Nebraska private nonprofit organizations, including faith-based organizations, may be eligible for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help them recover from the severe winter storm and flooding March 9-April 1. The deadline for application is May 20, 2019.
FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Program provides grants to certain kinds of nonprofits:
- Those that provide critical services, such as hospitals and other medical treatment facilities; utilities, including water, sewer and electrical systems; private schools that provide elementary or secondary education or institutions of higher education.
- Those that provide non-critical, essential services, such as senior citizen and community centers, food programs, educational enrichment activities, custodial and day care services, disability residential services, assisted living and low-income housing, homeless shelters and rehabilitation services, performing and community arts centers.
- Houses of worship owned or operated by a private nonprofit organization. These organizations must have damage caused by the severe winter storm and must provide a non-critical but essential service open to the public. They must provide U.S. Internal Revenue Service documentation of tax-exempt status, pre-disaster charter and other documentation.
Organizations that provide services of a non-critical, essential governmental nature must apply for a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in order to be considered for PA grants. Grants may be able to these organizations for repair or replacement costs that SBA loans do not cover. The organizations can apply to FEMA while they are waiting for response from SBA.
Only organizations with state or IRS tax-exempt status may be considered. For more information about eligible essential and critical service providers, go to FEMA.gov and reference the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide.
Organizations must submit a Request for Public Assistance to the state by May 20. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is conducting briefings for applicants. Organizations can find the schedule of briefings and information on how to apply by going online to the NEMA website: nema.nebraska.gov/.
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