CHAIR of the CILIP Benevolent Fund, John Vincent describes it as “A really good living example of the We are CILIP principle”. Here he looks at how it works, who it supports and how you can get involved too as many people face a cost of living crisis.

The independent charity was established to offer financial assistance and support to CILIP members, including members of the Library Association and Institute of Information Scientists, and has been particularly important during austerity – which is badly affecting some sectors – and, of course, the pandemic. It grants monetary awards to those in financial difficulty, helping people overcome short-term problems that are having an impact on their lives – such as paying for household equipment and repairs, winter clothing, unexpected bills, court orders for arrears, bereavement-related matters.

There is more information about the Benevolent Fund’s work on the CILIP website, where you can find out how to apply, view the process for dealing with applications, and access the online application form. All awards of funding will be made on the basis of invoices or other documentation submitted, up to a maximum of £3,000.

As the webpage states: “It is important to emphasise that the business of the Fund is conducted with strict confidentiality. With the agreement of the applicant, a telephone call or a visit may be arranged to discuss the difficulty with the client and the way in which the Fund can best help resolve it. On the basis of this and the information derived from it, the Chair, after consulting fellow Trustees, will take a ¬decision, usually within a few days.”

Where it really becomes We are CILIP is through the way the funding is raised: it relies almost entirely on the generosity of donations from CILIP members for its income. The bulk of the Fund is invested, and the interest, as well as part of the capital, is available for giving help.

Members can donate directly to the fund through the webpage hosted on the main CILIP website when they ¬renew their annual membership. UK taxpayers can boost the amount the fund receives at no extra cost by ticking the Gift Aid box when they donate – there is further information in the Benevolent Fund leaflet.Some members have also included legacies in their wills, and there is more information about this in a leaflet on the website.

What kind of impact does the Fund have?

Well, some feedback from recipients shows just how vital the funding is:

“I’m immensely grateful to the Benevolent Fund for this generous lifeline to support me during this difficult time.”

“Believe me, every little help means a lot to me. I am very grateful.”

“That’s wonderful news. I can assure you, I already feel so much better. Thank you. I appreciate this must be a challenging time for the Benevolent Fund.”

“I really can’t thank the trustees enough – it will make such a difference for us moving forward.”

“Thank you to the Benevolent fund for assisting me and for all the help you gave in collating the information I provided.”

If you are interested in finding out more about the Benevolent Fund’s work and how it operates, further ¬details are also available on the Fund’s webpage, where you can see details of the current Trustees, read our Privacy Policy and find the links to the documents mentioned.

The Benevolent Fund Board of Trustees is also an opportunity for ¬personal involvement – you might consider ¬becoming a Trustee yourself; there will be at least one vacancy at the end of 2022.

Finally, from February 2022, the Benevolent Fund will be working in partnership with Better with Money, an organisation that offers financial guidance to employees: in terms of CILIP members, you will be able to access some of this guidance, especially via webinars which we will be arranging as part of the CILIP webinar programme.