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American Rescue Plan Update and COVID-19 Resources
March 19, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

We are marking a full year of The New Normal - the term used to describe the period of profound change caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that probably could have better been called the “Awful Normal” or just plain the “New Awful.” Today, we are looking forward to the future with the hopes that a post-COVID era of cultural and community recovery, reentry and renewal brings us to a new “SuperNormal” – a time that transcends anything that we have endured or recall as normal.
As we vaccinate our way past the New Awful, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs staff continues to be on the lookout for opportunities that may be helpful for cultural organizations and artists. As you might expect, we have been closely following the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a COVID-19 economic stimulus package, commonly known as the “American Rescue Plan” since it was signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021.

Americans for the Arts Webinar: American Rescue Plan (ARP)

Yesterday, our national arts service organization, Americans for the Arts, offered an informative webinar on the American Rescue Plan featuring arts policy expert Nina Ozlu Tunceli, Chief Counsel of Government and Public Affairs for Americans for the Arts. During the webinar, Nina, who also serves as Executive Director of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund, shared a clear overview of the resources available to the arts through the American Rescue Plan and reported on the current status of the programs being developed for the cultural industry. The March 18th Americans for the Arts  ArtsU webinar  PowerPoint is available for download here  and you can view the entire webinar at the Arts Action Fund Facebook page.


Payment Protection Program (PPP) - Updates

• Funding is still available through the PPP.
• The House just passed an application extension of the PPP program which, if passed by the Senate, would extend the PPP application deadline from March 31, 2021 to May 31, 2021. It is anticipated that the Senate will take up the bill this week or early next week. It is important to note that some banks may have earlier “internal” deadlines and applicant organizations may choose to work with a bank that does not have an earlier deadline.
• Eligible organizations that received PPP last year in 2020 are eligible to apply again in 2021.
• Eligible organizations that did not receive PPP last year in 2020 have a chance to apply twice in 2021. Please see the March 18th Americans for the Arts webinar for details.
• Self-employed individuals who file a Schedule C, who were previously excluded from PPP based on the Net Profit-based formula, can now apply using a formula that considers the Total Amount of Gross Income on Schedule C. This rule was modified by President Biden in late February to make the process more equitable for self-employed people using Schedule 2483-C or 2483-SD-C. (Be aware that some lenders do not have the updated forms and you may want to find a bank that is using the Schedule 2483-C or 2483-SD-C Forms.) TECHNICAL ISSUE: Please note that the most recent version of the PPP application for Non-Schedule C fliers, dated March 3rd, includes a now outdated certification that the applicant has not and will not receive a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG). It is anticipated that the Small Business Administration (SBA) will update this glitch on the form.
• Organizations eligible for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant can apply to both the PPP and SVOG, however, they must apply for PPP first. Therefore, eligible organizations may want to apply to PPP as soon as possible.

 

Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG) – What We Know as of Now!

• The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program was established as part of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act (Economic Aid Act) of December 2020. The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law on March 11, 2021 included amendments to SVOG, which is managed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
• $16.25 billion is available for SVOG and the SVOG application portal is expected to open in April.
• The SVOG Program Guidelines are being developed right now for this competitive grants program. Stay tuned for the guidelines! In the meantime, the  Shuttered Venue Operators Grants Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)  are being updated on an ongoing basis so please check the website regularly.
• Who is eligible for SVOG? According to the latest guidance from SBA, “eligible entities may be live venue operators or promoters, theatrical producers, live performing arts organization operators, museum operators, motion picture theatre operators, and talent representatives, per the Economic Aid Act. Additionally, entities of these types owned by state or local governments (for example, museums or historic homes) are eligible to apply if the governmentally-owned entity also acts solely as a venue operator, museum, etc. and not also include other types of entities. For example, a city parks and recreation department that operated a bandstand in a public square along with running various nature parks would not qualify as an eligible entity for an SVOG. Finally, each subsidiary business owned by an eligible entity that also meets the eligibility requirements on its own rights will qualify as an eligible entity.” Please see the March 18th Americans for the Arts ArtsU webinar for in-depth eligibility details.
• Organizations eligible for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant can now apply to both PPP and SVOG, as of March 11th, however, they must apply for PPP first. Therefore, you may want to apply to PPP as soon as possible. The SBA has issued rules that state that organizations cannot receive PPP after receiving a SVOG. Please note that the SVOG grant, if awarded, will be reduced by the amount of the PPP loan.
• American for the Arts has just posted a  comprehensive legal analysis on Shuttered Venues,  available on the Arts Action Fund website.
• Be ready to apply to SVOG! You will need a DUNS number and a SAM account. The SVOG program requires all eligible applicants to have a Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number and a System for Awards Management (SAM) federal grants account. These accounts take time to set up so we urge you to start today.


