GRANT APPLICATION FAQS

What is the IKEA WeCare Fund?

It was created to help employees who are facing financial hardship immediate after a natural
disaster or an unforeseen person hardship. The IKEA WeCare Fund relies primarily on
individual donations from employees and support from IKEA to fund this program. Every
contribution helps and when combined with the donations of others, can provide a tax-free
grant to help a fellow employee needs when they are facing the unexpected.

Who can apply for assistance from the fund?

Applicants must be;
• Regular employee of IKEA US; and
• Regularly scheduled to work.

How large of a grant can I apply for?

The maximum amount available for each incident ranges from $3,500 to $500.
What are the criteria for getting a grant?
The IKEA WeCare Fund was established to help employees, their spouses or eligible
dependents facing unavoidable financial hardship resulting from disasters or emergency
personal hardships outside their control, which includes:
1. Natural disaster such as flood, fire, tornado, earthquake, tsunami, volcanic eruption,
blizzard, drought, cyclone, hurricane, typhoon or severe storms.
2. Terrorist or military action
3. Impacts primary residence: fire, flood or unusual life-altering expense not covered by
insurance
4. Serious illness or injury of employee or their eligible dependent
5. Non-routine/exceptional medical expense – not covered by insurance for employee or
eligible dependent
6. Victim of a violent crime
7. Domestic abuse
8. Death of employee or immediate family member

Are there incidents which do NOT qualify for a grant?

Yes. These include, but are not limited to:
• Loss of household income due to cutback in hours, loss of job, divorce or loss of child support
• Incidents that occurred more than 180 days prior to the application date
• Accumulated financial distress (income is not enough to cover regular monthly bills)
• Wage garnishments/disconnect or eviction (the results of financial hardship, not the cause)
• Lack of medical insurance, home owners and/or renters insurance unless employee had
made reasonable efforts to purchase and maintain insurance

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For which basic living expenses will the IKEA WeCare Fund provide financial assistance?
If an employee experiences a qualifying event, the IKEA WeCare Fund may provide assistance
for expenses that relate to that event. However, which expenses are eligible depends on
which Qualified Event occurred. The Qualified Events/Expenses Matrix provides a complete
listing of Qualified Events and Qualified Expenses,and is available on page 2.
The Expenses which are eligible depend on which Qualified Event occurred and the “X”
indicates which expenses are associated with each Event.

What does “Unable to work due to the event” mean?

An applicant is “unable to work due to the event” when they are forced to take 5 or more days
off from work. These days off must be either due to a serious illness or injury of the applicant
or their dependent, or due to the applicant being a victim of a violent crime.
What expenses are not covered?
Examples of existing non-qualifying expenses include:
• Legal fees
• Lost compensation due to missed time from work
• Electronics and non-essential appliances/furnishings
• Non-essential utilities (internet service, cable television, etc.)
• Personal security items
• Prepaid expenses
• Expenses incurred before the employee became eligible for assistance
• Payment for maternity/paternity leave unless medical complications to the mother or child
occur
• Routine car maintenance

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 • Credit card debt
• Pay day loans
• Medical expenses not related to a Qualified Event including: Long-term medical expenses,
expenses for elective medical procedures, routine or maintenance medical procedures
• Non-medical insurance co-pays, premiums or deductibles, or items covered by or to be
reimbursed by insurance
• School tuition
• Expenses associated with divorce or child custody matters.
• Funeral, travel and burial expenses upon the death of the employee’s relative other than
an immediate family member or eligible dependent.

Who does the IKEA WeCare Fund include as eligible dependents?

The IKEA WeCare Fund considers the employee’s spouse/domestic partner, minor children and
other dependents for whom the employee is financially responsible as eligible dependents.
Parents, grandparents or other relatives are not considered dependents, unless the employee
can show that they are claimed as a dependent on the employee’s IRS tax returns. A domestic
partner is defined as “an on-going and committed spouse-like relationship between adults of
the same or opposite gender.”
Which family members does the IKEA WeCare Fund consider as eligible immediate family?
An applicant may be eligible for assistance in the event that he or she is financially responsible
for funeral, burial or travel expenses due to the death of an immediate family member. The
IKEA WeCare Fund defines an eligible immediate family member as any of the following:
• Spouse or partner in a civil union or domestic partnership
• Parent
• Child
• Sibling
• Grandparent
• Grandchild
• Spousal grandparent
• Aunt, uncle, niece or nephew
• Father in law or mother in law
• Brother in law or sister in law
• Son in law or daughter in law
How do I apply for assistance from the IKEA WeCare Fund?
Go to the IKEA WeCare Fund’s web page at IKEARelief.org and click on the link to the online
application system.
What is the turnaround time to process a grant application?
Normally, within 10 business days or less. The IKEA WeCare Fund is administered by
Emergency Assistance Foundation, Inc. (EAF) which is a 501c(3) tax-exempt, public, nonprofit
organization with IRS approval specifically for Employee Hardship and Disaster Relief Funds.
EAF strives to maintain a quick response time from the time they receive a complete

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 application. However, processing time will be extended in cases where documentation or
signatures are missing, or if other information is needed. Please take care to double check your
application before sending it for review. You will be notified if there is missing information
from your application.
How will I be notified of the decision?
The Emergency Assistance Foundation will notify you by email when your application is
approved or rejected.
Are funds received as a grant taxable?
No, grants received in the U.S. are not considered part of your taxable income. Outside of the
U.S. they may or may not be taxable.
Do I have to repay the grant?
No. Amounts granted under the Fund are not loans and do not have to be repaid.
What information does the Fund need when reviewing an application?
In each case, the IKEA WeCare Fund requires a completed application form along with required
documentation needed regarding the qualifying incident. The application must establish a
financial need and document the expenses for which the grant is being requested. Payments
cannot be made without copies of current bills or invoices.
Will my information remain confidential?
Yes. Your personal information is only used to determine your eligibility for a grant and to
determine the grant amount to be made. Applications to the Fund are reviewed by Emergency
Assistance Foundation, Inc. and will be treated in a confidential manner; however non-
identifying statistical information will be reported to IKEA on a periodic basis to help it improve
the fund.
I borrowed money from my friends and family to help me get caught up on my bills. Will the
IKEA WeCare Fund reimburse me so that I can pay them back?
No. The IKEA WeCare Fund is available for those employees who do not have the means
themselves or other resources available to pay their living expenses.
Can I apply on behalf of a co-worker?
No. If you think a co-worker would benefit from the IKEA WeCare Fund, please pass along
information about the Fund so that he or she can follow up.

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