May 29, 2020
Hello Nonprofit Leaders and Colleagues,
 
Like many of you, I am lucky enough to have a fantastic board of leaders from across our community to help guide, counsel and govern our organization. Last evening at our NAO Board meeting, Carla Penn-Hopson, Sustainability Officer at Self Enhancement Inc. , started off our meeting with a reminder of the compassion and love we all must feel and show to each other – especially in these tragic times – as we see the injustices in Minneapolis unfold and the inequitable realities of the COVID-19 pandemic take more than 100,000 lives across America. 
 
Here is the full poem Carla read:
 
"Because I Love You" by Demetrios Trifiatis
 
I saw the bitter tears of unhappiness
Running down your agonizing face,
Ravaged with pain,
 
And I became a sponge of compassion
To absorb them.
 
I heard the howling
Of your starving stomach,
Echoing throughout your rebellious drained veins,
 
And I became a sweet loaf of bread
To feed you.
 
I tasted the torturous thirst
Of your dry lips,
Burning fire, consuming your every single tissue,
 
And I became the vivifying fresh water
To quench it.
 
I sensed the presence of sickness
In your tormented body,
Devouring your vibrant well-being,
 
And I became salutary medicine to nurse you
Back to health.
 
I felt the terror
In your trembling gracious heart,
Scaring away your lofty humane virtues,
 
And I became fortifying courage to obliterate
Your distressful fears.
 
I found you lost in the darkness
Of joyless desperation,
Walking towards the abominable cliffs of self-distraction,
 
And I became a bright ray of hope to guide you
To self-realization.
 
I discovered you shivering
in the middle of savage winter,
Wandering around without a roof over your frozen head,
 
And I became a shelter of warmth to protect you
From merciless cold.
 
I watched you suffering
from excruciating solitude,
Feeling the ever depressing loneliness in your tormented soul,
 
And I became your constant
Caring companion.
 
I noted the torture
Of merciless rejection,
Destroying your wonderful, tender feelings,
 
And I became
Your faithful loved one.
 
I observed you struggle
In the rough sea of life, fighting your way,
Over the ominous waves of human malice,
 
And I became a solid boat of charity
To bring you on the serene shore.
 
I witnessed your efforts
To climb the mountains of desirable success,
Struggling, hopelessly, up the steep path of attainment,
 
And I became a firm ladder of mercy
To help you reach the very top.
 
I discerned you fighting against your brutal enemies
Trying to overcome their beastly power,
With your bare hands,
 
And I became a heavy sword of justice
To make you victorious.
 
I perceived the sharp arrow
Of relentless death,
Heading towards your loving, caring heart,
 
And I became a shield of concern
To save your precious life.
 
You ask me why I do all these things for you...
 
The answer is very simple my friend:
It is because
 
I LOVE YOU!
 
Demetrios Trifiatis
26 November 2019
 
We have reached the grim toll of over 100,000 people succumbing to COVID-19, we see the ugliness of systemic oppression on full display in our communities and beyond. There will be outrage and there will be opportunities for changes to make our world safer, more equitable and with everyone given the opportunity to thrive. I implore you all, as you serve your mission from whatever role you play in your organization, to go out show that love, that compassion which will feed souls and be the shield of concern for those we serve. 
IN OREGON

With all Oregon counties, except Multnomah County now in Phase I of re-opening, Multnomah County officials indicate they will apply for Phase 1 reopening to the Governor’s office on June 5 and hope to gradually lift the coronavirus stay-at-home order starting June 12.

If approved by the Governor, bars and restaurants, gyms, malls, outdoor recreation, salons, barbershops and other personal services would be allowed to reopen as long as they can meet sector-specific guidance set by the state. Gathering sizes would still be limited to 25 people.
 
The reopening of parts of the Portland Metro area comes amid a spike in new COVID-19 cases across the state, with the largest outbreak centered at the Townsend Farms packing facility. The number of new coronavirus infections identifiable by zip code grew by more than 250 in the past week. The largest increases are linked to five communities across Oregon: eastern Oregon’s Hermiston, central Oregon’s Bend, the Willamette Valley’s Salem and the Portland metro area’s Forest Grove and Gresham each saw the most new cases by zip code.
 
