April 21, 2020
Today, The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits called for additional support for modifications to the CARES Act that will help preserve nonprofits’ ability to provide essential services at this time of greatest need.
“Like most other parts of our economy, Oklahoma’s nonprofit sector – which provides about eight percent of private sector jobs in our state – continues to struggle in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act includes significant relief for charitable organizations by including nonprofits in the emergency loan programs, extending unemployment benefits to many nonprofit employees, and providing a small tax incentive for charitable giving. Nonprofits are appreciative of this relief.
Last week, a unified group of major national organizations has put together a set of recommendations for modifications to the CARES Act that will help preserve nonprofits’ ability to provide essential services at this time of greatest need. We fully supports these recommendations, and we seek your assistance in ensuring that they are included in the fourth COVID-19 stimulus bill that Congress passes. Specifically, nonprofits need the following four modifications to the CARES Act:
1. Expand access to credit. Expanding nonprofits’ access to credit to provide for immediate financial relief by expanding nonprofit eligibility for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and by establishing a dedicated funding stream for PPP loans to nonprofit organizations.
2. 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.
3. Protect self-insured nonprofits. Holding harmless self-insured nonprofits by providing funding to cover 100% of the costs of these organizations’ unemployment claims. Without this change, many nonprofits that provide health care, food assistance, affordable housing, childcare, and other critical services will have to end or curtail services later this year.
4. Support nonprofits providing essential services during the crisis. Increase emergency funding so that nonprofits can work with state and local governments to provide essential services to vulnerable families and frontline responders to the COVID-19 crisis.
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Thank you for your continued leadership during this crisis. The CARES Act was an important first step in helping nonprofits recover from the COVID-19 crisis. We hope you and your colleagues in Congress can make these important modifications to help nonprofits continue to provide essential services in our communities”
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We first started using First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program when we were a small startup nonprofit. We didn’t have an HR department and needed expertise in the event that an unemployment claim was made. We knew we were eligible to be a reimbursing employer, but weren’t sure how to navigate that process. They made it easy to set things up, plan for, and then manage claims when they came at a very reasonable cost. The amount of time and stress they’ve saved us dealing with all this has been worth way more than the cost. We’ve now grown to a large nonprofit and do have an HR department but have no plans to stop using their services. I highly recommend them to every nonprofit I come into contact with!
Throughout our membership in the Unemployment Savings Program, First Nonprofit understood our demands, community dynamics, and the importance of seamless services; that allowed us to serve our constituents better.
Because INCS advocates for the operating conditions that allow charter public schools to provide high quality public education, partnering with First Nonprofit was an easy decision. First Nonprofit’s unemployment programs provide our member schools two operating elements crucial to their ability to provide high quality public education: savings and budget certainty. Capable, committed teachers are the key to student success. By participating in the unemployment insurance savings plan, charter public schools gain peace of mind and are able to invest more money in their teachers.
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NYCON members who use First Nonprofit’s programs enjoy enduring savings and improved efficiency. Our association knows that success, because from the beginning, we achieved the same great benefits. Great savings, seamless technology, and responsive service. NYCON highly recommends First Nonprofit’s remarkable unemployment solutions.
Visually Impaired Preschool Services has been a client of First Non-Profit since it was first offered as a benefit of VisionServe Alliance. We completed a thorough evaluation of cash savings to our agency before taking advantage of this wonderful benefit and it has been a very wise decision. Our experience with the processes from accounting to claims have been professional, expeditious and easy.
Luckily for us, our interactions regarding any issues with staffing has been very minimal! I can say that all other interactions with regards to billing, 941 reporting, etc. have been extremely pleasant, accommodating and easy to work with. Kim Ghanayem is always prompt, professional and friendly. Thank you so much!
First Nonprofit has been easy to work with and makes the administrative process easier and smoother. We enjoy working with you.