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Provident Credit Union – USF Student Organization Grant Program Official Terms and Conditions
1. Program Overview & Grant Amount
Provident Credit Union (“Credit Union”) specializes in serving people and groups that are valued members of our California communities. The Credit Union participates in the community through donations, volunteering, and other programs. Our involvement focuses on education, financial literacy, personal health and safety, affordable housing, and support for our local business community. The Credit Union is proud to offer the University of San Francisco Student Organization Grant Program. The program is designed to provide financial assistance to student groups demonstrating a dedicated commitment to community service and awareness objectives.
- A maximum individual award of $500 will be granted per selected student organization.
- Grants are limited and subject to the availability of program funds. Grant recipients will be selected by the Credit Union Selection Committee in accordance with the eligibility requirements and evaluation criteria set forth below.
2. Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to apply for and receive a grant, a student organization must fulfill all the following criteria at the time of application and distribution:
- Good Standing: The organization must be officially recognized and maintain a status of "good standing" with the University of San Francisco.
- Mission Alignment: The organization’s primary mission, values, or target goals must align with the Credit Union’s broader commitment to education and local community involvement.
- Service Focus: The specific project, program, or event for which the grant money is requested must be directly community service-related or yield a direct community impact (e.g., active community volunteering, organizing resource donations, or directly assisting local non-profit groups).
3. Explicit Restrictions on Grant Funds
The Credit Union evaluates applications solely on a merit basis. To ensure grant funds are used consistently with the purposes of the Grant Program, the following funding restrictions apply:
- Prohibited Uses: Grant funds cannot be used to support partisan political activity, political lobbying, religious worship, religious instruction, or actions explicitly meant to spread a specific religion.
- Intended Scope: Financial awards are strictly meant to fulfill organizational community development, education, or community service operations. Funds cannot be pocketed by individual student members or used for unapproved personal expenses.
4. Selection Process & Evaluation Criteria
Recipients of the grant are selected through a merit-based evaluation process, and not by chance, lottery, random drawing, or other chance-based method.
- The Committee: Eligible and complete applications will undergo a full review process conducted by the Credit Union Selection Committee.
- Evaluation Matrix: The committee will verify all background eligibility requirements and weigh applications based on:
1. The detailed proposed use of the grant funding.
2. The projected benefit, community awareness value, or tangible impact on the university or local community.
3. The thoroughness, clarity, and overall quality of the submitted application form.
- Discretion: All decisions made by the Credit Union Selection Committee regarding final recipient selections are final and binding.
5. Fund Distribution Mechanics
To ensure administrative safety, the delivery of approved grants adheres strictly to institutional guidelines:
- Payment Delivery: The $500 grant will be systematically routed directly through the University’s administrative or financial departments. Funds will be issued as a credit or deposit into the selected student organization's official, University-administered bank account.
- No Direct Cash/Checks: No grant funds will be delivered as direct cash payments to individual student members or handed over outside the formal university accounting portal.
- Any public check-presentation ceremonies or photos remain purely ceremonial and do not represent the physical method of money transmission.
6. Nondiscrimination Commitment
The Credit Union will administer the Grant Program in strict accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local nondiscrimination laws. Grant recipients will be selected solely based on the published eligibility requirements and merit-based selection criteria set forth herein, without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, sexual orientation, citizenship, immigration status, primary language, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
7. Verification, Disqualification, and Administrative Terms
- Verification: The Credit Union reserves the right to contact university staff to confirm an organization's active standing or review how distributed funds were utilized.
- Disqualification: Providing inaccurate, false, or misleading data in the application form will result in immediate disqualification from the selection pool.
- Program Changes: The Credit Union reserves the right to amend, suspend, or cancel the grant program structure at any point in its sole discretion based on operational needs, resource availability, or other institutional considerations, subject to applicable law. Any material changes affecting an open application period will be communicated through the Grant Program website.
