What loan and grant assistance is available for non-profits?
Paycheck Protection Program
Congress recently passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided $349 billion for the new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). On April 23, Congress allocated an additional $310 billion for PPP, which included set-asides of $30 billion for small- and mid-sized lenders and $30 billion for Community Development Financial Institutions, Minority Depository Institutions, and other community-based lenders to ensure eligible small businesses can access this critical funding and are not turned away by financial institutions.
Under this program, non-profits with 500 or fewer employees may access loans to cover payroll costs and most rent, utilities, and interest on mortgage obligations. If at least 75 percent of the loan is used for payroll costs over the eight-week period after the non-profit receives the loan, and the non-profit maintains its employment and compensation levels, the full loan can be forgiven.
These Small Business Administration (SBA) loans are capped at $10 million, are 100 percent federally guaranteed, and have no fees. Any amount of the loan that is not forgiven will carry a two-year term and a one percent interest rate.
Non-profits interested in securing a PPP loan should contact their primary financial lender (and not the SBA portal). The following non-profits with 500 or fewer employees are eligible for PPP loans:
Non-profits can learn more about the program HERE.
Economic Injury Grants
The newly-enacted law created an advance of up to $10,000 for non-profits that apply for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). The legislation Congress passed on April 23 also provided additional funds to ensure SBA can continue to offer these grants and loans. The advance does not need to be repaid, and it can be used to pay for certain expenses that could have been met, had the disaster not occurred, including paid sick leave to employees, maintaining payroll, meeting increased costs to obtain materials, making rent and mortgage payments, and repaying obligations that cannot be met due to revenue losses. If a non-profit also obtains a PPP loan or refinances an EIDL into a PPP loan, any advance will be subtracted from the amount forgiven in the PPP loan.
The following non-profits with 500 or fewer employees are eligible for EIDLs:
Non-profits can learn more and apply HERE.
Employee Retention Tax Credit
Congress created an Employee Retention Credit through the CARES Act with the goal of incentivizing employers affected by COVID-19 to keep employees on their payroll. The American Rescue Plan Act extended this credit through December 2021. Non-profits that qualify can take the credit for a portion of the wages they pay to some or all their employees, up to $7,000 per employee for each quarter. The maximum credit is $28,000 for an employee for 2021.
Deferment of Employer Payroll Taxes
Under the CARES Act, non-profits may defer paying the employer share of the Social Security portion of Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) payroll taxes of certain through the end of 2020. All 2020 deferred amounts would be due in two equal installments. One installment would be due at the end of 2021 and the other at the end of 2022. Employers utilizing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) may no longer use this deferral once a lender decides to forgive the PPP loan.
The IRS has more information on Deferral of Employer Payroll Taxes HERE.
Tax Credit for Sick Leave and Child Leave
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act created refundable tax credits for required paid sick leave and paid child care leave related to COVID-19. Eligible employers may receive a refundable sick leave credit for providing up to 80 hours of sick leave (up to $511 per day) per employee. The refundable child care leave credit cannot exceed $200 per day, or $10,000 in aggregate, for each employee taking such leave. Employers that use these tax credits cannot include the relevant wages as payroll costs for purposes of receiving loan forgiveness for a PPP loan.
Non-profits can learn more about this credit HERE.
Paid Leave Credit for Vaccines
The American Rescue Plan Act allows small and midsize employers, and certain governmental employers, to claim refundable tax credits that reimburse them for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave to their employees due to COVID-19, including leave taken by employees to receive or recover from COVID-19 vaccinations. The American Rescue Plan Act tax credits are available to eligible employers that pay sick and family leave for leave from April 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021. Non-profits can access the most current information for providing paid leave to employees receiving COVID-19 vaccines HERE.
Above-the-Line Deduction
The CARES Act allows individuals to take up to a $300 above-the-line deduction for charitable donations. It also raises the existing limits on charitable deductions for corporations and individuals who itemize. The American Rescue Plan most recently extended the period of availability for this relief through the week ending on or before September 6, 2021.
Emergency Unemployment Relief for Non-Profit Organizations
The American Rescue Plan reduces by 75 percent the amount most non-profits, Indian Tribes, and governmental entities are required to reimburse states for benefits paid to their workers who claim unemployment insurance. The CARES Act originally reduced the amount by 50 percent.
Yes. The SBA has announced that faith-based organizations, including houses of worship, are eligible to receive these SBA loans regardless of whether they provide secular social services.
Faith-based organizations can learn more about their eligibility for SBA loans HERE.
