Slotkin Holds Needs Assessment Call with 8th District Nonprofit Groups

HOLLY, Mich. – U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) today held a needs assessment call with more than 80 representatives of nonprofit institutions across the 8th District, in response to inquiries from non-profits seeking more information about resources available to their organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Slotkin briefed the group on how recently enacted COVID-19 relief legislation affects their organizations and how they can access resources to serve their communities and their employees.

Slotkin was joined by Amanda Bright McClanahan, Chief Operating Officer of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., and Anne Rennie, Executive Director of the Livingston County United Way, for more than an hour of discussion with nonprofit organizations from across the district.

"It's important to hear directly from these organizations about the issues nonprofits are confronting across the 8th District," Slotkin said. "The COVID-19 crisis is especially challenging for nonprofits that are working hard to fulfill their service mission while coping with reduced resources and concern for the health of their employees and volunteers."

Slotkin encouraged nonprofit organizations to take advantage of relief programs that are seen primarily as aimed at small businesses, such as the Small Business Administration's disaster relief loans and Payroll Protection Program loans authorized under the recently passed CARES Act economic recovery package. She also discussed how enhanced unemployment benefits in the CARES Act have made unemployment benefits available to more employees.

Slotkin, McClanahan and Rennie were able to answer questions about programs available to all-volunteer organizations without employees; about serving immuno-compromised constituents who are particularly at risk from COVID-19; and on benefits available to part-time employees who are staying home to practice good social distancing.

The MEDC's McClanahan encouraged nonprofit leaders to visit https://www.michiganbusiness.org/covid19/ for information on state and federal assistance programs that support nonprofits as well as businesses.