Nonprofit Relief & Recovery Resources

Many organizations around the state support relief and recovery to North Carolinians when natural disasters occur. The Center is here to support your organizations with the information and resources below to use and share with your communities. If you know of a local organization or resource to add, please let us know. We'll continue to update this information.

First Steps	Financial Resources	Recovery Loans & Funds
Human Resources	Resource Organizations	Guides, Articles, Toolkits

First Steps

Important first steps if your nonprofit organization is in a federally declared disaster area.

Contact your insurance company to file a claim. If you lease your space, verify that the owner has contacted his/her insurance company. Recommendations from insurance companies:

Take inventory and photos of damage. Make temporary repairs to protect your property from further damage. Save all your receipts and do not throw away damaged property.
If you need to relocate, keep your receipts for all related expenses.
Be careful of fraudulent contractors. Check credentials and/or check with your insurance company.

Begin the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) application process. Relevant deadlines and steps to walk you through the process are posted.

There may be a temporary mobile FEMA/SBA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in your area. Find locations listed on this SBA webpage in the Documents section under Locations to Receive Assistance; also check local news sources for location updates.

Register and complete an application with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), who administers low-interest disaster loans for organizations. The account must be registered to an individual to verify identity; the account allows you to file applications online on behalf of your organization.
Filing requirements include:
- A complete copy of the organization’s most recent tax return OR a copy of the organization’s IRS tax-exempt
  certification and complete copies of the organization’s three most recent years’ “Statement of Activities”
- Schedule of Liabilities listing all fixed debts (SBA Form 2202 may be used)
- Request for Transcript of Tax Returns (IRS Form 4506-C), completed and signed by each applicant and for any
  affiliated entity. Affiliates include, but are not limited to, business parents, subsidiaries, and/or other businesses
  with common ownership or management
- Additional nonprofit requirements may include:
  - Articles of Incorporation (if incorporated)
  - By-laws
  - Charter (if applicable)
  - Board of Directors Resolution giving approval to apply to the SBA for disaster loan (may be provided after offer of a loan)
  - Complete copies of the organization's most recent tax returns OR a copy of the organization's IRS tax-exempt certification and complete copies of the three most recent years operating results
  - Current balance sheet and operating statement dated within 90 days of application
  - Names and addresses of all officers, trustees, and directors
  - Organization affiliation (if any)
  - Name, address, and phone numbers of all insurance companies providing coverage at the date of the disaster; all policy numbers, copies of policy coverage pages, and recovery settlements to date (if any)
  - Specifics of all disaster-related grants and/or funds received from FEMA
Once filed, the SBA will follow up on your application to request additional information and/or identify disaster loan options

Contacts

FEMA: 800-621-3362

U.S. Small Business Administration: 800-659-2955 or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov

Financial Resources

Internal Revenue Service

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers tax relief for organizations recovering from disaster situations.

Helpful Guides:

Preparing for a Disaster (Taxpayers and Businesses)

Business Casualty, Disaster, and Theft Loss Workbook

Reconstructing Records After a Natural Disaster

Contact: 877-829-5500

Human Resources

Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Offered through the NC Division of Employment Security, workers who are or may become unemployed due to a declared disaster may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). If approved, you can collect DUA for up to six months following the date of the disaster.

Create an account on the DES website and apply for regular unemployment insurance within 60 days of the disaster declaration.
If your application is declined, contact DUA to request assistance.

Contacts

NC Division of Employment Security: 888-737-0259

Disaster Unemployment Assistance: 919-629-3857 (English), 919-276-5698 (Spanish), des.dua@nccommerce.com

Coping with Emotional Crisis

Following a crisis or disaster, nonprofit staff members can experience unprecedented levels of fear and concern, especially if the organization's viability is seriously threatened. Here are suggestions on how to cope with these emotions and situations, including how they may manifest, how to identify them, and how to restore normalcy. (Nonprofit Risk Management Center)

Paying Employees During Emergencies & Natural Disasters

These articles offer an outline of the federal laws and regulations employers need to pay attention to when deciding how and when to pay employees during an emergency or natural disaster:

When Disaster Strikes: Pay, Leave, and Related Issues, Society for Human Resources Management
How to Address Employee Pay and Related Issues When Faced with Natural Disasters, Labor & Employment Law Blog
A Short Refresher On Discrete Legal Issues During Natural Disasters, Ward and Smith, P.A.

Recovery Loans & Funds

Business Recovery Counseling

The NC Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) offers free counseling and assistance to:

Assess the financial impact on your organization
Develop strategies for your recovery
Reconstruct financial statements
Evaluate options with creditors
Prepare SBA disaster loan applications

Contact: 800-258-0862 or find your regional center

Disaster Legal Services Hotline

The Disaster Legal Services Hotline is a pro bono legal project of the NC Bar Association, Legal Aid of NC, American Bar Association, and Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide disaster legal services for NC counties approved by FEMA to receive federal assistance. The NCBA Young Lawyers Division coordinates the North Carolina Disaster Legal Services effort. Disaster victims, including nonprofits, who have disaster-related legal questions or concerns may call.

Contact: TBD

Carolina Small Business Development Loans

The Carolina Small Business Development Loans assist small business owners in preparing for disasters and recovering - immediate and long-term - if disaster occurs. They offer low-interest loans as a complement to Small Business Administration and other disaster recovery programs.

Helpful Guide:

Small Business Disaster Recovery & Resiliency Kit

Contact: contact form or 919-803-1437

Disaster Recovery Grant Program

The Golden LEAF Foundation administers the Disaster Recovery Grant Program, offering grants to nonprofits to repair or replace infrastructure and equipment damaged or destroyed by Hurricanes Matthew, Florence, Michael, and Dorian. Infrastructure includes nonresidential buildings that serve the public, water, sewer, stormwater, and other publicly owned assets. This program is intended to address unmet needs following insurance and available federal assistance including FEMA Public Assistance and/or an SBA loan.

Contact: 888-684-8404

NC Rural Center

A subsidiary of the NC Rural Center, Thread Capital offers the Resilient Recovery Loan program for small organizations, providing low-interest loans up to $250,000 to meet the extended challenges faced during an organization's disaster recovery, including repairing physical damage and recouping from more significant economic losses. Eligible organizations must:

Be a North Carolina small business affected by a declared disaster
Have at least one employee
Have any individual with greater than 20% ownership in the organization co-sign the loan
Submit documentation verifying physical and/or economic injury to their business.

Apply online.

Contact: 919-212-4950

U.S. Small Business Administration

The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides low-interest disaster loans up to $2 million that cover physical damage and economic injury for organizations of all sizes. (If you've registered with FEMA as noted in #2 above, you've already completed the SBA loan application.) Create an account and apply online.

Contact: 800-659-2955 or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov