2020 PRSA Orlando Hardship Fund Program
UPDATE:
Thank you for supporting the PRSA Hardship Fund! Because of your support our chapter was able to reinstate or renew four PRSA Orlando memberships.
Applications are now closed for this program.
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The PRSA Orlando Regional Chapter recognizes that some members of the PR and communications industry have experienced great hardships this year due to COVID-19. We believe it is important for people who may have experienced job loss or other hardships to have opportunities to still network and connect professionally.
The Orlando Regional Chapter will match donations made to the Orlando Hardship Fund up to three full-priced, one-year memberships ($260 + $50 chapter dues). Donations to the fund will be accepted through December 10, 2020. The total number of reinstated members will depend on the amount donated by that date. Donations will be accepted through Eventbrite as part of our regular programming, and by registrations and donations to the PRSA Gives Back Virtual Holiday Mixer fundraising event on December 10.
Two Options to Apply:
All applicants and recipients will be kept confidential.
- PRSA National offers a financial hardship plan for members who meet certain qualifications (a member of PRSA for a total of three or more years and is unemployed or temporarily disabled). This plan reduces your membership rate to $130 (from $260). PRSA Orlando Regional chapter dues are $50. If you qualify and wish to be considered for the PRSA Orlando Hardship Reinstatement Plan, please complete and send the PRSA National financial hardship plan form AND the PRSA Orlando Hardship Fund Application to Wendy Roundtree, Co-VP of Membership Retention, by December 11.
- If you do not meet the National financial hardship plan qualifications, but your membership has lapsed and you cannot renew due to unemployment or budget cuts in response to COVID-19, complete the 2020 PRSA Orlando Hardship Fund Application and submit for consideration to Wendy J. Roundtree, APR, Co-VP of Membership Retention, by December 11.
To qualify for the PRSA Orlando Hardship Fund, you must:
- Be a previous PRSA Orlando Regional Chapter member for at least one year;
- Have dropped your membership from March 1, 2020 through October 31, 2020 or cannot afford to renew (if you are up for renewal in November or December 2020); and
- Demonstrate a hardship and financial need due to COVID-19.
Special consideration will be given to those who were active members of the Orlando chapter and who wish to volunteer for the chapter. The funds (national and chapter dues) will be dispersed to PRSA National directly from the Orlando Regional Chapter.
Qualified applicants should download the application form on the PRSA Orlando website, and submit completed form to Wendy J. Roundtree, APR, Co-VP of Membership Retention at wendyjroundtree@gmail.com by December 11. Applications will be verified by the Co-VP of Membership Recruitment.
Applications must be received no later than December 11 and will be reviewed independently by another chapter to determine allocation of the funds. You will be notified within two weeks of the decision.
Click here to download the 2020 PRSA Orlando Hardship Fund Application.
