When we receive a new financial aid request, active Packmates members will discuss the request based on the following criteria.

• Is the person a member of the community?
  • Currently, the lines we draw around what constitutes our ‘community’ is the Friendathans discord server. In most cases, we aren’t able to offer fiscal aid to people outside of this space, because it’s important to maintain the distinction between mutual aid and charity. While it would be great if we could consider all of the furry subculture a part of our ‘community’, we are still a very small organization, and that’s far beyond our scope for the foreseeable future. We do, however, welcome non-financial aid requests from people who are not current community members.
• Are they a volunteer in the Packmates Mutual Aid?
  • While this is not necessary, if someone has already contributed their time and efforts to helping others in this way, then we do consider returning that support to be a priority.
• What is the nature of the need?
  • When it comes to financial aid requests, if our funds pool is limited at the time, then essentials such as food, housing, and medical needs get priority. But we have also fulfilled requests such as an artist needing their tablet pen replaced in the past, as this restored access to an important part of their daily life, as well as being tied to their own ability to earn income. Regardless, people are encouraged to submit aid requests even if they are worried about it not being an “essential” request. Being here to help one another is the whole point, after all!
• How immediately does this need to be addressed?
  • If a need is immediate, we endeavor to make sure our response is also swift, so that we don’t leave someone hanging.
• Are we able to verify the integrity of the request?
  • Are we able to trust this request as being honest and earnest? Do other members of the community recognize this person from seeing them around, or can otherwise vouch for them?
• What is the frequency of requests we’ve received from this person?
  • Again, our resources are limited when it comes to financial aid, and we want to make sure we balance the severity of someone’s position with our ability to help multiple people as their needs arise. A history of multiple recent requests is not necessarily grounds for rejection, but may merit non-financial aid to help solve other problems. Or it may instead merit a single larger push of support— for example, helping someone fix their stove or buy starter cooking supplies, and/or helping them learn the basics of cooking, so they don’t have to spend as much on pre-made food week to week.

In addition to these considerations about the individual, we also have to weigh factors unrelated to that particular person. These are some larger questions related to the state of the organization that we also consider:

• Financial aid request considerations:
  • Current funds available in Packmates Mutual Aid bank account
  • Current financial security of other members (sometimes other members will send payment directly from their personal funds rather than from the mutual aid’s pre-existing funds)
  • Frequency and intensity of other recent requests
• Non-financial aid request considerations:
  • Availability of volunteers with applicable skills to fulfill the request

With smaller requests, individual Packmates members will often volunteer to fulfill the request themselves, in which case no further discussion is required: the aid request proceeds towards fulfillment.

If this doesn’t happen, then active Packmates members will discuss the request and our ability to fulfill it. We then issue a vote to either accept, reject, or amend the request. (Amending the request could mean partially fulfilling it, and/or suggesting an offer of non-monetary aid assistance in addition to or in place of the monetary request.)

See Aid Request for more information.