Program Assistance Terms & Conditions

Effective date: September 2, 2026

These Program Assistance Terms & Conditions govern requests for financial assistance and support from Cheer The Children Youth Organization (“CTC”). By submitting an application, the applicant acknowledges and agrees to these terms. These programs are charitable assistance programs and do not create a contractual right, entitlement, guarantee, or promise of payment.

1. Service Area

CTC programs covered by these terms are limited to current residents of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma. CTC may prioritize particular counties or communities according to funding restrictions, donor requirements, program capacity, or documented need.

2. General Eligibility and Selection

• Applicants must submit complete, accurate, and verifiable information.
• Assistance is based on objective criteria including financial need, urgency, household circumstances, program purpose, application completeness, and available funding.
• Meeting eligibility requirements does not guarantee approval.
• CTC may approve less than the requested amount, limit assistance to a particular expense, request additional information, place an application on a waiting list, or decline an application.
• Priority may be given to households with children or youth, families facing imminent loss of housing or childcare, students with substantial unmet need, and other urgent circumstances consistent with CTC’s charitable mission.

3. Housing & Family Stability

Housing assistance may cover approved past-due rent, past-due mortgage payments on a primary residence, security deposits, first-month rent, housing-related utility needs, housing navigation, or referrals. Financial assistance is normally limited to $2,500 per household once every five years. Navigation and referrals may be available more frequently. Applicants may be required to demonstrate an unexpected crisis and a reasonable plan for maintaining housing after assistance.

4. Education Scholarship

Education scholarships may cover approved tuition, required school fees, books, required materials, required technology, licensing or certification costs, and documented educational needs. Awards are limited to $1,500 per student per academic year. Students must submit a new application each year. Renewal is not automatic and total participation is limited to four academic years. Applicants generally must pursue an eligible high-school completion, first associate degree, first bachelor’s degree, trade, vocational, license, or certificate program through an accredited or state-approved institution. CTC does not charge an application fee.

5. Childcare Assistance

Childcare assistance is limited to $1,500 per child during a 12-month period. Assistance may be divided into temporary monthly payments. The child must normally be under age 13, with reasonable exceptions for a child with a disability or special care need. The parent or guardian must demonstrate childcare need related to employment, job search, school, job training, medical or family emergency, or another approved circumstance. The provider must be licensed or legally exempt and verifiable. Reapplication may occur after 12 months, but renewal is not automatic.

6. Direct Payment and Approved Use

Approved assistance is normally paid directly to a verified landlord, property manager, mortgage servicer, school, vendor, childcare provider, utility, or other approved provider. CTC generally does not issue unrestricted cash to applicants. Approval applies only to the purpose, amount, payee, and period stated by CTC. Applicants remain responsible for costs unless and until CTC provides written approval.

7. Verification and Documentation

CTC may verify residency, household composition, income or financial need, emergency circumstances, housing debt, enrollment, educational costs, childcare costs, provider status, previous CTC assistance, and other information relevant to the application. Initial forms must not include Social Security numbers, bank-account information, passwords, immigration status, passports, or government identification. If an application advances, CTC may request limited supporting documents through a secure process.

8. Accuracy, Fraud, and Duplicate Assistance

False, misleading, altered, incomplete, or intentionally omitted material information may result in denial, cancellation, disqualification from future programs, or recovery of funds. Applicants must disclose prior CTC assistance and overlapping assistance for the same expense. CTC may coordinate with providers or partner organizations to prevent duplicate payment.

9. Conflicts of Interest

Applicants must disclose relationships with CTC directors, officers, employees, volunteers involved in selection, substantial contributors, or their immediate family members. Any related application must be reviewed by disinterested decision-makers. No insider may influence or participate in a decision involving that person or a related applicant.

10. Decisions and Reconsideration

Decisions are made by CTC’s authorized program reviewers or committee and are based on program criteria and available resources. Arlo, volunteers, website content, referrals, and preliminary conversations cannot approve or promise assistance. An applicant may request reconsideration within 10 calendar days if a decision was based on missing or factually incorrect information. Funding and priority determinations are final.

11. Privacy and Consent

CTC collects only information reasonably necessary to evaluate, verify, administer, audit, and report charitable assistance. Information may be shared with authorized staff, reviewers, service providers, landlords, schools, vendors, childcare providers, funders, auditors, insurers, legal advisers, or government authorities when reasonably necessary, authorized, or legally required. CTC does not sell applicant personal information. Access is limited, and records are retained and destroyed according to CTC policy and applicable requirements.

12. Equal Access

CTC administers assistance without unlawful discrimination. Reasonable language and accessibility assistance may be requested. Immigration status is not requested in the initial application unless a specific funding source or law later makes particular information necessary; any such requirement will be disclosed before collection.

13. Program Changes and Termination

CTC may modify eligibility, limits, covered expenses, priorities, documentation, service area, deadlines, or availability at any time to comply with law, donor restrictions, available funding, or program capacity. A current application does not reserve funds. CTC may suspend or terminate a program without creating liability for pending or future expenses.

14. No Professional or Emergency Services

CTC does not provide legal, tax, financial, medical, housing-placement, emergency shelter, or crisis-response services through these applications. If there is immediate danger, call 911. For urgent community resources in the Bay Area, call 211.

15. Applicant Agreement

By submitting an application, the applicant confirms that the information is accurate; accepts the applicable program limits; authorizes reasonable verification; agrees that payment may be made directly to a verified provider; and understands that submission does not guarantee assistance.

Questions: gethelp@cheerthechildren.org

These terms are intended as an operational risk-control document and should be reviewed periodically by CTC’s Board and qualified California counsel.