Lakewood Senator To Governor: Help Nonprofits During Coronavirus

LAKEWOOD, OH — Lakewood state Senator Nickie Antonio sent a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine asking him to provide relief to nonprofits across Ohio during the coronavirus pandemic. Many nonprofits are ailing because of the economic compression happening throughout the state.

Many nonprofits self-insure for the purpose of unemployment compensation, meaning the organization has to reimburse the state if employees claim unemployment benefits. Antonio argues that nonprofits deserve the same assistance that has been offered to other employers.

“If our nonprofit community cannot rebound from this crisis, it will be absolutely disastrous for the communities in our state,” said Antonio in the letter. “As we all know, the folks on the ground during and after a disaster, those who help folks pick up the pieces towards recovery, are our non-profit organizations.”

During the last week of March, there were 272,000 new unemployment claims filed in Ohio, according to advance data from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Major nonprofits from around Ohio asked DeWine for assistance on April 2. The organizations asked for grants to boost their organizations while Ohio is in a state of emergency.

"The interruption caused by full or partial closure of our retail stores, manufacturing facilities, vocational rehabilitation sites, shelters and service centers impacts our ability to continue to generate funds during the crisis. We ask that you also consider a relief package consisting of grants to assist nonprofit agencies with bridging critical cash flow needs during this time," the coalition of nonprofits said.

Here is a list of some of the nonprofits who signed the letter to DeWine:

• American Heart Association
• Cleveland Sight Center
• Cleveland Animal Protective League
• Cincinnati Art Museum
• Goodwill Columbus
• Habitat for Humanity of Ohio
• National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
• Ohio Children's Alliance
• United Way
• The YMCA

A copy of the letter, with a full list of signing organizations, has been shared online.