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Government Resources for Camps

Please note that the response to the coronavirus by both the U.S. and Canadian governments is evolving and is expected to continue to change. The details below are based on what is known as of November 18, 2021. We will do our best to keep the information  here as up to date as possible for you. An additional resource you may want to consider sigining up for is the JFNA SBA Loan Process email alerts.

Key Resources

November 18, 2021 Update

June 11, 2021 Update

  • Drop-in Q&A to Maximize ERC, PPP, and Fundraising June 11, 2021. Guest panelists answered questions about how US-based camps can maximize COVID relief (PPP and ERC) and fundraising. Webinar Recording and Related Resources

January 14, 2021 Update

  • PPP Update Webinar January 14, 2021. Guest presenters Steven Woolf from the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and Andrew Gurwitz Ziv from Eden Village Camp shared what you need to know - and what you need to do - to secure every dollar your camp is eligible for under the latest relief bill in this JCamp 180 Webinar. Webinar Recording and Related Resources

December 22, 2020 Update

  • PPP Updates. Last night Congress passed a new $900 billon Covid stimulus bill which is expected to be quickly signed into law by the President. This bill will include a second round of PPP loans that US camps can access.  Some quick highlights: a simplified application and forgiveness process and increased loan maximums. Find more details about this pending bill on this blog post.

October 30, 2020 Update

October 22, 2020 Update

  • SBA Updates. The SBA has further relaxed requirements for forgiving PPP loans under $50,000. Reductions in FTEs or salaries during the loan period no longer reduce your forgivable amount. Borrowers still have 10 months from the end of the loan period (which had already been extended to up to 24 weeks) to apply for forgiveness. Further relaxing of requirements, including the possibility of automatic forgiveness, is still a possibility. A second round of PPP loans now seems unlikely, at least until after the presidential election. (Source: JFNA)

July 30, 2020 Update

  • Pending US Legislation. Both the US House and Senate have now passed their own supplemental large COVID-19 relief legislation packages. We don't know what the final law will include, but many features are expected to benefit camps. We've documented our best guess at what will be included here. Update: this legislation has not passed as of October 2020.

June 12, 2020 Update

  • Implications of latest PPP revisions. KLR hosted a webinar to explain the practical implications of the latest revisions to the SBA PPP. (Source: KLR webinar​)
  • Webinar highlights include:
    • Extension of  the loan period from 8 to 24 weeks means most borrowers will have no trouble spending the money - it just needs to be spent according to the rules.
    • The Safe Harbor provision allows employers to bypass the complex calculation of average monthly salaries, wages, and FTEs if on December 31, 2020 (one single day), these three numbers are higher than they were before the pandemic.
    • If camps use the Safe Harbor provision, theymay not be notified about their forgiveness amount until March, 2021. 
    • If a camp's FTE number is low, there are many exceptions that can be used to raise it.
    • Two-factor forgiveness test (combining payroll costs and FTEs) is explained in detail in the webinar.

June 5, 2020 Update

  • PPP Flexibility Act signed into law. The President signed the PPP Flexibility Act into law (see recent updates or attached article for more details). (Source: Forbes)

June 4, 2020 Update

  • PPP Flexibility Act passes in the Senate, too. The new bill was passed without amendments and now goes to the President to be signed. (Source: Bloomberg)

May 31, 2020 Update

  • PPP Flexibility Act passes in the House. As predicted, PPP revisions favorable to borrowers are coming. The PPP Flexibility Act passed almost unanimously in the House on Friday; it must still pass the Senate and be signed by the President. Some important elements of the Act as currently written include: extending the June 30 deadline for spending down the loan and applying for forgiveness based on those expenses for an additional 16 weeks (total of 24 weeks); lowering the amount that must be spent on payroll from 75% to 60%; and providing additional flexibility if reopening (and therefore rehiring to pre-pandemic levels) is not fully possible. (Source: Washington Post)

May 22, 2020 Update

May 19, 2020 Update

May 14, 2020 Update

  • SBA Loan Update. You’ve probably heard about businesses returning their SBA loans amid confusion about eligibility. Today the SBA released new guidance, stating that organizations that receive loans less than $2 million will not be audited, and their certification on their initial application that the loan is “necessary to support ongoing operations” is sufficient. (Source: CNBC)

May 8, 2020 Update

May 1, 2020 Update

  • Camps are Tapping into the Funding. Thank you to all of the US camps who found the time during this difficult period to respond to JCamp 180 and the Foundation for Jewish Camp. As of April 30, 86% of eligible camps affiliated with JCamp 180 that applied have been approved. (Source: JCamp 180 blog post, based on self-reported data)

April 27, 2020 Update

  • PPP Funds Expanded. The expected legislation providing an additional $310 billion in funding for PPP was signed on Friday and applications that had been on hold will begin being approved by SBA this morning (Monday). The Treasury Department also released guidelines that advised large publicly traded businesses against applying for emergency coronavirus relief loans, hopefully leaving more funds for smaller business and nonprofits who truly need them. (Source: Chicago Sun Times)

April 22, 2020 Update

  • Details About Proposed Additional Funding. To find out what the new Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (CARES 3.5) that was passed by the Senate (but still needs to pass the House and get signed by the President) includes, review this helpful summary from JFNA.

