Caregivers Supporting Caregivers Through Financial Hardships

Empathy, one of Cleveland Clinic’s core values, encourages caregivers to imagine and relate to the experiences of others. Cleveland Clinic caregivers also follow a guiding principle to care for each other like family. To foster this spirit of compassion, the organization has established a Caregiver Hardship Fund that provides employees a unique opportunity to support one another in times of need.

Relying heavily on caregiver donations, the fund offers short-term financial assistance to those facing financial hardships. Since the program was introduced in 2009, more than 15,000 applications have been approved, and $10 million in relief funding has been awarded.

“You never know when a coworker is up against a tough time, and this program provides a way to help ease someone else’s burden,” says Robin Thomson, a program manager in the Caregiver Office. “People can provide support by donating tax-deductible monetary contributions or PTO hours.”

Holistic caregiver support

At Cleveland Clinic, caring for caregivers is an organizational priority, and an important aspect of the health system’s vision to be the best place to work in healthcare and to receive care. This includes creating a culture where employees are valued, nurtured and supported.

Programs like the Caregiver Hardship Fund and others help ensure employees have the holistic support they need — physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and financially.

The fund is often coupled with additional support services, including financial planning, legal services, and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which is part of the confidential Caring for Caregivers service platform and provides short-term counseling to employees and their families.

“Our team has a strong partnership with our Caring for Caregivers colleagues,” says Thomson. “Many caregivers who apply for hardship funds are directed to our program because our EAP partners shared it as an option. We have a great working relationship to support those in need.”

Providing this level of holistic support is highly impactful. In addition to the meaningful affect it has on employees, it also strengthens engagement, boosts retention and drives a positive workplace culture, which ultimately delivers a better experience for patients.

“This program goes well beyond the expectations of a company showing compassion and understanding to its employees,” says a caregiver who has benefited from the fund.

Relief when needed most

Hardship funds are awarded as grants that appear as a one-time payment to the recipient through Cleveland Clinic’s payroll system. Individuals can receive up to $400 in a 24-month period.

Those seeking assistance are required to submit a confidential application that details their situation and provides supporting evidence for the hardship. Thomson estimates her team receives an average of 45 applications each week.

According to Thomson, having a team member who can dedicate time each day for application review is essential to the success of programs like this. “Applicants need support sooner rather than later, so time is of the essence,” she stresses.

To qualify for funding, applicants must meet established program parameters. For example,

• they need be employed for at least 90 days;
• the reason for their request must be due to a possible eviction, loss of utilities, unexpected illness, natural disaster or death;
• and, supporting evidence must be provided.

In 2024, the most common Caregiver Hardship Fund requests were submitted because of utility disconnections or past-due notices (63%), followed by mortgage/rent payments or eviction notices (25%), unexpected illness/medical costs (6%), other/fire/hurricane (4%) and death/funeral expenses (2%).

“Outlining clear criteria is key to the approval process, as is being fair,” says Thomson.

If approved, applicants receive their funds within one week. “Caregivers don’t have the luxury of waiting weeks for funds to be available in their regular paycheck, so grants are processed right away,” she notes. In addition, Cleveland Clinic covers any taxes that would be deducted from the grant.

In the event an application is denied, Thomson says the caregiver is given specific reasons for the denial and is connected to other support services and community partners by way of the Caring for Caregivers team.

Support that strengthens

Thomson says since the Covid-19 pandemic, when the program experienced a significant surge in applications, the Caregiver Hardship Fund has steadily assisted between 1,100 and 1,600 caregivers every year.

“Although we rely on funds donated by caregivers, we also work to secure other revenue sources,” she says.

Cleveland Clinic’s Philanthropy Institute is one of those sources, as are various clinical institutes. During National Nurses Week, for example, the Nursing Institute regularly honors nursing caregivers with a donation to the fund, adds Thomson.

Her team also taps into creative fundraising methods. Last year, through a partnership with Cleveland Clinic Art Collection, they hosted a sale of retired art and posters with proceeds benefiting the fund.

Thomson says aside from helping people financially, the Caregiver Hardship Fund strengthens the relationships Cleveland Clinic’s caregivers have with each other and the organization. “Not only does the program reflect how much our employees care for each other, it also shows that the organization understands that many of us face hard times,” she shares.

The feedback Thomson and her team continually receive is proof of the program’s inevitable value.

“There aren't enough words to express how much it meant to our family and helped us in our time of need,” another grant recipient says. “Once things settle down [for me] financially, I hope to pay it forward to others who are finding themselves in a situation such as ours. You never anticipate these things happening, but when they do, it's nice to know there are people that care and are there to help you.”