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Guidance note for corporate and non-corporate members seeking assistance

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The terms of reference of the Trust

  1. The provision of support and financial assistance to members who are in financial hardship;
  2. The provision of support and financial assistance to students of town planning who are in financial hardship;
  3. To undertake research for the public benefit into town planning and its social, economic and financial effects on the community and into other such relevant fields of study in connection with town planning as the trustees think fit and to publish the useful results of such research;
  4. The provision and support of any charitable cause associated with town

Background

The trustees have received a number of requests for financial assistance in recent years. From the experience that has begun to emerge from the decisions made to date (September 2011) the trustees feel that it would be helpful to prospective applicants if they set out the broad criteria they will apply to future requests for assistance.

Terms of Reference 1 and 2

The trustees will only provide financial assistance to corporate and non- corporate members (including students) on essentially a “one off” basis and they will not enter into any on-going financial commitments because the Trust’s funds are limited.

Examples of financial assistance offered under these terms of reference include:

  • A cash grant to a retired and disabled member who had fallen on hard times and sought assistance to overcome a short term problem,
  • A cash grant to a member whose family had fallen on hard times and had become ill and who sought assistance with child care fees for a 3 month period,
  • A cash grant to a severely disabled member who had become unemployed through illness and wanted assistance for a 12 month period with travelling expenses to enable him to keep up his CPD,
  • A cash grant to a single parent member who was unemployed and who sought assistance with child care fees for a 3 month period to enable the completion a course of study and facilitate job hunting,
  • A cash grant to the wife of a retired member who had advanced dementia and was living at home to enable her to seek short-term respite care.


Examples of applications that have been refused under these terms of reference include:

  • An application by a prospective student who sought financial assistance to embark on a course of study leading to a recognised planning qualification,
  • An application for funding towards a course of study by a member who was being made redundant,
  • An application by a member for assistance with accountancy advice for a partner whose business had fallen on hard times

Terms of Reference 3

The spirit of the the Trust is support planners in need and not to become another generally available source of research grants and therefore the trustees have determined that terms of reference 3 should apply to research which would fall outside the normal funding streams but be of direct benefit to those planners who are most in need. The trustees have to date (September 2011) only provided one grant to a research project. This was based upon the following criteria which will also guide the assessment of any future application, in addition to any other material consideration:

  • The potential impact of the research in the promotion of the art and science of town planning practice;
  • The potential benefit of the research on those planners who are most challenged in their practice of planning;
  • The extent to which the research could or should be funded from other research funding sources;
  • The level of support for the research proposal by the RTPI Executive Board, and related planning organisation, including their willingness to contribute to the research project financially or in kind; and
  • The commitment to the dissemination of the results of the project.

Terms of Reference 4

The trustees have to date (September 2011) not received any applications for assistance under this category.


General

Applicants are advised to provide comprehensive information about their financial and other relevant circumstances that have given rise to their request for financial assistance. The more specific the request the easier it will be for the trustees to come to respond. The trustees do not wish to introduce application forms and may follow up applications for assistance by phone call or meeting with the applicant.