NIRMA ASSIST Applications

PURPOSE:
It is NIRMA’s intent to dedicate additional resources each year through this grant/aid program to
help fund and recognize the safety/risk management/loss control efforts of our members as a means
to encourage activities designed to protect employees, prevent and control accidents, increase
effectiveness of operations, control liability exposures, and reduce the frequency and severity of loss.
These resources are to be directed to providing safety training, inspections, equipment, education,
programming and other related initiatives and to recognize members and individuals for outstanding
contributions and efforts in the areas of safety and risk management. This program is intended to
be broad in scope and flexible in operation in order to encourage members to take additional actions
consistent with this program.

FUNDING AVAILABILITY:
Safety incentive and recognition grants awarded in any given year will not exceed the sums
appropriated for these purposes, and there is no obligation on NIRMA to award any or all of these
grant funds in any given year. NIRMA reserves the right to place limits on the amount of any award
made, to condition an award on some type of member financial or in-kind match, and to establish
priorities from year to year as to the types of expenditures preferred. Favorable preference will also
be given to safety and risk management programs or proposals that can be effectively shared with
other members to their benefit and the benefit of NIRMA. This grant/aid program may be changed
at any time.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
This program is open to all NIRMA members. All members are encouraged to participate.

APPLICATION PROCESS/CRITERIA:
Completion of a grant application form describing the proposal and the funding being requested is
required from those members seeking grant funds under this program. The application form can be
found at the NIRMA website – www.nirma.info – or by contacting the NIRMA office. Completed
application forms can be mailed, faxed, or emailed to the NIRMA office: P.O. Box 85210, Lincoln,
NE 68501-5210; 402.742.9230 (fax); email Craig Nelson at Craig@nirma.info.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:
All grant application forms shall be received at the NIRMA office by the close of business on
November 1 of each year unless that date falls on a weekend, in which event the deadline will be the
next business day. Applications for safety/training scholarship funding must be submitted a
minimum of 30 days in advance of the scheduled training and there is a separate application form
to be used for that funding.

AWARD PROCESS:
All applications will be reviewed by staff and the NIRMA Loss Control and Safety Committee to
determine grant recipients. Grant recipients will be notified personally of their award prior to
January 1 of the next year, and a general award announcement of all recipients will be made in the
NIRMA Interchange magazine and through other means in order to recognize grant award winners.
Training scholarship recipients will be notified of their award prior to the scheduled training for
which an application has been submitted.

SAFETY/TRAINING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
In an effort to increase the safety related training opportunities for NIRMA members, a safety/training
scholarship program has been established. The program is designed to help members defer a portion of
normal and routine expenses directly associated with safety related training.
The scholarship application and reimbursement procedure is as follows:

1. The training must be county safety specific. Examples include, but are not limited to, accident
   investigation, systems safety training, Train-the-Trainer, etc.
2. Individual and block/group applications are eligible.
3. Training is limited to full-time employees of NIRMA members.
4. The maximum scholarship award will not exceed 50% of uncovered eligible expenses. Eligible
   expenses are defined as those approved in the NIRMA Travel Guidelines. The award amount will be
   based on the number of applications received.
5. The applicant must complete and submit a NIRMA safety/training scholarship application a minimum
   of 30 days in advance of the training date. NIRMA reserves the right to waive the time requirement.
6. Applications will be reviewed in order of receipt. When multiple applications are received from a
   single member along with applications from multiple members, preference will be given to approval
   of one applicant from each member to allow maximum member participation.
7. Written approval or denial will be sent to the applicant in advance of the training.
8. The member is responsible for payment of all training costs. Upon completion of the training,
   NIRMA will reimburse the member. (Payment will never be made directly to the training provider
   or the employee.)
9. To request reimbursement, the member must complete a NIRMA Expense Form, attaching copies of
   all receipts and a certificate of completion of training.
10. Applications and requests for reimbursement are to be sent to:
    NIRMA
    Attn: Craig Nelson, Executive Director
    P.O. Box 85210
    Lincoln, NE 68501-5210