Disaster Assistance is Available to Non-Profits from Many Sources
Release Date: July 23, 2008
Release Number: 1763-110
» More Information on Iowa Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Private non-profit organizations may be eligible for disaster assistance from several sources.
- Non-profits that provide community services may be eligible for grants to restore their facilities and equipment. To be eligible, they must be open to the public, and provide services such as: education; custodial and day care (including before/after-school and special-needs centers); residential facilities for the battered and disabled; assisted living and defined low-income housing; alcohol and drug treatment and rehabilitation; performing and community arts centers; food programs; homeless shelters; libraries, zoos and museums; senior citizen and community centers, and animal control facilities related to public health and safety when under contract with state or local government.
Applicants can begin the application process by completing the one-page Request for Public Assistance (RPA) form, available on the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD) website at http://www.iowahomelandsecurity.org/Disasters/DisasterForms/tabid/133/Default.aspx.
Once complete, applicants should submit their request then send their RPA form to: Public Assistance Officer, 7105 NW 70th Ave., Camp Dodge Bldg W-4, Johnston, Iowa 50131. After the form is reviewed, applicants will be contacted regarding eligibility for the grant program. The grants are funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and HSEMD.
Buildings that are historically significant may be eligible for some additional assistance from FEMA.
- A second resource may be low-interest loans of up to $2 million available through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The loans can cover food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges, as well as items that federal grants cannot cover, such as worship sanctuaries. To get these low-interest loans, nonprofits need to register with FEMA just as individual applicants do, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 800-462-7585 for the speech- and hearing-impaired, between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. Applicants can register online any time at www.fema.gov.
After applying, they will receive an SBA loan application, which needs to be filled out and returned by September 29.
This information will be used to submit a Request for Public Assistance which FEMA uses to determine if the Private Non-Profit (PNP) provides an essential governmental service and meets the definition of a "critical facility."
Based upon that determination, FEMA will either refer the PNP to SBA for disaster loan assistance or possibly provide a PA reimbursement grant for eligible costs.
- Non-profits may also be able to access product donations, cash and volunteer resources through AidMatrix Iowa or the state's www.flood2008.iowa.gov portals.
Through the Aidmatrix Iowa portal, individuals and businesses can make cash or in-kind donations or sign up to volunteer. The Aidmatrix Network® is a national disaster relief coordination system sponsored by FEMA, UPS, Accenture and Aidmatrix Foundation, Inc. to manage donations and volunteers. It connects state and local governments with donors, state voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOADs), national VOAD, and FEMA through web-based tools that reduce paperwork and allow for easy information sharing.
The state of Iowa launched www.flood2008.iowa.gov as their central website for information on relief efforts. Donors can make offers of goods, services, money or their own time using this site. Behind the scenes, it links to the Iowa portal on the Aidmatrix Network®.
The donation information collected on the site is managed by the state for use by members of the Iowa Disaster Human Resource Council, Iowa's VOAD group.
Local and national non-profits that are members of the Iowa Disaster Human Resource Council have user IDs and passwords to access the sites. Non-profits that are not members need to email a request to iowadonations@iowa.gov.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 23-Jul-2008 12:52:45