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ARPA Information for Nonprofits
To distribute certain ARPA funds into our community, Clackamas County is teaming up with local nonprofits and Community Based Organizations (CBOs). Organization officials can review relevant information below.
Update: Mercy Corps-specific applications for Capacity Building Recovery Assistance (7/11/23)
In April 2023, Clackamas County announced open applications to improve the capacity and resiliency of community based organizations (CBOs) coping with the negative economic impacts of COVID-19.
There is now an eligibility requirement update for nonprofits/CBOs applying for ARPA funds through Mercy Corps:
- Must have a physical location in Clackamas County
- Must conduct at least 25% of its overall operations within Clackamas County
- Must be registered with the Oregon Department of Justice as a non-profit within Clackamas County
- Must be registered as a non-profit with the State of Oregon and be active by time of application submission
- Must be registered with federal 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) status and established prior to January 1, 2022
- Must be an organization with 150 or fewer employees.
- Must have an annual operating budget of less than $20 million
- Have the ability to provide financial documentation and additional supporting documentation to demonstrate the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Provide operational status of organization.
- Authority to sign an attestation on behalf of the applying nonprofit.
The following are examples of non-eligible organizations to apply through Mercy Corps:
- Passive real estate holding companies and others holding passive investments
- Nonprofit entities that do not have federal 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) status
- Nonprofit entities that are delinquent on federal, state or local taxes that were due before April 1, 2020
- Nonprofit entities not in compliance with all federal, state and local laws and regulations
- Nonprofit entities without at least 25% of overall operations in Clackamas County
- Nonprofit entities without a physical location in Clackamas County
- Nonprofit entities not registered to do business in Oregon (Secretary of State Business Registry verification)
- For profit businesses
- Organizations that have already been selected by Mercy Corps Northwest, Clackamas Workforce Partnership, or Clackamas Women’s Services to receive funds or capacity building technical assistance in this Clackamas County CBRA Program
Application Timeline & Information
Applications for the second round of Mercy Corps Northwest’s Clackamas County CBRA program are now open, and will close at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on July 31, 2023. Applicants must be able to provide evidence of negative financial impact due to COVID-19 in at least one of the five following categories:
- Decreased unrestricted revenue (e.g., from donations and fees)
- Financial insecurity
- Increased costs (e.g., uncompensated increases in service need)
- Capacity to weather hardship
- Challenges covering payroll, rent or mortgage, and other operating costs
Cash assistance amounts will be equal to what applicants claim as negative financial impact due to COVID-19. Given the limited number of resources, Mercy Corps Northwest will only be able to fund one request per organization. Please view Mercy Corps’ website/contact for additional information on their specific process:
All questions can be directed to Jennifer Hardnett at Clackamas County.
Update: Capacity Building Recovery Assistance for Nonprofits/Community Based Organizations (4/10/23)
Clackamas County is pleased to announce that applications will be opening for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding allocated by the Board of County Commissioners to improve the capacity and resiliency of community based organizations (CBOs) who are still coping with the negative economic impacts of COVID-19. Three well-equipped nonprofits have been approved as subrecipients, which will all implement programs providing services to beneficiaries, and distributing funds, on the county’s behalf.
These limited dollars will begin to be distributed in the following two ways under ARPA’s guidance:
- Provide assistance payments to the nonprofits/CBOs that have been negatively affected by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Provide capacity-building technical assistance for the nonprofits/CBOs’ resiliency.
To be an eligible applicant for these ARPA funds, below are the minimum requirements set:
- Must be a nonprofit entity with a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) IRS designation
- Must have proof of substantial operation within Clackamas County and a physical location within Clackamas County
- Have 150 or fewer employees.
- Operating budget of less than $20,000,000.
- Be determined by the federal government to be negatively economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (see U.S. Treasury’s SLFRF Final Rule)
- Impact may also be determined by:
- Presumptively Eligible: Nonprofits with primary operations located in a Qualified Census Tract (See Subrecipient website for additional information)
- Presumptively Eligible: Nonprofits operated by Tribal governments or on Tribal lands
- Have the ability to provide financial documentation and additional supporting documentation to demonstrate the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Provide operational status of organization.
- Authority to sign an attestation on behalf of the applying nonprofit.
Eligible beneficiaries of this Capacity Building Recovery Assistance program will be determined by the individual subrecipient. Please view their websites/contact them for additional information on their specific process:
All questions can be directed to Jennifer Hardnett at Clackamas County.
Capacity Building Recovery Assistance
Clackamas County has selected three capable subrecipients to carry out distributing ARPA funds that have been allocated for capacity building recovery assistance. The subrecipients will move forward with additional outreach to nonprofits/Community Based Organizations (CBOs) throughout the county that may have been impacted by COVID-19.
These funds are in high demand and limited, which means the application process to determine eligibility will prioritize nonprofits with documentation demonstrating the greatest need. Nonprofits/CBOs will apply to the individual subrecipient in order to be determined as a qualified beneficiary for receipt of ARPA funds. In addition to funds being disbursed to qualified beneficiaries, subrecipients will offer technical assistance/capacity building in support of continuing resiliency for the COVID-19 impacted beneficiary organizations.
ClackCo’s Equity and Inclusion Office appreciates the work that the selected subrecipients have agreed to in order to serve nonprofits/CBOs. If your organization has questions or needs clarification before applications are posted, please email Jennifer Hardnett.
Previous Webinars
During 2022, #ClackCo hosted three webinars for community based organizations (CBOs) and nonprofits, in order to help facilitate the grant process for them to apply for ARPA funds. Thus far, a total of $6 million in nonprofit support has been approved by #ClackCo Commissioners. These webinars covered a general orientation of ARPA-funded grant opportunities and details about the next steps of the process. Webinars are available below.
Questions about these webinars and related inquires can be directed to ARPA Community-Based Organization Liaison Jennifer Hardnett at jhardnett@clackamas.us.
