Bronco Employee Relief Fund

Bronco Employee Relief Fund

At Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½, we are committed to the well-being of our employees. The Bronco Employee Relief Fund provides financial assistance to full-time faculty, staff and auxiliary employees facing unforeseen emergencies or crises, ensuring our community remains strong and supported.

Program Overview

The Bronco Employee Relief Fund offers one-time grants to assist with unexpected financial hardships. These grants are designed to alleviate immediate burdens and help employees navigate challenging times. To ensure that the Bronco Employee Relief Fund supports employees experiencing urgent and unforeseen financial hardship, eligible emergencies must meet the following conditions:

  • Be unexpected, not the result of planned or anticipated expenses

  • Be clearly documented with supporting materials

  • Cause a significant, immediate financial impact

Eligibility is currently limited to full-time faculty, staff, and auxiliary employees. Other employee groups may be reviewed in future program assessments. Students are eligible for funds through the Care Center. The Bronco Employee Relief Fund is intended solely to support full-time employees.

Examples of Qualifying Emergencies

All requests must meet the Bronco Employee Relief Fund eligibility threshold:

Eligible emergencies must meet all of the following:

  • The event occurred within the past 90 days
  • The expense is time-sensitive and cannot reasonably be delayed
  • The applicant has no immediate alternative funding source sufficient to cover the need (e.g., insurance, payment plans, emergency savings, or external assistance)

Declared Natural Disasters

State, federal, or locally declared disasters (e.g., fire, flood, earthquake) that result in damage to a primary residence, loss of housing, or displacement.

Required Documentation:

  • Proof of residence in the impacted area (lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill)
  • Insurance claim, FEMA documentation, or official repair estimate showing damage and cost
  • Documentation must clearly show dates and financial impact

Medical or Dental Emergencies (Uninsured/Underinsured)

Eligible only when all of the following apply:

  • The expense is for urgent or emergency care
  • Insurance has denied coverage or left a substantial uncovered balance
  • The provider has confirmed the expense cannot be deferred or placed on a payment plan

Routine care, elective procedures, and non-urgent treatment do not qualify.

Required Documentation:

  • Medical or dental bill showing date(s) of service and amount owed
  • Insurance Explanation of Benefits (EOB) or denial
  • Statement from provider indicating urgency or non-deferrable nature of care

Screenshots of patient portals without provider identification or dates are not sufficient.

Death of an Immediate Family Member

Funeral expenses, cremation/burial services, or necessary travel related to the death of an immediate family member.

The loss must have occurred within the past 90 days.

Required Documentation:

  • Death certificate, obituary, or official verification of death
  • Invoice(s) showing financial responsibility (funeral home, travel costs, etc.)
  • Documentation must clearly show dates and amounts owed

Violent Crime or Major Accident (Affecting the Employee or Dependents)

Includes domestic violence, major auto accidents, or criminal incidents resulting in immediate financial hardship (e.g., property damage, vehicle loss, emergency relocation).

Required Documentation:

  • Police report, insurance claim documentation, or repair invoice tied to the incident
  • Documentation must clearly show date of incident and financial impact

Risk of Eviction or Foreclosure

Eligible only when there is an active, formal notice indicating imminent housing loss.

General rent or mortgage struggles without formal notice do not qualify.

Required Documentation:

  • Formal eviction notice, pay-or-quit notice, or mortgage default notice
  • Notice must include service address, deadline date, and amount owed

Utility Shut-Off Notices

Utility assistance is eligible only when:

  • A disconnection date is scheduled within 30 days
  • The amount requested would prevent shut-off

General overdue balances without an official shut-off notice do not qualify.

Required Documentation:

  • Official shut-off notice showing service address
  • Scheduled disconnection date
  • Amount required to prevent termination

Mental Health Crisis (Immediate Financial Impact)

Emergency mental health treatment, hospitalization, or urgent care services resulting in substantial uncovered cost.

Eligible only when:

  • The care is urgent or emergency in nature
  • Insurance has denied coverage or left a substantial uncovered balance
  • The expense cannot reasonably be deferred
Required Documentation:
  • Provider invoice showing dates and amount owed
  • Insurance denial or Explanation of Benefits (EOB)
  • Documentation confirming urgency of care

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for assistance, applicants must:

  • Be a current full-time faculty, staff or auxiliary employee at Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

  • Demonstrate an urgent financial need with supporting documentation

  • Experience an unforeseen emergency or crisis impacting personal and professional well-being

Eligible emergencies must meet all of the following conditions:

  • The event occurred within the past 90 days

  • The expense is time-sensitive and cannot reasonably be delayed

  • The applicant has no immediate alternative funding source sufficient to cover the need (e.g., insurance, payment plans, emergency savings, or external assistance)

Common Examples of Ineligible Requests

  • Accumulated debt or credit card balances

  • Back taxes or IRS-related liabilities

  • Routine or planned travel (even for memorials or cultural customs)

  • Medical or dental costs without evidence of urgency or insurance denial

  • General cost-of-living increases, budgeting shortfalls, or expenses from non-CPP employment

  • Housing issues without eviction risk or formal notice

  • Applications with missing or unclear documentation

Application Process

  1. Submit Application: Complete the . 

  2. Confirmation: After submission, you'll receive a confirmation message acknowledging receipt. 

  3. Review: Your application will be reviewed by a selection committee, and you'll be notified of the decision via email. 

Note: A decision is typically provided 2-3 weeks after submission. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


To qualify for assistance, applicants must:

  • Be a current full-time faculty, staff, or auxiliary employee at Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½
  • Be experiencing a qualifying emergency that occurred within the past 90 days
  • Demonstrate that the expense is time-sensitive and cannot reasonably be delayed
  • Confirm that no immediate alternative funding source is available (e.g., insurance coverage, payment plans, emergency savings, or external assistance programs)
  • Provide sufficient official documentation verifying the emergency and financial impact

Student employees are eligible for support through the Care Center. The Bronco Employee Relief Fund is intended solely to support full-time employees.

