As Congress works on additional relief for individuals, businesses, and nonprofits affected by the COVID-19 crisis, Oregon’s nonprofits are asking for four specific improvements to the nonprofit relief in the CARES Act:
- Expand access to credit. Helping nonprofits get more immediate assistance by expanding nonprofit eligibility for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and by establishing a dedicated funding stream for PPP loans to nonprofit organizations. Many in Oregon’s nonprofit sector were either unable to get their application processed or banks told them that their application was not processed in time.
- Bolster charitable giving incentives. Strengthening temporary above-the-line charitable deduction from the CARES Act by allowing taxpayers to use it on the 2019 taxes, significantly increasing the $300 cap, and extending it beyond 2020. As nonprofits will rely even more on charitable giving from the public, it is essential that Congress creates a Universal charitable deduction.
- Protect self-insured nonprofits. Holding harmless self-insured nonprofits and tribal entities by providing funding to cover 100% of the costs of these organizations’ unemployment claims. Without this change, many nonprofits and tribal entities that provide health care, food assistance, affordable housing, childcare, and other critical services will have to end or curtail services.
- Support nonprofit service providers. Increasing emergency funding to our state, county and municipal program that so often are implemented by nonprofits. These programs provide essential services to vulnerable families and frontline responders to the COVID-19 crisis.
