July 30, 2020

Hello Nonprofit Leaders and Supporters,

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities and the nonprofits that serve them has been dramatic. Over the past several months, we have been hearing and sharing stories of the furloughs, program closures, additional needs, and stretched-thin leaders trying to work through this crisis. Many of those stories have been inspiring and in too many cases, heart-wrenching, as nonprofits try their best to work through the challenges. In June, NAO partnered with  Portland State University’s Nonprofit Institute ,  Mercy Corps Northwest , and  Oregon Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (ORVOAD) to quantify the challenges to 501(c)(3) charitable benefit nonprofits through a survey. The findings are quite compelling and underscore not only the importance of the nonprofit sector at this time, but also the pain these organizations are feeling and the hope and concerns they have for the future.

 

Thank you to the  490 nonprofit leaders  who took the time to respond!

Comparing HEALS and HEROES: Are they getting it right?

It is the heat of summer here in Oregon and the heat is turning up in Washington D.C. too. As we have been reporting throughout this pandemic, there are multiple federal bills being floated in both the House and Senate to address the ongoing needs of communities across America staggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic downturn. Some of these have been great examples of bipartisan work, while others are pretty much straight party-line. Over the next week or so, it’s crunch time. Key provisions of earlier bills have already expired, including the additional $600 stimulus for those who have lost jobs and the moratorium on evictions. Without action by our representatives, the current crisis could become much worse.

As a way to compare two of the most prominent bills being fielded by both parties, our colleagues at the National Council of Nonprofits have  posted this handy comparison chart  on their website and we encourage you to use it in understanding and explaining the various moving parts in the negotiations over the next COVID-19 relief package. The chart breaks down the issues that NAO, our colleague state associations across America,  Independent Sector  and the  National Council of Nonprofits  have been advocating on for months. For quick reference you can refer to this  Nonprofit Community Letter  for a refresh on the big nonprofit issues we’re concerned about. We are committed to working with our state association partners and national colleagues to keep you updated on the negotiations as they unfold. 

Billions allocated for child care in a pair of House bills

The U.S. House passed a pair of bills yesterday that appropriates over $60 billion into much-needed child care support. These bills set the stage for what Democrats would like to see come out of the negotiations over the new round of pandemic aid.

The   Child Care Is Essential Act  and  Child Care for Economic Recovery Act  were both passed largely on party lines. It is anticipated that Democrats will push to include both measures in the fifth aid package. Together the two bills appropriate $50 billion for the establishment of a grant program within the Department of Homeland Security’s Child Care and Development Block Grants that would aid providers that have either remained open or are temporarily closed due to Covid-19. They also create and expand tax cuts, in addition to appropriating $10 billion for a new grant program for states to improve their child care infrastructure.

Both bills include provisions that would give priority to providers serving low-income, "low-supply" and other high-need communities. The sector’s collapse has hit Black and brown women especially hard: 93 percent of child care workers are women,  according to Labor Department data , while half of child care businesses are minority-owned. At the same time, Black and Latina mothers are more likely to be the family breadwinners,  more likely to hold low-paying jobs , and  more likely to live in child care deserts .

The legislation represents a level of investment significantly higher than what Republicans have offered: A proposal Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-Ky.) released this week would appropriate closer to $15 billion to the child care sector with $5 billion going to the Child Care and Development Block Grants program; $10 billion would go to Sen. Ernst’s (R-Iowa) proposed  Back to Work Child Care Grants program , which would provide up to nine months of financial assistance to child care providers for coverage of coronavirus-related expenses.

The child care sector saw approximately  60 percent of its programs  close at the height of the pandemic before rebounding slightly and is still down  some 237,000 workers  from last year.  Two in 5 child care providers  this month said they will close their doors for good without an infusion of federal funding.

Upcoming Online Sessions for Nonprofits  

Ask the Experts: Maximizing Loan Forgiveness Under the Paycheck Protection Program, Wednesday, August 12, Noon – 1 p.m. PT: Many nonprofits who received loans under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program are now dealing with how to best navigate the complexities of maximizing their loan forgiveness. In this session, Lisa Fajardo Faust – Senior Vice President and Relationship Banking Team Leader at Pacific West Bank, Robert Countryman – Market President for Portland/Seattle at First Interstate Bank, and Lesley Bennett – Senior Financial Consultant at CFO Selections will discuss practical steps, processes, and documentation that nonprofits should follow to ensure the best outcomes for their organizations. They will provide guidance on the approach, processes, and procedures that nonprofits should implement as they see it from their vantage points as a professional at a lending institution that transacted the PPP loans and a finance practitioner. Register for the session  here.

Mark Your Calendar ! The Ultimate Grant Proposal Blueprint Course: Your Step-by-Step Roadmap and Built-It-Yourself Toolkit for Crafting an A+ Grant Proposal, an eight-week online course scheduled from August 24-October 26: In this comprehensive, on-your-own-schedule video-based, course from GrantsMagic U, veteran grant writer, grant consultant, and grantmaker Maryn Boess pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to be successful in the grants world. She will share hundreds of tried-and-tested tools, strategies, how-to's and "insider's tips" to take you to your next level of grants success no matter where you're starting out. Registration for the course here.

Stay safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Jim White

Executive Director

Thank you to the following SUPPORTERS and SPONSORS who are supporting NAO’s online COVID-19 events and communications during these challenging times. Their support is vital in helping NAO to bring much-needed resources and information to Oregon’s nonprofits – thank you.

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