CARES Act Support of NH’s Creative Sector
The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 was enacted to provide fast and direct economic assistance for American workers, families, and small businesses, and preserve jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The $2 trillion package allocated $1.25+ billion to New Hampshire. The Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR) was created to administer most of the funds. Advised by Legislative and Stakeholder Advisory Boards, the GOFERR is currently overseen by Commissioner Taylor Caswell of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs.
New Hampshire’s creative sector is benefiting from several CARES Act programs initiated by the GOFERR:
Nonprofit Emergency Relief Fund (NERF). The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, NH Center for Nonprofits and NH Community Development Finance Authority coordinated this grant program. 143 nonprofit arts/cultural organizations received over 25% of the $40 million granted. An additional $12 million was allocated to the NH Department of Employment Security to underwrite increased unemployment insurance costs of nonprofit organizations.
Main Street Relief Fund. The NH Department of Revenue Administration coordinated this grant program. Over 180 creative for-profit businesses received 2% of the nearly $342.5 million granted.
Live Venue Relief Program. This program allocated $12 million to target New Hampshire live performance and other venues that have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over $8 million of the total was granted to creative nonprofit and for-profit venues.
Self Employed Livelihood Fund. This program was created to assist small for-profit businesses that do not have any employees except owners. It was coordinated by the NH Department of Revenue Administration and the NH Department of Employment Security. Data is not available for this program, but it is anecdotally known that many creative businesses received assistance.
General Assistance & Preservation (GAP) Fund. This $30 million fund, coordinated by the NH Business Finance Authority, provided emergency financial relief to businesses and nonprofit organizations were unable to access support from other existing state and federal programs. Data is not available for this program, but it is anecdotally known that some creative businesses received assistance.
Additional CARES Act funds came to New Hampshire, which were administered by other state agencies:
NH CARES. The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, a Division of the NH Department of Natural and Cultural Resources administered this program, which was created with funds allocated to the National Endowment for the Arts. $344,500 was granted to 68 nonprofit arts organizations in mid-summer 2020.
Expanded Unemployment Benefits, including those for self-employed gig workers were enacted pursuant to Governor Chris Sununu’s Executive Order #5, supported with funds from the federal CARES Act, and administered by the NH Department of Employment Security. Expanded benefits were continued in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, which allocated $900 billion for COVID-19 relief.
In addition to these programs, creative sector businesses and organizations received CARES Act relief from the federal Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program and the SBA Express Bridge Loan Program. These programs were continued in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, which allocated $900 billion for COVID-19 relief.