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Scholarship & Hardship Waiver

Status: Proposal draft for Ganjier Guild (pre-formation). Adopt by board resolution. Owner: Membership & Ethics committee (review & approval); Administrator (intake & coordination); Treasurer (financial recording).

1. Purpose

The Guild exists to elevate practice and community across the cannabis industry. Dues should not be the reason a qualified person is locked out. This policy provides a clean, equitable path for partial or full dues waivers based on objective financial-need criteria — entirely separate from volunteer service, board service, or any other contribution of time.

Coupling dues relief to service would convert it into bartered compensation and harm volunteers who depend on benefits like SSDI, SSI, VA disability, or Medicaid-waiver supports. See complimentary-membership-policy.md for that rule.

2. Who is eligible

An applicant is eligible if they meet the Guild's standard membership criteria for any tier and at least one of the following:

  • Household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line for household size (HHS Poverty Guidelines)
  • Currently receiving means-tested public assistance (SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Section 8, TANF, LIHEAP, WIC)
  • Recipient of SSDI or VA disability with documented financial need
  • Student enrolled at an accredited institution in a relevant program
  • Worker recently displaced by a cannabis-industry layoff or business closure (within the prior 12 months)
  • Other documented hardship — medical, caregiving, displacement, natural disaster — at the discretion of the Membership & Ethics committee

Eligibility is verified through self-attestation plus one supporting document (see §4). The Guild does not require sensitive medical detail or full tax returns.

3. What the waiver covers

The committee may approve, in order of preference:

Level Description
Partial waiver — 25% off dues Most common award; preserves the recipient's stake in the Guild
Partial waiver — 50% off dues Documented hardship at or near the eligibility line
Partial waiver — 75% off dues Acute hardship; renewable annually with re-application
Full waiver — $0 dues Reserved for severe documented hardship; capped at a small count per year set by the board

The waiver is granted at the lowest tier the applicant is eligible for (Friend of the Guild is always free; Community Education Membership is the entry-level paid tier), unless the applicant is required to hold the Certified Ganjier tier for a credential purpose, in which case the committee considers that tier's dues. If additional tiers are adopted by the board, this waiver applies equally to those tiers. The waiver covers dues only — it does not cover event tickets, exam fees, paid courses, or merchandise.

4. How to apply

  1. Applicant completes the Scholarship & Hardship Waiver form (one page; member portal once live, PDF/email during pre-formation).
  2. Applicant attaches one supporting document, redacted as needed:
  3. Award letter for any means-tested benefit
  4. SSDI or VA disability award letter
  5. Student ID + current enrollment verification
  6. Layoff or termination notice (employer-issued, dated within 12 months)
  7. Brief written statement of hardship (for "other documented hardship" track)
  8. Application goes to navigators@ganjierguild.com (or Administrator inbox during pre-formation).
  9. Administrator confirms receipt within 3 business days, redacts identifying details from the version sent to the committee where possible, and routes the case file to the Membership & Ethics committee.
  10. Committee meets monthly (or asynchronously between meetings if urgent) and decides each application on the objective criteria above. Decisions are recorded with a brief written rationale; identifying details remain only in the Administrator's secure file.
  11. Administrator notifies the applicant within 15 business days of submission. Approved applicants receive a discount or waiver code; denied applicants receive a courteous explanation and, where appropriate, a pointer to alternative pathways (e.g., Friend tier as the lowest-cost entry point).

Target approval rate: high. The Guild errs on the side of inclusion when criteria are met.

5. Renewal and review

  • Awards are issued for one membership year.
  • Renewal requires a brief re-application; re-attestation of unchanged status is sufficient if the original supporting document is still valid (e.g., still receiving SNAP, still enrolled).
  • The committee reviews the program quarterly to confirm the criteria remain fair and the budget remains on track.
  • The annual report discloses, in aggregate (no individuals named), the count of partial and full waivers issued and the total dues revenue foregone.

6. Confidentiality

  • Applications are reviewed by the Membership & Ethics committee only. The committee chair, Administrator, and Treasurer are the only standing recipients of identifying information.
  • Application records are stored in the Guild's secure records area with restricted access. Retention is 7 years from the close of the membership year, after which records are securely destroyed.
  • Approval status is not shared with the broader board, the membership, or any directory. The waiver does not affect listing, voting rights, eligibility for any role, or any other member benefit.

7. Budget

The board sets an annual scholarship & hardship budget — typically 3–5% of projected dues revenue — at the same time it approves the operating budget. The committee tracks awards against the budget through the year. Mid-year requests above the budget are brought to the board for a separate decision.

8. What this policy does not do

  • It does not treat volunteer service, board service, committee work, or any in-kind contribution as a basis for a waiver. Service and need are different lanes; the Guild keeps them separate. (complimentary-membership-policy.md)
  • It does not allow expense reimbursements to be "credited" toward dues. Reimbursements are paid in full under the Accountable Plan; a recipient who wishes to give back may make a separate, voluntary cash donation.
  • It does not confer a tax deduction to the applicant; reduced dues are not a charitable contribution.

9. Adoption and review

This policy takes effect on the date the board adopts it by motion. The Membership & Ethics committee reviews it annually and brings recommended updates to the board.

Cross-references