Tillis presses for direct help to charitable nonprofits as they respond to fallout from the coronavirus

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) joined his colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to request that they do not overlook nonprofits, charities, and houses of worship in the fourth-phase relief proposal for the coronavirus pandemic. Over the last several weeks, Senator Tillis has spoken directly with North Carolina non-profit organizations that are facing significant financial hurdles.  The letter asks the Leaders to consider expanding access to relief and support, increase unemployment insurance reimbursement for nonprofit employees, and strengthen charitable giving incentives to help ease the burdens facing nonprofit employers as well as other types of small businesses.

  “The 12 million people working for America’s charities are the backbone of our communities: the food banks, shelters, domestic violence services, houses of worship, early care and education centers, after-school facilities, and more that are being called on to feed, house and care for people whose lives have been disrupted by sickness, closures, and job loss,” wrote the Senators. “Cities and states are relying on nonprofits to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic. We will continue to rely on the experience, expertise and ingenuity of the sector during future recovery efforts. As we work to build on the CARES Act in the next relief package, we cannot overlook the needs of these community-based institutions and must ensure that charitable nonprofits are fully supported in their service on the front lines of responding to the COVID-19 crisis.”

The following nonprofits and charities have offered their support for the Senators’ letter: Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, American Alliance of Museums, American Council on Education, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Red Cross, Americans for the Arts, Apartment Life, Inc., Arthritis Foundation, Association of Art Museum Directors, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Catholic Charities USA, CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, Child Welfare League of America, Community Action Partnership, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, Covenant House International, Ducks Unlimited, Extended Day Child Care Center, Inc., Faith & Giving Coalition, Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Inc., Goodwill Industries International, Inc., Habitat for Humanity International, Independent Sector, Jewish Federations of North America, Land Trust Alliance, Leadership 18, League of American Orchestras, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Looking Glass Community Services, Lutheran Services in America, Mental Health America, National Alliance for Caregiving, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, National Council of Nonprofits, National Health Council, National Human Services Assembly, NatureBridge, San Diego Zoo Global, Solve ME/CFS Initiative, Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Squash and Education Alliance, The Arc of the United States, The Nonprofit Trust, The Trevor Project, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, United Cerebral Palsy- National, United Philanthropy Forum, United Way Worldwide, Volunteers of America, Welcoming America, World Wildlife Fund, YMCA of the USA, Youth Advocate Program, YWCA USA, and Boys and Girls Club of America.

The full text of the letter can be found HERE or below.

Dear Leader McConnell and Leader Schumer:

Charitable nonprofits are significant employers ready to serve. The 12 million people working for America’s charities are the backbone of our communities: the food banks, shelters, domestic violence services, houses of worship, early care and education centers, after-school facilities, and more that are being called on to feed, house and care for people whose lives have been disrupted by sickness, closures, and job loss. Cities and states are relying on nonprofits to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic. We will continue to rely on the experience, expertise and ingenuity of the sector during future recovery efforts. As we work to build on the CARES Act in the next relief package, we cannot overlook the needs of these community-based institutions and must ensure that charitable nonprofits are fully supported in their service on the front lines of responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

Specifically, we urge you to include the following clarifications and provisions in the next relief package:

1. Expand Nonprofit Access to Relief and Support: Expand the eligibility for nonprofits to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program by modifying the current 500-employee cap or by other means. Adjust Economic Stabilization Fund or other mechanisms to implement programs to support nonprofit employers with between 500 and 10,000 employees. Provide clear guidance and maximum flexibility to private lenders to prioritize processing the applications of charitable nonprofits.
2. Increase Unemployment Insurance Reimbursement: Treat self-funded nonprofits fairly by increasing the federal unemployment insurance reimbursement for self-funded nonprofits to 100% of costs. As currently written Section 2103 of the CARES Act will subject nonprofits throughout the country to crippling payments to their state unemployment systems later this year, while other employers will likely experience little or no additional costs resulting from mass COVID-19-related layoffs. The impacts will be real. States will be greatly challenged to distinguish among employers in an already overburdened system due to the unprecedented surge in new applicants. Many nonprofits will be hit with a bill for reimbursement to states at a time when they will be in the highest demand for providing services. This could actually inhibit nonprofits’ ability to perform.
3. Strengthen Charitable Giving Incentives: Encourage donations to the work of charitable organizations in their communities by enabling taxpayers making donations on and after March 13 (date of national emergency declaration) and before July 16 to claim the deductions on their 2019 tax filings. This retroactive application should apply to itemized and above-the-line deductions during this critical period to encourage an influx of donations when these nonprofits need them most. Also, enhance the Above-the-Line Deduction in the CARES Act by increasing the $300/person cap and extending the effective date of the incentive. 

On behalf of the nonprofit charities in each of our districts providing critical services to our constituents, we appreciate your attention to this request and believe that the inclusion of these provisions will directly help charitable nonprofits respond to the fallout from this pandemic and will continue to serve our communities in the aftermath. We appreciate your consideration and attention to this request.

 Sincerely,  

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