Maureen,

My name is Evan Smith and I work in the office of Congressman Derek Kilmer. Thank you for reaching out about federal relief for non-profits in our district. What follows is a summary of the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program which private non-profits are eligible for. Please share this information to your network if appropriate:

As you may be aware, Congress authorized disaster loan assistance for small businesses through the first coronavirus response package. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) provides low-interest, long-term disaster loans to small businesses, private non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters to repair or replace uninsured/underinsured disaster damaged property and help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.

SBA disaster loans, known as Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), offer an affordable way for individuals and businesses to recover from declared disasters. The SBA has worked with Governor Inslee to provide targeted, low interest loans to small businesses and private nonprofit organizations that have been severely impacted by the coronavirus (COVID 19) outbreak. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. Disaster loans can provide vital economic assistance to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.

In the initial stages, Washington state received approval, but it wasn’t state-wide. However, it is important to know that SBA is working directly with the Governor’s offices to allow all counties to be approved. SBA is encouraging small businesses in need of assistance to apply for assistance regardless of the county they are in. All counties in Washington’s sixth congressional district are eligible for SBA’s EIDL assistance.

Small businesses should click here to apply for EIDL online at the SBA’s secure website. As a small business, small agricultural cooperative, small business engaged in aquaculture, or private non-profit organization, you may borrow up to $2 million for economic injury. As a homeowner you may borrow up to $200,000 to repair/replace your disaster damaged primary residence. As a homeowner or renter, you may borrow up to $40,000 to repair/replace damaged personal property.

Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance.  Individuals who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing may call (800) 877-8339.  

Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The deadline to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan is Dec. 16, 2020.

For more information about Coronavirus, please visit: Coronavirus.gov. For more information about available SBA resources and services, please visit: SBA.gov/coronavirus. SBA has also coordinated with resource partners like Small Business Development Centers who can assist you with the application process. Please click here to access the list of SBDCs near you. 

For more resources other than SBA, please visit this Washington State repository of resources for businesses and workers.

If you need any additional assistance with economic disaster recovery, as an individual or as a business, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

All the best,

EVAN SMITH |District Representative – Economic Development & Special Projects

Office of Representative Derek Kilmer

Pronouns: He/Him

950 Pacific Avenue, Suite 1230 | Tacoma, WA 98402 | 253-272-3515

Kilmer.house.gov | Twitter: @repderekkilmer | Facebook: @Derek.Kilmer