely and is intended to serve those severely impacted by this and other future qualified disasters.

The Fund

  • Temple University kicked off the Temple Employee Relief Fund with an initial cash contribution of $50,000.
  • Temple employees may donate any amount to the fund through the dedicated webpage either on a one-time or an ongoing basis, via payroll deduction or another payment type at giving.temple.edu/EmployeeRelief.
  • All donations are tax deductible, based on after-tax dollars.
  • Only cash from an employee’s payroll may be donated; vacation time or other items of value may not be donated.
  • Donations cannot be directed to a specific employee.

Grants

  • Grants will be awarded to those who demonstrate the need to cover expenses that are reasonable and necessary per IRC §139 and directly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as healthcare, travel, family care or other vital living expenses.
  • Grants from the fund, not to exceed $1,000 per employee, will be awarded as reimbursements through payroll as a qualified disaster relief payment.
  • Grant money distributed under this program will be excluded from wages and not subject to income and employment tax withholding under IRC §139.
  • Grants are limited to no more than one award every six months.
  • Grants will be considered on a rolling basis, based on the order in which applications are received.
  • Grants may not be awarded for expenses that are reimbursable through other means, like insurance or other university programs.

Eligibility and How to Apply

All full-time Temple employees are eligible for the award of a Temple Employee Relief grant. In applying for the grant, the application should include as much information as possible concerning the reason for the request. Applications for the Temple Employee Relief Fund can be submitted via

Table explaining the different ways to apply for the Temple Employee Relief Fund

Complete the grant application form online via TUportal

   OR

Drop off a completed printed Temple Employee Relief Fund application at the HR department on Main Campus.

Required Information

All applications for the Temple Employee Relief Fund grant must include the following information to be considered for an award.

  • Name, TUid, title and department of applicant—this information will only be used to ensure contact with the individual on the review and processing of application. Only the committee chair will receive and retain this information.
  • Statement of reasons for the request, including an explanation of the amount of unreimbursed actual or anticipated expenses.

Grants may be awarded for legitimate, verifiable and quantifiable expenses. Receipts for expenses do not need to be submitted with this application, but you must keep copies of all receipts supporting the request in the event of an audit.

Review and Approval Process

All applications will be reviewed by a committee of representatives from the Department of Human Resources and the Offices of the Provost, Budget/Finance and University Counsel. All applicant names and other information will be kept confidential. Applicants will be notified typically within a week of receipt regarding the determination of the grant application.

Contact Us

If you have any question regarding the Temple Employee Relief Fund, send an email to TUrelief@temple.edu.