If you are in trouble
There is more
than one door.
Three funds serve Kentucky Guardsmen in a financial emergency. They are separate organizations with separate applications. You can apply to more than one.
Providing financial assistance to members and their Families during hardship and family crisis is written into the By-Laws as a purpose of this association. If you are not sure where to start, contact the association and we will help you find the right one.
Start here · Commonwealth of Kentucky
Military Family Assistance
Trust Fund.
MFAST is the Commonwealth's own emergency assistance grant, established under KRS 36.470 and administered by the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs. It is a state program, not a charity, and it is the first place most Kentucky Guardsmen should look.
Who qualifies
Kentucky residents who are members of the Kentucky National Guard or Reserve, or regular members of the US Armed Forces deployed OCONUS. The Service member or the spouse may apply once per fiscal year. The grant is intended as a last resort.
How to apply
Complete Trust Fund Application DMA 43-1 and email it to ng.ky.kyarng.mbx.dma-mfast@army.mil, or mail it to MFAST, Department of Military Affairs, 100 Minuteman Parkway, EOC Building Room 234, Frankfort, KY 40601. Phone (502) 607-1541.
Adoption benefit
Also under MFAST, the Kentucky National Guard Adoption Benefit Program reimburses current or former KYNG members in good standing up to $5,000 in adoption fees, or up to $7,000 for the adoption of a child with special needs.
Forms and details
Application forms, current guidance, and program contacts are published by the Department of Military Affairs. dma.ky.gov
Kentucky · Nonprofit
Kentucky Minuteman
Relief Fund.
KYMRF exists for the Guardsmen who fall between the cracks of other assistance programs, and makes them the priority. It is a Kentucky nonprofit, incorporated in 2022, run by volunteers.
National
National Guard
Relief Foundation.
NGRF is the national relief organization for Guard members and their families across all fifty states and the territories. It operates as the We Care for America Foundation, doing business as the National Guard Relief Foundation, and grew out of the EANGUS relief effort.
Soldier and Airman Relief Grants for Emergencies. A grant, not a loan. Applications are currently closed because the fund reached its maximum volume of requests. They reopen periodically, so check before assuming.
Requires a free account, a signed verification form, and completion of the USAA Guard Your Finances course.
Before you apply
Use a personal email address
Military addresses do not receive their automated messages. If you apply from a .mil address you may never see the response.
Send the verification form
Applications submitted without it are not reviewed. Expect a response in ten to fifteen business days.
Not sure which
Apply to
MFAST first.
It is a state program with a defined application and a fixed annual cycle.
If MFAST cannot cover the need, or you have already used your once-per-fiscal-year application, KYMRF and NGRF are separate organizations with their own criteria and you may apply to both.
Nothing here is a guarantee of assistance. Each fund makes its own decisions.