Home < About Modest Needs < Grant Types and Eligibility Guidelines < More About The Random Acts of Kindness Grant

Stay in Touch
Become a Fan
Follow Us
Read Our Blog
McAfee SECURE sites help keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams
Charity Navigator 4Star
BBB seal

More About The Random Acts of Kindness Grant

Please note that while The 'Random Acts of Kindness' grant program is administered by Modest Needs, it is funded in full by a private foundation that has set the terms of and eligibility requirements for this grant program. We are very happy to have been asked to partner with this foundation, which wants very much to assist individuals and families in short-term financial crisis but lacks the technological infrastructure to make grants of this type on its own.

The 'Random Acts of Kindness' grant program is similar to Modest Needs' own Self-Sufficiency Grant in that the 'Random Acts of Kindness Grant' is designed to prevent an otherwise self-sufficient individual or family from entering the cycle of poverty due to an unexpected emergency expense.

However, there are three significant differences between our 'Self-Sufficiency' grant and the 'Random Acts of Kindness' Grant:

  1. In accordance with the instructions of the foundation sponsoring this grant, the 'Random Acts of Kindness' grant program is open ONLY to persons living in the greater Los Angeles area.

  2. The 'Random Acts of Kindness' grant program will remit payment for more than a single expense at a time, so long as all of the expenses are tied to the same general situation.

    For example, under the 'Random Acts of Kindness' grant program, a person seeking assistance to return to college could request help to purchase both a laptop computer AND a semester's worth of textbooks.

  3. The 'Random Acts of Kindness' grant program is designed to assist applicants whose needs CANNOT be met in full via the maximum grant offered by Modest Needs for that applicant.

    Accordingly, the MINIMUM amount an applicant can request via a 'Random Act of Kindness' grant is $1,001.00. The maximum amount an applicant can request under this special grant program is $10,000.00.

In order to qualify for a 'Random Acts of Kindness' Grant:

  1. You MUST be a permanent resident of the greater Los Angeles area;

  2. You need assistance to remit payment for a relatively small expense or a series of small, related expenses that will either

    a) clearly restore your personal self-sufficiency;
    b) enable you to substantially increase your dependable monthly income by providing necessary job training or another type of help that will allow you to secure substantial, full-time employment; or
    c) if you are permanently unable to work, will significantly enhance the quality of your life by allowing you to live more independently than would otherwise be possible;

  3. It is clear that the expense or related group of expenses with which you plan to request assistance is both absolutely essential and absolutely out of your personal financial reach;

  4. The expense or related group of expenses with which you plan to request assistance can be paid on your behalf, directly to one or more vendors; and

  5. The expense or related group of expenses with which you plan to request assistance can be paid in full, on your behalf, for no less than $1,001.00 and no more than $10,000.00.

Please Note:

  1. If you are not either currently employed or permanently unable to work, you may not apply for a 'Random Act of Kindness' grant to remit payment for a regular monthly expense that you simply cannot afford due to lack of income.

  2. The 'Random Acts of Kindness' grant cannot be used to remit payment for expenses related to long-term medical care or the costs involved in entering / completing a drug, alcohol or other type of rehabilitation program.

To Apply for a Random Act of Kindness Grant:

Persons wishing to apply for a Random Act of Kindness grant should NOT complete Modest Needs' grant application. Instead, please click this link and then send us an email with the following information:

  1. Your contact information, including your name, address, and telephone number;

  2. In as much detail as reasonably possible, the reason you would like to apply for a 'Random Act of Kindness Grant. You should be sure to explain why receiving this grant would make an extraordinary difference in your life, not just today or tomorrow, but for the LONG TERM; and

  3. An itemized list of all the expenses that would be required in order to fully fund your application for a 'Random Act of Kindness Grant.' (Remember, the minimum amount for which you can apply is $1001.00, and the maximum for which you may apply is $10,000.00);

We will forward your grant applications directly to the foundation sponsoring this grant for their review. If that foundation determines that they would like to consider your application for a 'Random Act of Kindness' grant, we will contact you directly to request the documentation we need to perform appropriate due diligence on your application.