# Canary > Canary (Canary Benefits, Inc.) is a grant management and payments platform that delivers employee relief funds and emergency cash grants for organizations. Through our flagship product Grant Circle, we help employers, community foundations, and other partner organizations deliver charitable emergency payments to individuals facing financial hardship — natural disasters, medical events, family crises, and other unexpected expenses. Audience: HR leaders, benefits leaders, total rewards teams, social impact / ESG teams, community foundations, and employers of all sizes (from family businesses to Fortune 500). Recipients receive funds directly via PayPal and do not repay or pay taxes on them. Canary is SOC 2 certified. ## What Canary does - [Grant Circle: Emergency Relief Fund](https://workwithcanary.com/grant-circle/): The flagship third-party-hosted employee relief fund — a low-lift, high-impact way for employers to fund charitable emergency grants to employees in crisis. - [How It Works](https://workwithcanary.com/how-it-works/): End-to-end overview of how Canary designs, hosts, reviews applications, and disburses funds. Applicants submit an online application with supporting documents (fully confidential from their employer); Canary's Grant Specialists review within 1–2 business days; approved applicants receive funds typically within a week via PayPal. Employers define eligibility criteria, contribute funding, and share the program — Canary handles the rest, including branded website, application review, fund distribution, and high-level impact reporting. - [Natural Disaster Relief](https://workwithcanary.com/disaster-relief/): How Canary mobilizes emergency grants in the aftermath of hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other disasters. ## Who Canary serves - [For Leaders](https://workwithcanary.com/leaders-choose-canary/): Why CEOs and senior leaders use Canary as a productivity and retention investment. - [For People Teams](https://workwithcanary.com/people-teams-choose-canary/): How HR teams use Grant Circle to support employees without adding internal workload. - [For Benefits & Total Rewards Teams](https://workwithcanary.com/benefits-use-case/): Where Canary fits in a modern compensation and benefits stack. - [For Social Impact Teams](https://workwithcanary.com/sustainability-and-social-impact-use-case/): Using employee relief as part of a values-based ESG / corporate giving program. ## Proof and impact - [Grant Circle Impact](https://workwithcanary.com/our-impact/): Outcomes across four dimensions — stability and recovery (38% avoided a late bill fee; 25% avoided a utility shut-off; nearly 1 in 3 avoided skipping meals); health and wellbeing (59% of highly stressed recipients reported lower stress 4 months later; 75% said funds provided critical breathing room); work continuity (72% more likely to stay with their employer; nearly 1 in 5 avoided lateness or absence); and community (1 in 3 employees contribute their own money to support coworkers; 92% felt more positive about the organization that supported them). - [Annual Strengthening the Safety Net Report (2026)](https://workwithcanary.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Canary_Annual-Strengthening-the-Safety-Net-Report_FINAL-Compressed.pdf): Annual research report on the impact of emergency relief on workforce financial stability. - [Employee Financial Well-Being Survey Template](https://workwithcanary.com/employee-financial-well-being-survey/): Resources to help HR teams assess the financial well-being of their workforce. - [Case Studies](https://workwithcanary.com/category/client-stories/): Real-world client outcomes from organizations that have implemented Canary's Grant Circle. - [Emergency Relief Partners](https://workwithcanary.com/emergency-relief-partners/): Leading companies prioritizing employee well-being through immediate financial relief, including DoorDash, Ocean Spray, Visionworks, 4imprint, Clear Channel Outdoor, Columbia Bank, and more. ## Featured client stories - [Visionworks: Hardship Relief for a Dispersed Retail Workforce](https://workwithcanary.com/visionworks_hardship_relief/): Visionworks launched the Visionworks Cares Grant Circle for its 7,200 employees across 650+ U.S. retail stores. 75% of grantees identified as financially vulnerable; 86% reported high stress at the time of application. - [Canary + Santa Fe Community Foundation](https://workwithcanary.com/santa-fe/): Canary modernized the Santa Fe Community Foundation's Empty Stocking Fund — $411,691 distributed to 292 community members, average grant of $1,271, requests processed in under two weeks, and 66% of recipients said the grant covered their full need. - [Canary + Arosa: Pandemic Relief for Essential Workers](https://workwithcanary.com/canary-and-arosa-helping-alleviate-essential-workers-financial-hardships-during-the-pandemic/): Arosa launched the Arosa Grant Circle to provide emergency aid to home healthcare caregivers during the pandemic, helping prevent evictions and other hardship cascades among a predominantly female, paycheck-to-paycheck workforce. - [Canary Client Spotlight: ConvenientMD](https://workwithcanary.com/canary-client-spotlight-convenient-md/): ConvenientMD (~1,400 employees across New England) used its Grant Circle to support workers in financial crisis, including a creative fundraising initiative that raised over $3,700 in 24 hours to replenish the fund. ## Press & company - [About Canary](https://workwithcanary.com/about/): Canary is a female-founded fintech company led by CEO Rachel Schneider, co-author of The Financial Diaries. Investors include Capital One Ventures, Restive Ventures, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Sorenson Impact Foundation, and Propel Capital. - [Press & Media Coverage](https://workwithcanary.com/category/press/): Coverage in Fast Company, NPR Marketplace, Employee Benefit News, HR Brew, and more. - [Blog](https://workwithcanary.com/category/blog/): Articles on employee financial wellness, emergency relief, and workforce safety nets. ## Get in touch - [Contact](https://workwithcanary.com/contact/): Reach the Canary team to set up an emergency relief fund. - [Resource Center](https://workwithcanary.com/resource-center/): Guides and resources for people leaders. ## Optional - [Privacy Policy](https://workwithcanary.com/privacy-policy/)