WHO WE ARE
Who is the Renaissance Catastrophic Emergency Assistance Foundation?
We are members of the diverse Renaissance Festival Community
The Renaissance Catastrophic Emergency Assistance Foundation, Inc. (RCEAF) is a non-profit organization established to assist the workers of Renaissance Festivals and other entertainment events in times of catastrophic emergency crisis through advocacy, education, community outreach, and financial assistance.
We are a registered 501c3 tax exempt charitable foundation, registered in the state of Arizona. You can find us on Guidestar at https://www.guidestar.org/profile/85-0586384.
Our Board of Directors and Foundation is composed of 100% unpaid volunteers, who have donated their time and skills in service of the organization’s mission to serve the community.
What we do, how we help, and how you can be a part of it:
What we do:
Though our immediate focus is often cases related to loss of income due to COVID-19, our foundation will also be assisting with other catastrophic situations that result in a financial hardship or loss of income such as expenses resulting from an accident, personal emergencies or stolen property, etc.
RCEAF assists with non-medical emergencies.
RCEAF focuses on assistance through advocacy programs, to help teach the community how to navigate federal, local, and state assistance programs, how to apply for small business and emergency loans and grants, and how to apply for unemployment, Medicaid and food assistance. We offer financial assistance, with an easily accessible application available 24/7 on our website (www.rceaf.org).
We currently have volunteers committed to our Foundation who can provide pro bono services, such as a licensed therapist who is offering tele-communication for mental health and life-coaching, a Registered IRS Tax Preparer, who specializes in taxes for people in the traveling entertainment industry, and a personal civil lawyer, who specializes in low-income assistance and advocacy.
We have a library of resource links for a wide variety of other assistance programs that range from local to national. They are available to all those who may need them and you can request them via our Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/rceaf.org) and we are in the process of making them available on our website (www.rceaf.org)
Who is eligible for financial assistance:
To be eligible for financial assistance, the applicant must be able to prove festival participation. Examples of this are a recent festival pass, statement from a festival employer or festival management , verifying the employment at a festival. In addition, proof of bills, incident photos and additional documentation may be requested to help determine the assistance required.
How we provide financial assistance:
We are providing emergency financial assistance through direct disbursements to the applicant, and indirect assistance through advocacy programs, to help negotiate payments to landlords, financial institutions or bill payments. The application for financial assistance is available on our website, so anyone, anywhere can complete this form digitally and is available 24/7. It is designed to be accessible via a smart phone, to help facilitate a rapid response time.
https://forms.gle/g8myAbBmef2Vk3EL9
This financial assistance initiative has been active since May 14, 2020.
Disbursements are decided by Committee, thus ensuring approval without bias. We have created all traditional and digital formats of transactional banking, such as PayPal, Zelle, Cash app, and Square for disbursements and donations.
What to expect when you apply for assistance:
After filling out the application for assistance the procedure is as follows:
Application received/intake committee notified.
Applicant contacted to schedule an intake call.
Intake call: information on the application is reviewed and confirmed, requests for supporting documentation are made.
Disbursement committee meets, discusses the case, determines needs ( i.e. – more information needed, advocacy, financial assistance, etc.)
Applicant contacted with determination for disbursement and/or advocacy
Follow up with the applicant, to see what further assistance is required so that case can remain open if needed, or closed if completed.
How can you help:
You can donate items to the Auction Group to raise funds for disbursement
www.facebook.com/groups/rceaf.auctions
This is the link for the donation submission form.
https://forms.gle/EndZMNUpeAib7Fm4A
You can make direct financial donation using one of our digital methods:
PayPal.me/rceaf
PayPal/Zelle to info.rceaf@gmail.com
$RCEAF for CashApp
Square https://bit.ly/2YlHt75
All donations to the Foundation are tax deductible.
If you would like to volunteer your time and skills, you can fill out our volunteer form for the organization using this link:
https://forms.gle/bd9DZGtEFsEFiZLXA