Rethinking Philanthropy

New York Forward Loan Fund (NYFLF) is a new economic recovery loan program aimed at supporting New York State small businesses, nonprofits and small landlords as they reopen after the COVID-19 outbreak and NYS on PAUSE.

Updated 6/8/2020

On May 15th, the United States House of Representatives voted along party lines to pass the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, H.R. 6800. With a final vote of 208-199, only one Republican voted for the bill, with 14 Democrats voting against it.

Although the bill has passed the House, it faces opposition in the Senate, which is set to discuss the bill this month.

On Thursday 4/23, Congress allocated an additional $370 billion in relief funds for nonprofits and small businesses, building off an earlier $2 trillion measure, known as the CARES Act, which included cash payments for individuals, as well as funds for small businesses, corporations and public health. The bill was signed by President Trump on Friday, 4/24.

Here are the highlights of the new funding:

NY Funders Alliance is working to create a summary of resources surrounding food insecurity during COVID-19. Below is a list of food-related resources, if you have additional suggestions for this list, please contact us!

Over the coming weeks and months, as the work of our members and the larger philanthropic community progresses, NY Funders Alliance will respond in four key areas of support for the sector and our members: Advocate, Connect, Strengthen, and Mobilize.

The recently passed federal stimulus package (CARES Act) protects the unemployment experience rating and related financial risks in the State Unemployment Insurance Fund (SUI) by providing 100% benefit reimbursement for claims due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, self-insured nonprofits are to be reimbursed for only half (50%) of the costs incurred. It is now up to the State of New York to immediately act, as other states have done, to protect and hold harmless self-insured charitable organizations.

NY Funders Alliance, in partnership with the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON), signed on to a letter requesting Governor Cuomo to save self-insuring nonprofits from massive unemployment benefit expense increases due to COVID-19.

The letter urges Governor Cuomo to issue an Executive Order that provides a temporary waiver of the requirement that all unemployment claims related to the COVID-19 crisis be charged to an individual employer’s unemployment account and thus, still subject to 50% reimbursement by self-insured charities for the portion not covered under the CARES Act.

How will recently passed COVID-19 response acts impact the philanthropic sector? Below are general overviews and nonprofit specific summaries of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, “CARES.”

In response to requests from NY Funders Alliance membership, we have created a summary of resources for early childhood services and policies during COVID-19. As legislation continues to evolve, we will continue adding more resources to this page. If you have additional suggestions for this list, please contact us!

These are unprecedented times, and it’s inspiring to see communities rising to the challenge. However, not everyone has the resources to “shelter in place” especially the millions of people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Living paycheck to paycheck is hard when millions of businesses around the nation are closing down indefinitely, and hourly workers (including those dependent upon tips) are the hardest hit. In particular, families with kids whose primary meals happen at school are especially vulnerable when those schools shut down.