MCN’s public policy and Minnesota Budget Project teams are monitoring policy responses to this public health situation and its related economic disruption, and advocating for policy responses that support the health and economic security needs of Minnesota nonprofits and their employees, residents, and communities.
Latest updates:
May 11, 2020
The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the Minnesota Budget Project coordinated an organizational sign-on letter to Minnesota's congressional delegation. The letter urges them to take urgent action to provide additional funding to states to meet Minnesotans’ health, safety, and financial needs through additional flexible aid to states and an increased Medicaid matching rate (FMAP). You can read the letter and see the 250+ organizations who signed on here.
April 29, 2020
The federal CARES Act includes a reimbursement for self-insured nonprofits for half (50 percent) of the costs of the benefits provided to their laid off or furloughed employees, and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) has been very actively advocating that Congress increase that reimbursement to 100 percent of costs. Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance (UIPL 18-20) on April 27 on how states can implement this section of the CARES Act, and the guidance is the opposite of what nonprofits need. Read more here.
April 14, 2020:
MCN sent two letters to Minnesota’s Congressional delegation. The first letter outlines priorities for the fourth stimulus bill Congress is preparing, and the second letter focuses on one of those issues, relief for reimbursing employers, with more than 100 signatories. The public policy team is working with each office to ensure they understand the needs and concerns of nonprofits right now.
April 7, 2020:
On April 7, 2020 MCN sent this letter urging 100 percent Unemployment Compensation coverage for reimbursing nonprofit employers to the office of the Governor and Lt. Governor, as well as legislative leadership and appropriate committee leadership, and their staff, with 105 signatories, describing the economic effects of COVID-19 on their organizations.
March 26, 2020:
How the COVID-19 economic stimulus bill would affect nonprofits: Congressional and Administration negotiators reached agreement on the Phase 3 COVID-19 economic stimulus bill — the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — early on March 25. We expect the legislation to be signed by the President on Friday, March 27 or very soon thereafter. Overall this is a $2 trillion package.
March 25, 2020:
Unemployment insurance information and updates: Nonprofit members have reached out to the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) regarding unemployment insurance (UI) for nonprofit employers and unemployment compensation benefits (UC) for nonprofit employees. The information, current as of March 25, 2020, is about what is happening in regards to UI at both the state and federal levels so you can understand what benefits and resources your organization may have available at this time. Read the full update here.
We will continue to update this section in the coming days with up-to-date information and calls to actions. Thank you for your patience.