All qualifying emergencies must meet the Fund’s eligibility threshold:

  • The event occurred within the past 90 days

  • The expense is urgent and time-sensitive

  • No sufficient alternative funding source is available

Examples of qualifying emergencies include:

Declared Natural Disasters

State, federal, or locally declared disasters causing damage, housing loss, or displacement.

Requires proof of residence and documentation of loss or repair costs.

Medical or Dental Emergencies (Uninsured/Underinsured)

Eligible only when:

  • The care is urgent or emergency in nature

  • Insurance has denied coverage or left a substantial uncovered balance

  • The provider confirms the expense cannot be deferred or placed on a payment plan

Routine, elective, or non-urgent procedures do not qualify.

Death of an Immediate Family Member

Funeral expenses or necessary travel related to the death of an immediate family member.

The loss must have occurred within the past 90 days and be supported by official documentation.

Violent Crime or Major Accident

Incidents resulting in immediate financial hardship (e.g., property damage, emergency relocation).

Must be supported by a police report, insurance claim, or repair invoice.

Risk of Eviction or Foreclosure

Requires a formal eviction notice, pay-or-quit notice, or mortgage default notice showing clear deadlines and amounts owed.

General rent or mortgage struggles without formal notice do not qualify.

Utility Shut-Off Notices

Eligible only when:

  • An official disconnection date is scheduled within 30 days

  • The requested amount would prevent termination

Overdue balances without a scheduled shut-off date do not qualify.

Mental Health Crisis (Immediate Financial Impact)

Emergency or urgent mental health treatment resulting in substantial uncovered costs.

Must include provider invoice and insurance denial or Explanation of Benefits (EOB).

Ongoing therapy without urgent financial impact does not qualify.

Common Examples of Ineligible Requests

The following situations do not qualify:

  • Accumulated debt or credit card balances

  • Back taxes or IRS-related liabilities

  • Routine or planned travel (including memorial travel unless directly tied to a recent death within 90 days)

  • Routine, elective, or non-urgent medical/dental care

  • General cost-of-living increases or budgeting shortfalls

  • Expenses related to non-CPP employment

  • Housing concerns without formal eviction or foreclosure notice

  • Utility bills without an official shut-off notice

  • Applications with missing, unofficial, or insufficient documentation

The Fund is designed to address recent, urgent emergencies, not ongoing financial hardship.

Yes. Requests associated with federal, state, or locally declared disasters may be prioritized due to scale and impact.

However, all applications must meet the same eligibility and documentation standards.

No. All decisions made by the selection committee are final. Due to limited funding and the need for consistent application of policy, appeals are not accepted.

Applicants must submit official documentation that directly verifies:

  • The emergency event occurred

  • The date(s) of occurrence

  • The financial cost

  • The applicant’s responsibility for payment

Documentation must be issued by a provider, agency, court, insurer, or utility and must be legible.

Documentation should clearly show:

  • Dates related to the emergency

  • Amounts owed

  • Service address or applicant name

  • Insurance denial or Explanation of Benefits (if applicable)

The following are not sufficient on their own:

  • Bank statements without explanation

  • Credit card screenshots

  • Emails without official headers

  • Self-written statements without third-party verification

  • Documents unrelated to the emergency selected

Applications submitted without sufficient documentation may be considered incomplete and may not be reviewed.

Yes. The fund does not cover:

  • Routine or elective medical/dental procedures

  • General utility balances without shut-off notice

  • Tax-related debts

  • Ongoing financial hardship unrelated to a recent emergency

  • Expenses that can reasonably be deferred or addressed through payment plans

Applications are reviewed by a selection committee using established eligibility and documentation criteria.

Due to limited funds, not all eligible applications can be approved. Partial awards may be granted when funding can meaningfully reduce immediate harm, even if the full amount requested cannot be covered.

Approved funds are processed through Enterprise Financial Services.

  • If you have direct deposit set up, funds will be deposited into your account within a few business days.

  • Otherwise, a check will be mailed to your address on file.

Funds are approved based on availability.

Yes. Funds are considered taxable income. You will receive a 1099 from Enterprise Financial Services.

If awarded funding, you will receive an email notification and have 30 calendar days to complete required disbursement documentation.

If completed documentation is not received within 30 days, the funds will be forfeited and reallocated to support other employees in need.

The Bronco Employee Relief Fund is donation-based and limited. Timely completion ensures fairness to all applicants.

Employees may submit one application every 12 months.

Exceptions may be considered in extraordinary circumstances, such as:

  • A new, unrelated qualifying emergency

  • Emergencies tied to a declared disaster

For questions or updates regarding your application, contact EODA/HR Operations at:

eoda@cpp.edu.