FRANKFORT, Ky. – Houses of worship and other private nonprofit organizations may be eligible for FEMA assistance to help reimburse costs for emergency protective measures, debris removal and restoration of facilities damaged by storms, straight-line-winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides and mudslides affecting Kentucky between March 3-4, 2023.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program may provide financial assistance to certain private nonprofit organizations – including houses of worship – to restore facilities damaged or destroyed in this disaster. The federal share for Public Assistance projects is not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost. The state determines how the non-federal share of the cost of a project (up to 25 percent) is split with the sub-recipients such as local and county governments.
To be eligible, private non-profits must:
- Be located within the designated counties; and incurred impacts as a result of the event:
- Provide a current ruling letter from the IRS granting tax exemption under Section 501 (c) (d) or (e) of the IRS Code of 1954, or documentation from the Kentucky Secretary of State indicating nonprofit status;
- Provide proof of ownership or lease documentation establishing legal responsibility to repair incident-related impacts; and
- For non-critical private nonprofits seeking Public Assistance reimbursement for permanent work, applicants must apply to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a loan and receive a determination.
Applicants whose facilities were damaged in March storms can apply for assistance through the Commonwealth. For more information on submitting a Request for Public Assistance, click on this link: How to Apply for Public Assistance. Applicants should contact their county Emergency manager or KY Division of Emergency Management, or email pa.help@KY-em.org.
The deadline to submit a Request for Public Assistance Is May 10, 2023.