Mission Blue Post Assistance grants still available

Since the Mission Blue Post Assistance Program went into effect following the approval of Resolution No. 36 by the National Executive Committee in October 2020, more than $400,000 in financial grants have been provided to posts that have been negatively impacted from COVID-19. 

The program provides up to $1,000 in grants to posts that are in good standing with their respective department and meet the qualifying criteria (see below). These funds must be used exclusively to pay current or past due rent, mortgage, utilities and insurance premiums.

The Mission Blue Post Assistance Program application is online here.  Eligible posts are able to apply for this one-time grant up to July 1, 2022.  

GRANT APPLICATION QUALIFICATION

To apply, posts must have:

1. A Consolidated Post Report on file at National Headquarters.

2. Filed an IRS 990 within the prescribed due date.

3. Filed all other required forms and reports as prescribed by the department.

4. Actively participated in one or more American Legion programs within the last 18 months.

5. A financial need.

6. A certificate of insurance for all liability coverage naming The American Legion doing business as (dba) The American Legion National Headquarters and the post’s department as an additional insured. (Submit declaration page showing coverage.)

7. Documentation indicating that the post is properly incorporated.

Note: Department commanders and/or adjutants must certify the applicant meets the criteria.

QUESTIONS-AND-ANSWERS ABOUT APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Q: Why are posts required to have national headquarters listed as an additional insured under current insurance policies?

A: Any organization using the tradenames of The American Legion and needing liability coverage (as indicated in Resolution No. 35) is required to specify that The American Legion is held harmless and named as additional insured on any and all insurance liability policies. This tradename protection is a standard business practice and not viewed as a control of the insurance purchasing organization (e.g., post).

Q: What should we do if National Headquarters has a different EIN listed than what the post, department and/or the application provides?

A: All post EINs need to be accurate within MyLegion.org, the National Headquarters database. If the EIN that National Headquarters has on file is inaccurate, then an IRS inclusion letter needs to be completed and signed so that the system records can be updated.  Please reach out to the Internal Affairs Division for a copy of this form, which may be completed by the post and department.

Q: What constitutes “a financial need” as described in the Mission Blue requirements?

A: Simply having a bill due that relates to any of the approved expenses listed (e.g., mortgage, lease, utilities, insurance, etc.) indicates a financial need for a Mission Blue Post grant.

Q: Where should applications be submitted and what is necessary to accompany those applications?

A: All applications will first need to go through the respective department prior to being submitted to National Headquarters.  Any post interested in pursuing a Mission Blue Post Assistance grant should start by checking with their department to see what forms and additional information is needed for the department to verify that the post does in fact meet all grant requirements. For example, most departments and national keep a record of annual CPRs on file. Therefore some departments may not require proof of a prior submission from the post.  

Q: What is required by recipient posts in terms of the grant report?

A: All recipient posts are required to submit a grant report within six months of the grant/check issue date. There is a standardized grant report that is sent out with every inclusion letter to the department for the recipient posts. A fillable PDF version is also available via email request to ia@legion.org.  When completing the Mission Blue grant report, a recipient post needs to only report how the grant, which is capped at $1,000, was utilized. For example, $250 used for insurance and $750 used for utilities.  Reported figures should not exceed the amount that was awarded.