To facilitate the management of the Fund, the national steering committee, where existing and possible, will establish a national Legal Defense and Sanctuary Fund Committee. This is particularly important in countries which have a wide geographic coverage and where as massive number of human rights violations occur.

1. National Fund Committees shall be created where possible, by the National Steering Committees established by IPRI at the country level. National Fund Committees shall be created in the focus countries of IPRI – Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, India and the Philippines.
   1. Function and Roles
      
      The HRD Fund Committee will have the following functions and roles:
      
      1. Receive and review request letters of support based on the eligibility requirements stipulated in this Guide;
      2. Verify the accuracy / veracity of the case/ information and urgency of the need
      3. Approve cases for support for cases needing the amount of USD 1,000.00 or lower. Higher amounts requested need to be consulted with the Global Fund Committee prior for approval and disbursement. Any amount approved shall be justified as to the nature of the case, the need and the urgency. Action should be taken within 10 days or earlier after receiving the request letter. The report/ fact sheet of each approved case shall be submitted to the Global Fund Committee within two weeks if not as soon as possible.
         
         

         	Action of National Fund Committee	Timeline
         Request letter received	Verify accuracy/veracity of information and urgency of need	No later than 10 days of receipt of request
         If need is less than USD 1,000 approve	support and disburse; or request disbursement from Global Fund Committee if funds are not available at the national level
         If more than USD 1,000	forward request letter to the Global Fund Committee with pertinent recommendation and assessment
         	Submit report/fact sheet of approved case to the Regional Fund Committee	No later than two weeks of approval

         
         
         
      4. . Inform the victim/family/applicant of the response to the request
      5. Identify the recipient organization to receive funds on behalf of the requesting victim;
      6. Facilitate the delivery of the support/assistance
      7. Monitor implementation of support/assistance
      8. Keep record of all request letters received and action taken
      9. Facilitate the acknowledgement of the fund support by the beneficiary and the writing of a brief report on how the fund was used;
      10. Coordinate and ensure regular communication with the Regional Fund Committee relating to requests letters, cases for action and other related concerns.
      11. Submit timely report on the cases and use of funds to the Regional fund committee
          
          
2. Global Fund Committee.
   
   

   Responsibility - To attend to requests from countries that do not have National Fund Committees, and to requests beyond USD1,000.00 from countries that have National Fund Committees.

   Composition – The Global Fund Committee shall be composed of one member of the Global Board, one Global Director, the Global Operations Manager and the Global Advocacy Coordinator. The tasks of the Global Fund Committee shall be as follows:

   1. To refer request letters to National Fund Committee at the national level, where applicable, if letters are submitted directly to IPRI Global Secretariat;
   2. Review and act on request letters from the counties with no committee
   3. Process the release of funds
   4. Compile and consolidate all approved cases and request letters received
   5. Provide guidance and monitor the management of funds by the national committees
   6. Submit case reports as well as update reports to the Global Directors
   7. Evaluate and act on cases requesting more than USD1,000 from the national fund committee