Our Mission: A Fund for Faculty and Staff in Crisis
For faculty and staff, Northwestern is not just a workplace, it is a community. In times of crisis, a community offers support. NU Cares is a fund that allows faculty and staff an opportunity to help a colleague experiencing financial hardship due to a medical or catastrophic event.
Faculty and staff may contribute to the NU Cares fund by payroll deduction or check, and all contributions are used to assist fellow employees. The Northwestern University Staff Advisory Council, Faculty Senate, and Human Resources established NU Cares in 2010.
I have a hard time admitting that I need help, so I was hesitant to apply. Much to my surprise, the application was straightforward and fast. Receiving help through NU Cares provided immediate relief during a stressful time.”
— NU Cares Grant Recipient
Applying for Assistance
Benefits-eligible employees in good standing, with no disciplinary action for workplace conduct concerns or policy/procedure violations within the past six months are eligible to apply.
Temporary – Time limited; not the result of financial debt or sustained financial shortfalls.
Financial Hardship – Inability to pay for basic necessities or meet the contingencies created by the circumstance.
Emergency – An occurrence which arises outside of an individual’s control and which requires immediate actions (e.g. domestic violence, fire, serious illness).
No. As long as you are a benefits-eligible employee in good standing, you are eligible to apply.
Yes. The recipient of an NU Cares award is solely responsible for paying all applicable taxes.
Your identity will be known only to the Well-being Office and the Human Resources employee(s) responsible for verifying your employment status and financial information. Otherwise, your identity and the information contained in your NU Cares application are kept confidential. All information will be de-identified before being shared with the review committee.
The volunteer committee consists of NUSAC members and selected HR/Well-being staff members. Their status as committee members is not made public.
No.
Yes.
No. At this time, NU Cares provides one-time assistance; previous recipients are ineligible to reapply.
Contributing to NU Cares
NU Cares welcomes contributions from any Northwestern University employee. Contributions may be made by payroll deduction, cash, or personal check. If you elect payroll deduction, the amount must be at least $1.
Please use the online form and select the appropriate “contribution election”.
No. As long as you are a benefits-eligible employee in good standing, you are eligible to apply.
No. Contributions to NU Cares are not tax deductible.
NU Cares by the Numbers
220+
Grants Awarded
$160k+
Financial Relief Distributed
139
Monthly Staff Contributors
I am a recipient of the NU Cares award. It was such a blessing to receive this award because it was needed. My grandmother passed and it was extremely important to me for my children and I to attend her services out of state. I applied for NU Cares, the intake process was simple and the intake coordinator was very caring. I would not have been able to go without the NU Cares award. We got the opportunity to see family that we hadn’t saw in years and it was wonderful to celebrate my grandmother’s life without the strain of worrying about finances. The NU Cares award was right on time and I’m forever grateful.”