ASAE and thousands of other organizations have urged Congress for months to grant nonprofit associations access to federal relief programs created to assist small businesses and industries struggling with payroll and other basic operations during the coronavirus pandemic. Congress specifically authorized financial assistance to 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organizations under these relief programs in the CARES Act, but to-date most associations have not been given access. Many associations that were financially solvent before the COVID-19 pandemic were forced to cancel conferences, conventions and other in-person events when the virus spread, and previously steady streams of revenue from membership dues, advertising, sponsorships, fundraising and job boards are all down in this struggling economy.

ASAE’s latest sign-on letter has three main requests for Congress: provide 501(c)(6) associations access to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and reauthorize the PPP until at least December 31, 2020; pass the Pandemic Risk Insurance Act of 2020 (H.R. 7011), which would establish a system of shared public and private compensation for business interruption losses and event cancellations resulting from future pandemics or public health emergencies; and pass the Skills Renewal Act (H.R. 7031/S. 3779), which would provide Americans who have been laid-off or furloughed due to COVID-19 a $4,000 tax credit to pursue post-secondary skills training and career development. ASAE supports amendments to the Skills Renewal Act proposed by the Professional Certification Coalition (of which ASAE is a co-founder and Steering Committee member) ensuring that the tax credit is available for use with a wide range of reputable national certification programs and for expenses associated with testing required to obtain and/or maintain a postsecondary credential.

Congress is reportedly set to begin formal negotiations on a fourth coronavirus stimulus package after the two-week July 4th recess. Many relief programs created by the CARES Act to assist millions of individuals and small businesses during the pandemic are set to expire at the end of July.

“Associations have been largely left out of COVID-19 relief measures to date and continue to work tirelessly in support of the industries and professions needed to restore the U.S. economy,” said ASAE President and CEO Susan Robertson, CAE. “It’s past time for Congress to take action to ensure associations can continue their vital roles in workforce development, standard-setting and industry advancement as the nation moves toward economic recovery.”

Associations are essential to the U.S. economy, providing education and professional development for America’s workforce; creating product and safety standards for everything from food packaging to new building construction; defining and advancing standards for professional certification and codes of ethics in a wide range of professional fields; and organizing community assistance programs and responding in times of greatest need, including after natural disasters or catastrophic events such as the current pandemic.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Precker, CAE, lprecker@asaecenter.org, 202-626-2735.

About ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
ASAE is celebrating 100 years of making society smarter, better and safer. The Centennial anniversary represents ASAE’s role as a leader and supporter of progress and innovation in the association industry. ASAE is a membership organization of more than 55,000 association executives and industry partners representing 7,400 organizations. Since it was established 100 years ago, its members have and continue to lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. With the support of the ASAE Research Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge, and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession and provides resources, education, ideas, and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. Visit ASAE at asaecenter.org.