The UAB Benevolent Fund require that all charities supported be a current 501 (c) (3) organization determined by the IRS with a focus on health and human services and serve the local community in which we live and work. Furthermore, these nonprofits must have the support of UAB employees and meet the stringent guidelines for funding established by the Benevolent Fund Council.

The By-laws of the Benevolent Fund require that all nonprofits supported be a current 501 (c) (3) organization determined by the IRS. The Fund supports nonprofits that have mutually beneficial partnerships with UAB including local health charities and the United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) and its partner nonprofits. Local nonprofits that are not on the designation list are eligible to apply for grant opportunities as they become available.

To be included as a Designation Nonprofit from which UAB Employees may direct their charitable giving, a nonprofit must meet stringent guidelines established by the Benevolent Fund Council. The opportunity to be part of the list of designation nonprofits requires nonprofits to complete an application along with new Benevolent Fund pledges of support from UAB employees. To remain on the designation list, nonprofits must provide annual reports, make routine presentations to the Council and maintain a minimum of $1,000 in employee pledges. It is not in the best interest of every nonprofit to be on the designation list because it can be difficult to compete with other sometimes larger and better-known nonprofits for designations. An alternative to being on the designation list is to apply for a local nonprofit grant when funds are available.

As funding is available, a Request for Proposals is made available on the Benevolent Fund website. The completed application must be received by the grant deadline to be considered for funding. Applications are reviewed by the Council or an appointed subcommittee, which subsequently makes recommendations to the full council for approval. To assure good stewardship of your gifts, successful nonprofits must meet very stringent guidelines and complete a report detailing how grant dollars were used and program results achieved.

The Employee Emergency Assistance Program is a means by which the Fund's donations are used to assist UAB employees who have experienced emergencies through no fault of their own that result in a financial hardship. Financial awards may be made to employees who qualify under the Employee Emergency Assistance Program guidelines. Emergencies usually involve serious injury/illness, a fire, tornado, safety from domestic violence or similar major crisis. To learn more about the Employee Emergency Assistance Program, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Blazer Kitchen is a food pantry designed to increase food security and nutrition on the UAB campus. UAB students, employees and UAB Medicine patients with a referral may access food through Blazer Kitchen. To learn more about the Blazer Kitchen, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

UAB Habitat for Humanity (HfH) House Build is an event that is sponsored by employee contributions to the Benevolent Fund to build a safe, affordable house for someone in our community. Visit the Habitat for Humanity page for more information.