Support Guidelines

Effective Date: May 1, 2026

The Mock Family Foundation provides short-term financial support to widowed parents and surviving partners with young children during the first six months following the loss of a spouse or partner.

These guidelines are intended to offer clarity around how support is provided and how requests are reviewed.

Our Approach

Our goal is to help ease immediate financial burdens during the early months following loss—when families are navigating both emotional and financial instability.

Support is designed to provide short-term stabilization, not ongoing financial assistance.

Eligibility

To be considered for support, applicants must:

  • Have experienced the loss of a spouse or partner within the past six months

  • Be the primary caregiver of one or more young children

  • Be experiencing financial strain related to this loss

  • Reside in Montgomery County, PA or Gloucester Township (Camden County), NJ

Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements at the time of submission.

What We May Be Able to Support

Support is focused on immediate, essential needs that help stabilize daily life. This may include:

  • Contributions toward housing and utility expenses
    (rent, mortgage, electric, water, and essential services)

  • Contributions toward basic living expenses
    (groceries and essential household needs)

  • Contributions toward short-term childcare and transportation needs
    (childcare, car payments, urgent repairs, gas)

  • Contributions toward critical bills
    to help prevent immediate disruption, such as eviction or service shutoff

Support is prioritized for needs that, if unmet, would significantly impact a family’s immediate stability.

Whenever possible, payments are made directly to service providers or vendors, and may represent a portion of the total amount due.

What We Are Not Able to Support

To ensure we can serve families as meaningfully as possible, we are not able to provide:

  • Ongoing or long-term financial support

  • Debt not directly related to the loss

  • Legal or court-related expenses

  • Business or entrepreneurial expenses

  • Non-essential or luxury items

  • Requests outside of our defined geographic service areas

Support Amounts

Support amounts vary based on individual circumstances, level of need, and available funding.

Support is provided as a partial contribution toward essential expenses and may not cover the full amount requested or owed.

The Foundation aims to provide targeted, short-term assistance to help stabilize immediate needs.

How Requests Are Reviewed

Each request is reviewed with care and consideration.

When demand exceeds available funding, priority may be given to families who:

  • Have experienced the loss of a primary income earner

  • Are in the earliest months following loss

  • Have young children at home

  • Are facing immediate risks to housing, utilities, or childcare

All decisions are made at the sole discretion of the Mock Family Foundation.

Application & Documentation

Applicants are invited to share information about their situation through the request form.

In some cases, minimal documentation may be requested, such as:

  • Proof of loss

  • Proof of residency

  • A bill or statement related to the request

We aim to keep this process as simple and respectful as possible. Applicants are not required to share more than they are comfortable providing.

Important Considerations

  • Submission of a request does not guarantee financial assistance

  • Due to limited resources, we are not able to fulfill every request

  • Support is typically provided as a one-time or short-term grant

  • The Foundation may provide support toward a portion of an expense, even when the full amount cannot be covered

  • The Foundation reserves the right to decline requests that fall outside of its scope or capacity

Confidentiality

All information shared through the application process is kept confidential and used solely for the purpose of reviewing support requests, in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Non-Discrimination

The Mock Family Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or background in the review of support requests.

Updates to Guidelines

The Mock Family Foundation reserves the right to modify these guidelines, eligibility criteria, and funding decisions at any time.

Contact

If you have questions about these guidelines, please contact:
hello@mockfamilyfoundation.or