In response to conversations with many of you over the last week, NAAEE would like to offer technical assistance to those Affiliates who are in a position to take advantage of the emergency relief funds available through the CARES Act. We have contracted with Vicki Pozzebon, whom many of you will remember as the facilitator of our 2019 Affiliate Workshop, to offer individual support as you prepare to submit your applications. We hope many of you will be able to take advantage of this service and the opportunity to access relief funds for your Affiliate organization.

As a first step, Vicki and her team have prepared a self-assessment tool to help you determine your readiness and eligibility to apply for the payroll loans. The assessment will also help us to establish the number of Affiliates who need assistance and create a queue for advancing your applications. We’re asking for a very quick turnaround for completing the assessment by end of day, Monday, April 6. This is tight, but will hopefully maximize our ability to support you in securing relief funds quickly.

In these confusing and difficult times, I am grateful to be a part of this community that is taking the time to listen to and support one another, even as we are all trying to process information, keep up with rapidly changing circumstances, and provide leadership and comfort to our respective communities. Please reach out to me if you have questions about this service. We will continue to look for ways that we can support you in navigating this process and many other aspects of the COVID-19 crisis.