The AMMES financial crisis fund is intended to assist patients who find themselves unable to meet a critical need. These needs can include anything from making a rent payment to paying a utilities bill, making a copay or any other out-of-pocket medical expense, or any need which is vital to well-being. AMMES does not provide grants for expenses that are non-essential, such as pets or cosmetics. Neither do we reduce credit card debt.
An applicant can make requests for several types of expenses – such as rent, utilities, medical co-pays – but each grant only covers a single type of expense. That is, if you have problems making rent, AMMES can assist you to make a single rent payment, but not several. AMMES cannot provide ongoing assistance. If a problem, such as rent payments, persists, AMMES will help you to find state and federal agencies and charities that can keep you from becoming homeless. There are many charities and agencies that offer aid to low-income people with food purchases, fuel costs, medical payments, and other necessities. We will do our best to help you locate them.
The grant process involves filling out a form online, and submitting three pieces of supporting documentation: proof of financial necessity, diagnosis, and the purpose for which you need the money (bills, receipts, etc). If you have problems filling out the form, or submitting materials, please contact us at finaid@ammes.org.
If you would rather mail the forms and supporting materials, you can send them to:
American ME and CFS Society
46 Huntington Rd
Hadley, MA 01035
Because AMMES is a national nonprofit, only residents of the United States may apply.
Please note: Our grants are generally in the hundreds, not thousands, of dollars.
HOW TO SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR FUNDING
Remember to scan the file as a document, not a JPG. We need to write on it. Don’t take photos of your documents; we can’t read them.
Please note: AMMES does not accept applications from households in which there is a working adult member.
Instructions:
First, fill out the application form. You can find the form HERE.
Then sign, scan, and send the form to finaid@ammes.org.
Next send the following to finaid@ammes.org. (Alternatively, you can mail the application via USPS. See above.)
1) Proof of financial need. This can be any ONE of the following:
- The first page of your IRS income tax return (with social security number redacted), OR
- Proof that you are receiving any form of government assistance, including food stamps (SNAP), disability payments through SSDI, welfare, fuel assistance, section 8 housing benefits, SSI, TANF, WIC, Medicaid or any other program for low income individuals.
2) Documentation of a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) from a medical professional.
3) Documentation of what you need the grant for. For example, this can be a bill, an invoice, or written estimate from a professional or tradesman. Your application will not be complete if you merely write that you need the money, or if you send us your own estimate. We do not reimburse patients for expenses they have already paid, nor do we make open-ended grants.
NOTE: AMMES WILL NOT SHARE ANY OF YOUR APPLICATION INFORMATION WITH ANYONE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. AS SOON AS YOUR CASE IS ASSIGNED A NUMBER, AND YOUR APPLICATION IS PROCESSED, YOUR FINANCIAL INFORMATION WILL BE ANONYMIZED (ALL IDENTIFYING INFORMATION WILL BE REMOVED).
Once your grant is approved, we will need additional supporting documentation that shows you spent the grant for the purpose you indicated in your application.