Private nonprofits, including houses of worship may be eligible for FEMA Public Assistance to cover Hurricane María damage in Puerto Rico
Public Assistance for Nonprofits
- Public Assistance (PA) provides grants to private non-profit (PNP) organizations.
- The deadline for PNPs, including houses of worship, to apply for Public Assistance funding for Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico has been extended to April 3, 2018.
Request for Public Assistance (RPA) Process
- To be considered for disaster assistance funding, download and complete the Request for Public Assistance - FF 90-49 form at www.fema.gov/submission-request-public-assistance-applicant
- Applicants may submit their RPA by email to PrivateNonprofits@dcmcpartners.com or in person at any disaster recovery center.
- For general questions about the PNP application process in Puerto Rico, email gar@ogp.pr.gov or call 787-273-8209.
SBA disaster loans are a critical part of the application process
- For all PNPs that provide non-critical services, FEMA may provide funding for eligible permanent work costs only if an SBA disaster loan does not cover them.
- All non-critical PNP facilities must apply to the SBA for a low-interest disaster loan for permanent repair work.
- FEMA will provide financial assistance only if the PNP is denied an SBA loan or if the approved loan is insufficient to cover repair costs.
- PNPs should not wait for an SBA determination letter prior to applying for FEMA PA assistance.
- The deadline for SBA applications is March 20, 2018.
- PNPs should submit an SBA application at https://disasterloan.gov/ela.
PNP Eligibility Requirements
- To be an eligible applicant, the PNP must:
- 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
Private nonprofits, including houses of worship may be eligible for FEMA Public Assistance to cover Hurricane María damage in Puerto Rico-page 2
- Provide documentation from the commonwealth substantiating it is a non-revenue, non-profit entity organized or doing business under Puerto Rico law
- Own or operate an eligible facility that:
- Provides education, utility, emergency, medical or other critical service.
- Provides essential social services to the general public. This includes houses of worship.
- If the facility provides multiple services such as a community center, FEMA reviews additional items to determine the primary service provided such as:
- Internal Revenue Service documentation
- Pre-disaster charter, bylaws and amendments
- Evidence of longstanding use like a calendar of activities
- Facilities established or primarily used for political, athletic, recreational, vocational or academic training, conferences or similar activities are not eligible.
Private Non-profit Houses of Worship
- Houses of worship operated by PNP organizations may be eligible applicants for FEMA financial assistance if their facilities suffered damage from Hurricane María.
- To be an eligible applicant, the PNP must provide a social service to the general public, without regard to their religious or secular nature.
RPA Package