On July 21, 2020, Governor Bill Lee, in partnership with legislative representation on the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group will announce the launch of the Tennessee Community CARES Program, a new aid program that will provide $150 million in direct federally funded aid to non-profit organizations located in Tennessee and serving Tennesseans. This program will be funded by the Coronavirus Relief Fund, a fund created by Congress under the CARES Act to provide ready funding to State, territorial, local, and Tribal governments to address unforeseen financial needs and risks created by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The goal of the TN Community CARES Program is to provide funding to non-profits to allow them to respond to the impacts of COVID-19, specifically to be able to reach individuals that have lost wages and need financial, medical, housing, or food assistance, and to aid organizations in helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 through providing access to supplies. These funds are not intended to provide financial stabilization for non-profits, but to provide funding to respond to the needs of the community.
According to the CARES Act, these funds may only be used for costs that:
- Are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19);
- Were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act) for the State or government; and
- Were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020 and ends on December 30, 2020.
Expenses should fall within one of the following categories:
- Medical Expenses
- Public Health Expenses
- Payroll Expenses
- Public Health Compliance Expenses
- Economic Support Expenses
- Other Reasonably Necessary Expenses
None is avaialable.