Nonprofits that are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic may be able to receive help through the CARES Act – the large relief bill that Congress passed in an effort to help individuals and organizations weather the crisis. But it can be difficult to understand all of the ins and outs of such a large and complex piece of legislation.

In today’s episode, Ben Kershaw of Independent Sector joins Blackbaud’s Government Relations Manager Sally Ehrenfried to answer questions about the CARES Act that especially concern nonprofit organizations. Listen in to hear what Ben has to say about how nonprofits can get help, how to think about long-term support, and what aspects of the Paycheck Protection Program nonprofits need to be aware of.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• The aspects of the CARES Act that apply to nonprofits
• How nonprofits can get help through the CARES Act
• Whether there’s any thought of long-term support in addition to meeting short-term needs
• Insight about charitable tax deductions
• Communicating changes to donors
• When the 8-week period of the Paycheck Protection Program starts
• Whether organizations that receive PPP funds can hire temp employees
• The rules around non-payroll expenses
• What the process will be around the recent replenishment of funding that Congress has added to the Payroll Protection Program
• What reforms and changes will come with the next relief package
• What long-term changes might come from coronavirus responses generally and the CARES Act specifically
• The importance of speaking up in the nonprofit sector

Resources:

Ben Kershaw

CARES Act Resources from Independent Sector

Blackbaud COVID-19 Resource Center

Blackbaud CARES Act Resource Hub

Quotes: 

“As we turn to other legislation, we’ll be talking about 2 trillion-dollar responses, so it’s just a reminder of how quickly both the public awareness and the policy response to this have grown.”

“We will certainly be advocating to extend this incentive and to expand it, so that it can help incentivize the sort of giving that we need as a nation.”

“The intent of the Paycheck Protection Program is clear. It is not small business or a small non-profit protection program, it’s a paycheck protection program. The intent is to make sure that employees stay on payroll.”