Northwestern faculty and staff can now receive financial help from their peers in times of need while keeping their identities confidential.
NU Cares is an employee-to-employee assistance fund fueled by donations from NU staff and faculty members themselves. Launched last month, the program was developed by the Northwestern University Staff Advisory Council in collaboration with Human Resources, and is open to all employees who are eligible for health benefits, according to a news release.
“We feel that NU is more than just a workplace,” said Kyle Delaney, vice-chair of the NUSAC benefits committee. “We see NU as a community. Providing assistance to a fellow employee reinforces that community feel here.”
The fund has been in the works for more than two years, and when it reaches $5,000, a small committee made up of NU faculty and staff will begin accepting and reviewing applications. The fund is designed to benefit those who have experienced an unforeseen crisis, such as a medical emergency or a fire. Once paid, recipients are not obligated to repay the grant, Delaney said.
NU Cares has received more than 85 donations in the past month, said Lori Anne Henderson, director of the office of Work/Life Resources. The program committee expects to begin taking applications very soon, she said.
“It sends a very positive message that we’re a community of people that have care and concern for one another and are interested in finding ways to help,” she said. “People were really glad we’re doing something like this.”
The idea for NU Cares was developed after research showed similar employee assistance funds are prevalent at other universities, Delaney said.
Loyola University Maryland started its Employee Crisis Fund five years ago after employees expressed a need for a financial safety net, said Doris Trainor, director of employee relations at Loyola. Like NU Cares, it is designed to help employees who are facing temporary financial instabilities.
“It’s one more way we can demonstrate that we care for the whole person,” Trainor said. “They can know they’re not treated just as an employee or like a piece of office furniture.”
While Loyola’s crisis fund takes donations from its employees, it depends mainly on university funding. NU Cares, however, only takes donations from current NU employees.
The NU fund is getting plenty of positive feedback already, Delaney said.
“I’m not surprised that we’re getting a lot of donations and interest,” he said. “People were very eager to help one another. We definitely work in a fairly generous community.”
