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It's a busy season! With the beginning of the new year, policy and advocacy updates are happening with greater frequency. Below are additional updates from this week Nonprofit New York would like to share with our members and partners.
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Sign on opportunity: National letter for nonprofit relief
2021 opens with a new President, a new Congress, and renewed interest in passing additional COVID relief. Help focus the attention of lawmakers on the needs of nonprofits by signing your organization onto a new nonprofit letter calling for a package of solutions tailored to the needs and realities of nonprofits serving the public good. The letter calls for nonprofit-specific grants and forgivable loans for nonprofits of all sizes, and increase and extension of charitable giving incentives, full coverage of unemployment costs of reimbursing (self-insured) employers, and financial aid to state and local governments. Read the letter to the federal leaders and go here to sign on now!
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IRS PPP Loan Forgiveness
The IRS published a notice for employers who did not request a PPP loan explaining that they can claim the Employee Retention Credit for 2020 on the 4th Quarter Form 941. Kaplan Financial Education subsequently released a “Plain English” explainer.
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Families First Act Paid Leave Update
The IRS updated guidance to reflect the extension through March 31, 2021 of the refundable payroll tax credits for employers with 500 of fewer employees for paid sick and family leave initially established in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. (NOTE: The year-end law does not extend the mandated paid leave provisions of the Families First Act; those provisions expired at the end of 2020.) The updated guidance provides links to numerous other updates to help employers calculate and claim the refundable payroll tax credit.
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Refundable Payroll Tax Credit
The IRS adjusted the dates on prior FAQs to make clear that the refundable payroll tax credit for COVID-related leave is available through March 31, 2021.
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Shuttered Venue Operators Grant
SBA has published information about the Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) grant established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act. Eligible applicants may qualify for SVO grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. Eligible entities must have been in operation as of February 29, 2020, and must not have received a PPP loan on or after December 27, 2020. For additional details, see SBA’s Shuttered Venue Operators Grants Frequently Asked Questions.
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Department of State draft regulations on new tax filing requirement
As of January 1, 2021, many charities that file a CHAR 500 with the New York Charities Bureau and have total revenue and support in any fiscal year of at least $250,000 will also have to file those same documents with the New York Department of State. There are also new filing requirements for 501(c)(3) charities that make donations to certain 501(c)(4) organizations, and for certain 501(c)(4) organizations. The NYS Department of State has updated their website with a brief summary of this new requirement, which you can find here, and has published proposed regulations. The public comment period will run through April April 5, 2021. Have feedback or comments? Email Nonprofit New York VP of Policy, Chai Jindasurat, to inform our public comments to the Department of State. For more information please also check out the Lawyers Alliance for New York’s legal alert.
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Take Action!
Join Nonprofit New York, Lawyers Alliance for New York, and coalition partners working to persuade the state legislature to remove the completely redundant new requirement that nonprofits must now file the same documents once with the Charities Bureau and again with the Department of State.
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Employer Unemployment Insurance
Yesterday Governor Cuomo signed legislation that would prohibit increases in unemployment insurance taxes for employers who have laid off workers for COVID-related reasons for the duration of 2021.
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We want your feedback! 2021 Nonprofit City Policy Agenda survey
Brought together by The Advocacy Institute, Human Services Council, and Nonprofit New York, a group of over 40 nonprofit coalition organizations in NYC came together to draft a nonprofit policy platform. The platform aims to cover issues "10,000 feet up" that impact the whole sector and is clear on all the places nonprofits intersect so we can’t be split apart. The sector does amazing and intersecting work, but because there is a lack of understanding between different sub-sectors we see decision-makers try to splinter us. This platform aims to get ahead of that and create a unified front. Please complete this survey to provide feedback on our draft platform by Friday, Feb. 5th.
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Take Action!
Sign onto the A Place at the Table campaign to let the City know you support nonprofit advocacy! Int. 2148 would raise the City's "lobbying threshold” to $10,000. Nonprofits often represent the needs of our communities, but fewer than 3% engage in legislative advocacy. The campaign seeks to reduce barriers for nonprofits to engage in legislative advocacy.
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Upcoming Nonprofit New York Policy Events
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Race equity and nonprofit relief: reflections for practice and policy from FMA’s PPP initiative for BIPOC organizations and leaders
February 16, 10 am - 11:30 am
How did the first come first serve model of the PPP program impact BIPOC leaders and nonprofits? What overlapping pressures created structural barriers for CFOs and leaders of color? How can we center race equity in continued policy advocacy for nonprofit economic relief? Join FMA and Nonprofit New York for a public policy forum on the PPP program and reflections from FMA’s PPP Forgiveness Racial Equity Initiative. The forum will provide an overview of the PPP program, FMA’s racial equity initiative, reflections and lessons learned, and a discussion on how we can use FMA’s initiative as a case study to inform continued public policy and philanthropic advocacy for the nonprofit sector. Learn more and register.
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Nonprofits in a Post Pandemic World: Advancing Racial Equity During Mergers and Organizational Evolution
February 23, 10 am - 11:30 am
Join the Office of the Attorney General and Nonprofit New York for a conversation with nonprofit leaders as we discuss mergers, related challenges, and best practices. The conversation will include guidance, merger transaction nuts and bolts, and Q & A. Our dialogue will use a racial equity lens, and strategies will be shared for those beginning or seeking to deepen their race equity work. The forum will feature Attorney General James, Jeremy Kohomban of Children’s Village, Karen Dixon of Harlem Dowling, and Jessica Cavagnero of SeaChange Capital Partners. Email us your questions for the panel. Learn more and register.
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Be Part of Our Relentless, Collective Force for Good.
Real change is possible when we work together. Join us or renew your membership to access our trainings on topics that matter to you and tons of resources to reach your nonprofit’s full potential, network with like-minded nonprofit leaders, and be part of our community of extraordinary nonprofits.
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