The legislature has been hearing testimony, including from nonprofit leaders, on how to prioritize the funds available through the CARES Act and ensure communities across the state, ravaged by the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19 are supported as quickly as possible. NAO applauds the nonprofit leaders who have been leading these advocacy efforts and encourages all nonprofits to submit testimony and letters describing the impacts on their program participants and organizations to our elected leaders. You can find a full list of representatives and schedule of committee meetings here

IN WASHINGTON D.C.
 
A reminder to be sure to tune in to two sessions with U.S. Senators next week:

1) From Common Ground to Congressional Action: Advancing the Universal Charitable Deduction, Tuesday, June 2, 2 – 3 p.m. PT : National Council of Nonprofits has coordinated this national session for nonprofits. Six U.S. Senators have crossed the partisan divide to find common ground in support of a critically needed solution: the Universal Charitable Deduction. senators will speak to their personal experiences, share their respect for the work of charitable organizations in their states and across the country, and give their perspectives on how Congress can strengthen the ability of nonprofits to help relief, recovery, and rebuilding during the pandemic crisis and beyond. The senators will also answer questions and explain what they are doing to enact improved charitable giving incentives this year. Register here .
 
2) Oregon Nonprofit Virtual Town Hall with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Wednesday, June 3, 3 – 4 p.m. PT:   Join NAO for a virtual town hall with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley addressing Oregon’s nonprofit community. We will have the opportunity to hear from our Oregon senators about the CARES Act and plans for future congressional action, as well as discuss specific issues and needs facing Oregon’s nonprofits. Register here
Important PPP Update!

The House passed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act , H.R. 7010 ( pages 1-4 and pages 5-7 ), by a vote of 417 to 1 yesterday! The bill was strongly endorsed by House Republicans, suggesting that rapid Senate approval is possible. Here is a short summary of the details of the revised version that passed the House:

  • Extend the PPP through 12/31/2020
  • Expand the covered period for loan use from eight weeks to 24 weeks
  • Expand maturity from 2 years to 5 years for new loans and permit borrower and lender to mutually agree to later maturity
  • Forgiveness provisions
  • Ease rehire requirement based on inability to rehire former or similarly qualified employees, or inability to return to operations levels
  • Revise the 75%/25% rule to 60%/40%
  • Defer payments of principal, interest, and fees until either the date the lender receives payment for forgiven amount of loan or 10 months after the end of the covered period
  • Make PPP participants eligible for employer payroll tax deferral (CARES Act Sec. 2302)
 
This is huge news and if passed by the Senate, will give incredible relief to many of us that have been sweating over the PPP timeframes and period covered. We will let you know as soon as the Senate moves on this important piece of legislation.
 
Pandemic Risk Insurance Act, H.R. 7011

This week, Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) introduced a bill to create the Pandemic Risk Reinsurance Program, a system of shared public and private compensation for business interruption losses resulting from future pandemics or public health emergencies. According to her news release , the Pandemic Risk Insurance Act would require insurance companies to offer business interruption insurance policies that cover pandemics, and create a “Pandemic Risk Reinsurance Program to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to cover these losses and protect our economy in anticipation of a resurgence of COVID-19 and future pandemics.” As one of our colleagues in New York called it, this is a “proactive, market-friendly insurance solution to fund and cover future business losses that will create much-needed stability for our economy and our communities.” Here is the bill text , a section-by-section summary , and video of a news conference on the bill.

Main Street Lending Program

There is nothing to report for nonprofits from the Federal Reserve...yet. On Wednesday, the Boston Federal Reserve released the Main Street Lending Program Forms and Agreements for lending programs that will benefit for-profit nonprofits with up to 15,000 employees. The program had been announced previously, but now the operating documents are available. The new materials included an updated set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that repeats the message delivered a few weeks ago that the Fed is having trouble figuring out how to structure a loan program suitable for nonprofits. NAO is in contact with our local Federal Reserve office and will be giving the information on how nonprofits are impacted and what the Fed can do to make their program more nonprofit friendly. Watch for more news on this as it develops.
Take the UI Survey for Self-Insured Nonprofits and Tribal Groups

