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COVID-19 Resources for Nonprofits

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July 2020 Bilingual Family Resource Calendar Santa Cruz County
June 2020 Bilingual Family Resource Calendar Santa Cruz County

Employment and Financial Resources

The California Department of Employment Development provides financial assistance to workers who have lost employment, experienced illness, or are caring for a sick family member.

  • Employers and Employees can learn more and submit a claim here.
  • There are Employee Layoff Alternatives such as the Work Sharing Program to keep your employees. When layoffs or a closure are unavoidable, Rapid Response Services are available. Contact Belinda Barr at (831) 763-8900, Business Services Manager for more information on these services.
  • There are multiple ways to file an Unemployment and Insurance Claim:
    • Online here
    • By phone: Representatives are available at the following toll-free numbers, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon Pacific time except on state holidays.
      English 1-800-300-5616, Spanish 1-800-326-8937
    • By Mail or by Fax: File your UI claim by accessing the paper Unemployment Insurance Application (under Fill-in Forms). For faster and secure processing, fax the completed application to the number listed on the form. If you mail your application, use the address on the form and allow additional time for processing.
    • How to Apply for UI Benefits Videos English | Spanish | Cantonese | Vietnamese | Mandarin
    • Benefits to Those Quarantined or Sick
      • Paid sick leave law provides time off to many workers. You are entitled to use whatever sick leave you have accumulated
      • California law provides for paid family leave, which you may be eligible for if you are providing care for an ill or quarantined family member.
      • In the event of a particularly long illness, you may be eligible for disability benefits, provided your illness is certified by a medical professional.

Remote Working Resources

  • Staff Communication: All of the following technologies have a free version with messaging and video chat features.
    • Slack
    • Microsoft Teams - Now offering a free 6 month trial for the premium version
    • Workplace - Offering free Premium versions to nonprofits.
    • Avaya - Free for nonprofits until August 31st
  • Video Meetings, Conferences, and Live Streaming:
    • Zoom: Techsoup is offering a 50% Discount for nonprofits. Free option includes 1 on 1s, hosting for 100 participants.
    • Google Hangouts – Enterprise Hangout is free until July 1
    • GoToMeeting - Free Emergency Remote Work Kits for nonprofits for 3 months.
  • Internet:
    • Mobile Beacon: Internet Hotspot for Nonprofits
    • Cox Communications is offering a range of services and packages for the next 60 days.
    • Comcast is offering free Wi-Fi for 2 months to low-income families plus all Xfinity hot-spots are free to the public during this time.
    • AT&T is offering open hot-spots, unlimited data to existing customers, and $10/month plans to low-income families.
    • Sprint is following the FCC agreement and will provide unlimited data to existing customers. Starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020, Sprint will allow all handsets to enable hot-spots for 60 days at no extra charge.
    • T-Mobile is following the FCC agreement and providing unlimited data to existing customers. It will soon allow all handsets to enable hot-spots for 60 days at no extra charge.
  • Trainings and Tech Support:
    • Cruz One: Offering free volunteer local tech support for Santa Cruz County
    • Pro Bono Services from Joint Venture: The Silicon Valley Talent Partnership’s pro bono teams can provide communications, strategic planning, data analysis, and cybersecurity consulting to organizations forming their COVID-19 response.
    • LinkedIn Remote Learning Courses: Free training on how to transition your team to remote working. Including learning zoom, leading virtual meetings, and productivity tips at home.
  • Other:

Loans & Grants

CARES Act:

  • Charitable Giving Incentives for Donors to 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organizations. The CARES Act creates charitable giving incentives for donors to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Section 2204 of the CARES Act includes a new above-the-line deduction (universal or non-itemized deduction that applies to all taxpayers) for total charitable contributions of up to $300. The incentive applies to contributions made in 2020 and would be claimed on tax forms next year. Section 2205 of the CARES Act lifts the existing cap on annual contributions for those who itemize, raising it from 60 percent of adjusted gross income to 100 percent. For corporations, the legislation raises the annual limit from 10 percent to 25 percent. Food donations from corporations would be available to 25 percent, up from the current 15 percent cap.
  • Paycheck Protection Program Loans (PPP) (Emergency SBA 7(a) Loans) The Paycheck Protection Program is designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses and nonprofits to keep their workers on payroll by providing each small business a loan up to $10 million for payroll and certain other expenses.If all employees are kept on payroll for eight weeks, SBA will forgive the portion of the loans used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. Up to 100 percent of the loan is forgivable (becoming a grant). This is available for charitable nonprofits with 500 or fewer employees.
  • Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) (SBA 7(b) Loans): Creates emergency grants for eligible nonprofits and other applicants with 500 or fewer employees enabling them to receive checks for $10,000 within three days.
    EIDL are loans of up to $2 million that carry interest rates of up to 2.75 percent for nonprofits, as well as principal and interest deferment for up to 4 years. The loans may be used to pay for expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred, including payroll and other operating expenses. If the loan amount is $200,000 or less, the SBA will waive loan guarantee and other creditworthiness requirements. The $10,000 advance does not need to be repaid, even if the nonprofit is subsequently denied an EIDL for the larger loan amount. EIDL may be used to provide paid sick leave to employees, maintain payroll, meet increased production costs due to supply chain disruptions or pay business obligations, including debts, rent and mortgage payments. Learn more and apply here

    Other Loan & Grant Resources:
  • FDC direct loans California's Small Business Finance Center has partnered with local financial development corporations to provide direct loans struggling with cash flow during the pandemic. Businesses and some nonprofits with 750 or fewer employees are eligible for the loans. Learn more here.
  • Find Grantmakers & Nonprofit Funders in this online searchable directory.
  • Funding for COVID-19 funding opportunities, summary and news from Candid.

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