Federal, State & Local Financial Programs

Here are some great resources at the federal, state, and local level surrounding legislative actions taken and more financial programs that will benefit you and your organization. This page will be updated regularly.

Federal Resources

CARES Act – Paycheck Protection Program

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a new loan program provided by the SBA that provides loans of up to $10 million, the application period for this program begins today. The loans can be used for the following expenses:

• Payroll expenses
• Mortgage interest
• Rent and utility costs

The most attractive feature of this program is that the full amount can be forgiven as long as certain criteria is met. Right now, the criteria provided by the SBA only indicates that the funds must be spent only on the expenses listed above. The borrower will need to be able to prove this in order to have the loan forgiven, so keeping good detail is crucial. The loan forgiveness application process is separate and will not be available until after June 20th of this year.

To begin the application process for this loan program, please contact your bank, as the loan will be processed through them. SKC can assist you with the application process and backup documentation. If you have questions on this please get in touch with your SKC point of contact. You can find more helpful information on the loan program here on our website. For more information on the loan program, check out the SBA website here.

State Resources

Both Kansas and Missouri legislatures are passing bills to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Both states have declared or extended their State of Emergency Orders through May and have taken additional action, follow the latest updates here at the National Conference of State Legislators website.

Missouri State Legislative Action

• HR 5497 – Resolves that school districts should take necessary steps to protect the health of children without fear of funding reductions or punishments for failing to meet minimum hours and school day levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill is currently pending, no hearing is scheduled, and the bill is not currently on the house calendar.
• HB 2014 – Appropriates $445,516 to the Office of Emergency Coordination to address coronavirus preparedness and response. This bill has been passed by the House on 3/18/2020 and reported to the Senate and First Read on 3/20/2020.

Other Missouri State Resources

• The St. Louis Community Foundation has launched the Regional Response Fund to direct philanthropic resources.
• The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is opening the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.
• The Carthage Community Foundation has set up a Rapid Response Fund.

Kansas State Legislative Action

• SB 66 Appropriates $50 million from the general fund to provide for the state’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic. This was officially approved by Governor Kelly on March 25, 2020.
• SB 386 Appropriates $1 million to the Division of Public Health for coronavirus prevention. This bill passed the Senate on March 18, 2020 and is currently pending in the House.
• HCR 5025 Ratifies and provides the continuation of the March 12, 2020, state of disaster emergency declaration for the state of Kansas through May 1, 2020. Adopted on March 20, 2020.

Other Kansas State Resources

• Sharice David, Kansas House Representative Coronavirus Resource Center
• Central Kansas Community Foundation Community Relief Fund
• Kansas Health Foundation Information for current grantees
• The Wichita Community Foundation has mobilized $100,000 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The WCF Emergency Fund will assist nonprofits.

Local Resources

Tax Assistance:

• The City of Kansas City is extending the 2019 Earnings Tax filing and payment deadline to July 15, 2020, mirroring the guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service and the state of Missouri Department of Revenue. You can find out more by visiting their website here.

Internet Access/Utility Assistance:

• KCMO Water Services – Suspended water shut-offs for nonpayment
• Evergy (Electricity) – Suspended disconnects for nonpayments, extended payment options, reduced reconnect fees, and no late fees until May 1 (residential and small business customers)
• Spire (Natural Gas) – Suspended disconnects and late fees until May 1, 2020
• Spectrum – Suspended service terminations for 60 days, waiving late fees for residential and small business customers, partnering with school districts, and opening wi-fi hotspots for public use
• Google Fiber – Suspended service terminations through May 15, 2020. Impacted customers must contact customer service to maintain service.

Financial Resources:

Altcap has launched a community backed $5 million small business relief loan fund and applications are available now. You can find out more on their website here, and check out the application process here. A quick list of application requirements are:

• Be located in the Kansas City Region, which for this initiative includes Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass counties in Missouri and Wyandotte, Johnson, and Leavenworth counties in Kansas;
• Have 20 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, and;
• Have $2.5 million or less in annual revenue.

Other Great Resources

NonprofitWebAdvisor is offering several webinars in the coming days that you may find helpful:

• COVID-19 And Remote Board Governance: Everything You Need To Know, Tuesday, April 7th at 12:00 pm Central
• COVID-19 And Federal Grants: What You Need To Know and What You Need To Do, Wednesday, April 8th & Friday, April 10th at 12:00 pm Central
• The Coronavirus Relief Act: What Nonprofits Need To Know, Thursday, April 9th at 12:00 pm Central

If you need help with any of these resources please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Finally, as each day brings new challenges and obstacles, remember to be good to one another. Support KC has spent the last twenty years working shoulder to shoulder with our partners in the nonprofit community to ensure we all stay ‘mission focused’. Let us not forget that message as our community needs us now more than ever. Support KC is here for you and your organization as you face new challenges and obstacles in the face of this pandemic. We can achieve anything if we work together. Support KC remains open (remotely) and accessible via our office phone number or by reaching out directly to your point of contact.