NAO is working with a coalition of national organizations to collect data on the impacts of the unsupported UI claims that self-insured nonprofits are facing with states. This survey asks self-insured nonprofits facing burdensome unemployment payments to their states to share their experiences. So far, Oregon nonprofits have responded well to this survey with the third highest response rate in the country! Let’s get to number one! If your organization is one of the self-insured nonprofits or tribal entities that uses this system, please take this survey. The responses will help our broad nonprofit coalition advocate for relief from crippling unemployment costs. The survey is CONFIDENTIAL and will greatly aid our ability to get this issue resolved in future legislation.
Upcoming Online Sessions for Nonprofits  

Body-Based Resiliency – Empowering the Mind to Listen to the Body, Saturday, May 30, 10 – 11:30 a.m. PT: NAO Nonprofit Member Living Yoga is offering an online 90-minute immersive and practice-oriented group session that focuses on how to cope with stress, overwhelm, and trauma through mind-body movements that down-regulate the nervous system. The suggested donation for an open session is $50 but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Register for the session here .

Ask the Experts: How to Ask for $$$ in Tough Times, Tuesday, June 2, Noon – 1 p.m.: Matt Lehrman, Managing Partner of Social Prosperity Partners will share how nonprofits can ask donors for support in ways that are highly compelling yet incredibly sensitive. This session offers an espresso shot collection of ideas and practices to help nonprofit leaders ask for – and secure – the contributions upon which their organizations depend. Register for the session here.

From Common Ground to Congressional Action: Advancing the Universal Charitable Deduction, Tuesday, June 2, 2 – 3 p.m. PT:   National Council of Nonprofits has coordinated this national session for nonprofits. Six U.S. Senators have crossed the partisan divide to find common ground in support of a critically needed solution: the Universal Charitable Deduction. They are: Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.), Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). During the hour-long presentation, senators will speak to their personal experiences, share their respect for the work of charitable organizations in their states and across the country, and give their perspectives on how Congress can strengthen the ability of nonprofits to help relief, recovery, and rebuilding during the pandemic crisis and beyond. The senators will also answer questions and explain what they are doing to enact improved charitable giving incentives THIS YEAR. Register for this session  here .

Oregon Nonprofit Virtual Town Hall with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Wednesday, June 3, 3 – 4 p.m. PT: Join NAO for a virtual town hall with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley addressing Oregon’s nonprofit community. We will have the opportunity to hear from our Oregon senators about the CARES Act and plans for future congressional action, as well as discuss specific issues and needs facing Oregon’s nonprofits. This session will be moderated by Raziah Roushan, NAO Board Member and Chair, NAO Public Policy Committee and Jim White, NAO Executive Director. Register for the session  here .

Ask the Experts: How to Pivot to a Virtual Annual Fundraising Event Successfully, Tuesday, June 9, Noon 1 p.m. PT:  Brennan Wood, Executive Director of The Dougy Center and Lauren Dully Clark, Principal Consultant at Raise Agent will share how they pivoted The Dougy Center’s 23rd Annual Reflection Benefit and Auction – an annual in-person event and biggest fundraiser of the year – to a successful virtual event the weekend before Mother’s Day. They’ll discuss what it took working with their long-time auctioneer, audio-visual expert, and others to make this the special event it is every year for everyone The Dougy Center serves. Register for this session  here .
 
QuickBooks Desktop Edition Made Easy for Nonprofits, June 16, 17 & 18, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. PT:  Gregg S. Bossen, CPA of QuickBooks Made Easy, is partnering with NAO to offer an updated three-part QuickBooks® training webinar for nonprofits.  This webinar is for the Desktop edition of Quickbooks . Gregg will cover the basics of setting up and entering transactions specifically for nonprofits, an overview of the software updates included in the QuickBooks® 2018 Desktop Edition, as well as advanced topics covering a host of specific processes that will help you do more helpful and amazing things! Register for the three-part webinar  here .

QuickBooks Online Edition Made Easy for Nonprofits, June 23, 24 & 25, 11 a.m. – 1 pm. PT:  Gregg S. Bossen, CPA of QuickBooks Made Easy, is partnering with NAO to offer an updated three-part QuickBooks® training webinar for nonprofits.  This webinar is for the Online edition of Quickbooks.  Gregg will cover the basics of setting up and entering transactions specifically for nonprofits, an overview of the software updates included in the QuickBooks® 2018 Online Edition, as well as advanced topics covering a host of specific processes that will help you do more helpful and amazing things! Register for the three-part webinar  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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