PPP Eligibility for Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Organizations

December 7, 2020

Dear Senators and Representatives:

As your two chambers work together on a much-needed next phase of relief, the Iowa Chamber Alliance wanted to reach out to provide input on the inclusion of eligibility for chambers of commerce and economic development organizations for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). We urge you to expand the eligibility requirements for the program to include non-profit organizations that were left out of the CARES Act. 501c4 and 501c6 organizations such as local Chamber's, civic groups, trade associations, and many other non-profits provide important community focused services. Our organizations provide value a service to community members in their time of need and act as conduits for resources for our communities. We strongly encourage you to push for this in any final package.

Everyone agrees that the PPP has been a lifeline for many businesses over the past few months and we support your continued shaping of the program. Our members have seen how beneficial the PPP has been in our communities and small businesses are seeing continued impacts due to COVID-19.

We appreciate the unbelievable complexity of this difficult situation and remain confident Iowa will not only rebound and recover, but also thrive thanks to the collective resolve of Iowans. We are pleased to let you know that we are seeing economic growth and expansion opportunities across our member communities that the highlighted provisions can provide resources to stabilize the immediate situation and provide resources to capture these opportunities for the future.

Kind Regards,

Dustin J. Miller
Executive Director