April 21, 2020 Update

  • New Funding Coming Soon? It is believed that Congress and the White House have agreed on new appropriations for SBA loans. They still have to pass both houses of Congress and be signed by the White House – it’s hoped they could be passed as soon as the end of this week. This new funding package includes an additional $329 billion for the PP and $60 billion for the EIDL. (Source: The Hill)
  • Stay in Line. According to the latest JFNA webinar, loan applications that have stalled due to exhausted funds could be approved as soon as Friday with this new influx of funding. JFNA advises NOT switching banks if your application is “pending,” but to consider switching if your application is “in process.” (Source: JFNA webinar 4/21)

April 16, 2020 Update

  • PPP Update: The initial $350 billion for PPP appears to be fully committed, though many or most approved applicants have not yet received their funds. Approval of an additional $250 billion for PPP continues to be held up in Congress over partisan differences about how to allocate resources. (Source: CNN)

April 14, 2020 Update

  • From Yesterday's JFNA Webinar:  $1 billion (of the $350 billion PPP funds) has been distributed so far. And an additional $250 billion for PPP is hoped to be approved by “end of the week.”  (Source: April 13 JFNA Webinar)
    • Approved PPP funds should arrive in borrowers' accounts within ten days (or as soon as 2 business days).
    • If an organization's application is still in process but not entered into the federal “e-trans” system, it can still be adjusted or moved to another bank. One potential change camps may want to consider: include seasonal/summer staff in the calculation of average monthly payroll (if not included initially).
    • There is another program being considered: “Main Street Business Loan Program,” which would potentially offer non-forgivable loans ranging from $1-$25 million to for-profits and nonprofits with 500-10,000 employees. The terms are likely to be 4 years at 2% interest if approved as currently constructed.

April 13, 2020 Update

  • What's New? JFNA is leading a webinar TODAY about the current state of PPP, including updates on Small Business Administration guidelines related to independent contractors and more. 

April 10, 2020 Update

  • EIDL Update: Vague and inconsistent information is emerging from regional SBA offices that due to high demand, EIDL loans may be capped at $10,000 or $15,000, largely limited to the grant portion and essentially eliminating the non-forgivable loan portion of up to $2 million. (Source: NY Times)
  • PPP Update: The additional $250 billion for the PPP advocated by the White House is, according to the NY Times, being held up in Congress while they debate the most urgent needs for the next round of relief funding. (Source: NY Times)

April 9, 2020 Update

  • Canada’s Summer Jobs Program has been temporarily augmented. If camp in some form is possible this summer, this initiative should help camps offset any loss of overseas staff, and help cut costs. Wage subsidies rise to 100% and “summer” is extended (May 11, 2020 to Feb 28, 2021). Youth 15-30 years old can search for jobs online. (Source: Canandian Prime Minister's website)

April 8, 2020 Update

  • More relief may be coming. Nothing has been finalized, but an additional allocation of up to $250 billion to the PPP is being discussed in Congress and at the Treasury Department. Check back here soon - if any official announcement is forthcoming, potentially as soon as the end of the week, it will be posted here.

April 7, 2020 Update

  • Camp Applications are being approved. We are now aware of several camps whose SBA loan applications have been approved, and they have received SBA loan numbers. These camps are awaiting instructions for how to access the funds, or for their funds to be available in an account.
  • Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Update. There has been conflicting guidance from SBA regarding the Economic Injury Disaster Loan. Having previously been told EIDL and PPP are mutually exclusive, it now seems they can coexist with conditions. In short, the PPP loan forgiveness calculation on June 30th must exclude all expenditures of EIDL funds that would normally qualify for PPP loan forgiveness. This applies to both the Emergency Advance portion (up to $10K, paid within three days, and does not have to be repaid) as well as the remainder of the requested loan (which must be repaid at 2.75% interest rate for up to 30 years). EIDL applications are submitted directly through the SBA web site (no bank), and compared to the PPP, the application is a little more strenuous. (Source: SBA)
  • Canadian Relief Update. The significant element of Canada’s relief for employers is the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, which provides 75% subsidy for wages for the 12-week period starting retroactively on March 15, 2020 and ending June 6, 2020 for businesses that can show a 30% decline in revenue. To apply, you will use the Canada Revenue Agency’s "My Business Account” portal. However, the application system is still under development and applications may not be accepted for up to six weeks. There is also a possibility that the 30% revenue decline test may be dropped. (Sources: Canada.ca & Financial Post)

April 6, 2020 Update

  • Stay on top of your application. At least one camp has been told by their bank that their SBA loan application was already approved. Our understanding is that SBA loan funds normally reach borrowers’ accounts in about five days, but could be as soon as 1-2 days during this crisis. 

April 5, 2020 Update

April 3, 2020 Update

  • Please act fast. “Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that community banks had processed 700 loans for $2.5 million before 9 a.m. An hour later, he said the total was up to $4 million, a sign of the surging demand. Larger banks are expected to go live later in the morning, Mr. Mnuchin added.” (Source: NY Times)
  • But there may be more. There is optimism that the allocation will increase when this first SBA fund is depleted (Source: NPR)
  • Apply for the max. There has been some question about whether to apply as seasonal or year-round - most experts agree that camps should apply whichever way yields the highest total amount. Year-round will include the summer/seasonal payroll in your calculation, so it will in most cases yield a higher loan request. 
  • Are you a priority for your bank? Many banks appear to be prioritizing existing customers. Larger customers may also get priority. You can find a different bank if you don’t think your bank is able to quickly process your application.
  • And don’t forget state resources! This page on taxfoundation.org is updating state government resources.

April 2, 2020 Update

  • What you need to know right now: Applications for the Paycheck Protection Program open on April 3, 2020 and is first-come, first-served. Prepare NOW to apply ASAP 

Other Resources


The information provided here does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or financial advice. All information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only.
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