The federal government operates on an October 1 fiscal year and has not yet finalized an FY22 budget. A Continuing Resolution (CR), which keeps the government open and operating at the previous year’s funding levels is set to expire on February 18. Congress is working to extend the CR to March 11, which provides arts advocates an important opportunity to contact your elected officials regarding several key requests:
Increase Funding to the NEA!
You’ll recall that the President proposed and the House passed legislation funding the agency at $201 million for FY2022, an increase of $33.5 million over its current level. But the Senate has not passed an Interior bill which would fund the NEA.
At the end of January, the NEA announced direct grants to organizations through its American Rescue Plan funding. We know that demand far exceeded available funding and the agency was only able to fund 7% of applications. ARP grants included 27 percent first-time NEA grantees and 78 percent small or medium sized organizations with budgets of less than $2 million.
More NEA funding – annual appropriations as well as relief funding – is desperately needed. Please urge your elected officials to increase NEA funding.
Urge Passage of the Save Our Stages Extension Act!
On September 29, 2021, Representative Rodney Davis (R-13-IL) and Representative Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Save our Stages (SOS) Extension Act, H.R. 5429 which would extend the timeline for using SVOG funds from the end of 2021 to spring of 2023. Please use this campaign to contact your elected officials and urge them to pass the Save Our Stages Extension Act.
Share Your "SVOG Success Story"!
The SBA is looking to tell the stories of the businesses it has helped and wants you to share your story. By sharing our stories, we can increase awareness of the impact of the pandemic on the performing arts field and how critical federal support is to our survival. If you would like to share your story, please send an email with your name, title, theatre, location, and a short description (one or two sentences) of your story with the subject line "SVOG Success Story" to Laurie Baskin, TCG Director of Advocacy, at lbaskin@tcg.org, so that we can put the SBA communications team in touch with you.
SVOG Program Updates:
- The program has administered more than $14B in funds and will soon move to the "active grant management" phase.
- Reconsideration 2.0: The SBA reports that there are a couple hundred requests left and a few more invitations going out.
- Finalized Budget Action Items:The SBA is expected to begin roll out of this critical close-out step soon but is awaiting final sign-off on its customer support resources.
- FAQs, Video Tutorials, and Office Hours: The SBA is completing a new 30-page set of post-award FAQs, as well as other high-level customer support tools.
Here is the latest SVOG report and program data.
Speak Up to Reinstate the Employee Retention Tax Credit!
While access to the Employee Retention Tax Credit for the 4th quarter of 2021 has been revoked, conversations about retroactively reinstating this important form of COVID-19 relief are active in Congress. TCG endorsed a bipartisan House bill, HR 6161, that would reinstate the ERTC. On February 10, 2022, a companion bill was introduced in the Senate to reinstate the ERTC, which TCG has also endorsed. Please contact your members of Congress to explain that ongoing federal COVID-19 relief is needed, and specifically describe how the ERTC supports your theatre’s workforce and mission.
FEMA Assistance for COVID-19 Safe Opening and Operation Work
The Federal Emergency Management Administration is offering financial support to qualifying organizations, including performing arts organizations, to support costs associated with the safe opening and operations of facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. These resources, outlined in the policy document Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Safe Opening and Operation Work Eligible for Public Assistance, are administered by state and regional FEMA offices, are available to entities that meet the general requirements to qualify for FEMA public assistance, and may help support the costs of masks, testing, and other costs for those organizations that own their facilities, or are legally responsible for their facilities.
In 2008, the performing arts community successfully secured FEMA eligibility for performing arts organizations under the agency’s definition of a “public nonprofit (PNP),” which has enabled certain nonprofit organizations to receive FEMA support following a natural disaster. The general eligibility requirements for FEMA support also apply to this COVID-19 relief opportunity and general PNP eligibility is outlined in FEMA's Fact Sheet and in the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide Version 3.1.
FEMA COVID-19 Safe Opening support is administered through state disaster relief offices, so the experience of applicants may vary. Organizations seeking to learn more about eligibility and registering to apply can start by contacting your state’s emergency management agency.