Nina’s Office Hours – Americans for the Arts Action Fund 

Nina is offering virtual office hours on Fridays at 11 AM for artists and arts administrators seeking more information about federal COVID-19 relief programs.  Click here to learn how to connect with Nina.  We encourage you to take advantage of this incredible opportunity to get your questions answered by a national expert.

It is free to join the Arts Action Fund and you can  sign up to get direct communications  and important updates.

 

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) - What we know today!

• The NEA received $135 million in appropriations through the Americans Rescue Plan.
• 40% will go to state arts agencies (for us, the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs) and Regional Arts Organizations (for us, South Arts) for regranting. The NEA is hoping to disseminate these funds to be regranted to nonprofit cultural organizations to the state agencies and Regional Arts Organizations by the end of April 2021.
• 60% will be distributed as grants to nonprofit arts organizations and the NEA is hoping to post more information on the grant application process and guidelines by mid to late April 2021.
• The ARP NEA funds will be granted as general operating support grants – not project-based grants.
• These will be non-matching grants as there will be no matching dollar requirements.
• The NEA is taking a broader look at eligibility as compared to the narrow eligibility requirements established the previous CARES Act grants program. It is anticipated that the application process will be opened up to include organizations that are new applicants to the NEA.
• Be ready to apply to the NEA for ARP Grants! Eligible organizations will need a DUNS number, a SAM account and a Grants.gov account to apply.
• All applicants must have a DUNS number. To verify your DUNS number on the Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) website,  click here.  If your organization does not have one, visit the webiste for instructions on how to create a DUNS number.
• You will also need a System for Awards Management (SAM) account for federal grants, if you do not already have one. The  SAM website contains helpful user guides and information.
• Register for free here if you do not have a  Grants.gov account.
• The NEA is posting information as it becomes available. We encourage you to visit the  American Rescue Plan Frequently Asked Questions  sections of their website for regular updates.

 

National Endowment for the Arts Webinar

Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 3 PM with Dr. Anthony Fauci

The Art of Reopening: A Virtual Conversation on Reengaging Audiences in Physical Spaces
Register here.

 

Michael, what are the County’s recommendations at this time regarding reopening?

The County is now updating its online guidelines which were published in 2020 as the New Normal Guidelines. We will let you know as soon as the new guidelines are available. In light of the fact that we still have COVID-19 pandemic health conditions, Miami-Dade County strongly urges the public to follow the guidelines and safety protocols provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) including the use of masks / face coverings, enhanced sanitation protocols, hand washing and physical distancing. You can view Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s most recent message about the  "We Can Adapt, We Will Thrive"  campaign in response to this public health crisis on the County’s website.

This is a lot of information – but that is a good thing. There are real resources coming available to help you survive the pandemic. Just as importantly, COVID¬-19 vaccinations will steadily become more available for all of us over the next few months. The staff and I are more committed than ever to make sure that we all reach the SuperNormal so that our lives and work can resume gloriously in-person.

Stay safe,


Michael Spring
Director, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs

 

The most reliable way to contact us continues to be through email. You can find a staff directory at  https://www.miamidadearts.org/about/staff-councils.

 

Please check the County’s web site for more COVID-19 information and for regular updates:  miamidade.gov/coronavirus.

To view a comprehensive list of all the Department's previous cultural updates on COVID-19 click here.