More About Our Self-Sufficiency Grant

Modest Needs makes Self-Sufficiency grants:

To remit payment for JUST ONE UNUSUAL bill or expense that your household has recently encountered and cannot afford to pay without some assistance.

At Modest Needs, we define 'unusual bill or expense' as an expense which your household does not incur on a regular (monthly or weekly) basis, OR a bill that is unusual because, even though your household incurs that bill on a regular basis, the bill with which you are requesting our assistance is MUCH larger than normal.

For example, if your electric bill is normally about $100 a month, and suddenly, you find yourself facing a $700.00 electric bill, we would consider that $700.00 electric bill to be an unusual expense; or
To remit payment for JUST ONE of your regular monthly expenses (like your rent) because you already have received and paid for an unusual bill of the type described above; or
To remit payment for JUST one of your regular monthly expenses (like your rent) because, within the past 90 days, your household suffered a short-term loss of income due to layoff or illness, and even though your household's income has now returned to normal, your household needs help to 'catch up' on a single, specific bill.

These are the only three circumstances under which Modest Needs makes Self-Sufficiency grants. If none of the three situations described above actually applies to your household, you should not apply for this grant.

Our Application Wizard will determine that you qualify to apply for a Self-Sufficiency Grant from Modest Needs if:

You meet the basic eligibility requirements described on our Applicant FAQ;

Your household is currently facing one of the three situations described above;

Your household meets our Self-Sufficiency Standard (more details on our Applicant FAQ);

The expense with which you need assistance can be paid on your behalf, directly to a vendor;

The expense with which you need assistance can be paid in full for no more than the maximum grant for which your household qualifies from Modest Needs; and

You can provide us with documentation to substantiate what you tell us in your application about your household situation and income, the expense with which you need assistance under our Self-Sufficiency grant program, and the reason you cannot afford to remit payment for this expense on your own.

Please Note:

Self-Sufficiency Grants cannot be used to remit payment for regular expenses that an applicant can no longer afford due to a long-term reduction in income.

For example, an applicant that has suffered a long-term reduction in income and, as a result, can no longer afford to remit payment for his or her monthly housing cost, car payment, or utilities would not be a good candidate for a Self-Sufficiency Grant from Modest Needs.

Apply for a Self-Sufficiency Grant