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COVID-19 Resources

Oregon Heritage staff has been fielding resources fast and furiously the past couple of weeks. We have created this page to help consolidate these resources in one place. We will be adding to the resources as the response to COVID-19 unfolds.

If you have a resource that would be good to add to this list, please email them to heritage.info@oregon.gov.

Please be aware that like many agencies and organizations, Oregon Heritage's services will be adapting to the current events. Visit here to see what has changed with Oregon Heritage's services and programs.

COVID-19 Impact to Heritage Organizations Survey

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone and every organization in an unprecedented way. The extent of the impact is still unfolding. With current COVID-19 financial aid running out, we want to make sure that heritage is represented in any future recovery efforts, funding, and decision-making. In order to do that, we need data!

​The Oregon Heritage Commission is trying to assess the impact over time that COVID-19 has had specifically on heritage organizations. As national and local funding decisions are being made for recovery efforts, we want to make sure that we have data available so that heritage is represented in any future recovery efforts, funding, and decision-making.

Three surveys over the course of the year will determine
the impact from March 2020-June 2021:

  • Survey #1 - Opened in Nov. 2020 to gather information from March 2020-Oct. 2020
  • Survey #2 - Opened in March 2021 to gather information from Nov. 2020-Feb. 2021
  • Survey #3 - Will open in July 2021 to gather information from March 2021-June 2021

​Anyone that is dealing with heritage related activities in Oregon including, but not limited to, museums, historical societies, historic cemeteries, main streets, historic preservation, archaeology, genealogical societies, libraries with historical collections and archives, etc.

​This survey could take 20-30 minutes. While that seems like a long time, it is necessary to get this information so that we can relay the reality of how COVID-19 has impacted and continues to impact heritage into 2021. To help complete the survey faster, below is some of the information you might want to have on hand before starting the survey:

  • Budget info for pre and during COVID-19, including financial information for the period of time requested by the survey
  • General staff info such as number of paid staff and duties and volunteer numbers and tasks pre and during COVID-19
  • Attendance numbers pre and during COVID-19, general attendance and student groups
  • Information on open hours and days of the week pre and during during COVID-19
  • Stories of impact during COVID-19

Thank you in advance for taking this survey and making your organization's voice heard in future decision-making regarding COVID-19 recovery. If you have any questions about this survey or how the results will be used, please contact heritage.info@oregon.gov or call Katie Henry at (503) 877-8834.

Please take the survey here by Dec. 1, 2020

General

Small Business Guide to the CARES Act. Nonprofits are included in these programs.

Recorded Webinar: Understanding the CARES Act and more (recorded 4/1/20). From the American Public Gardens Association.

Paycheck Protection Program (also known as Small Business Administration 7(a) Loans)

  • provides loans up to $10 million for eligible nonprofits with 500 or fewer employees, permitting them to cover costs of payroll, operations, and debt service, and provides that the loans be forgiven in whole or in part under certain circumstances. For more information, including eligibility, how to apply, loan details, forgiveness, and other assistance visit the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program page. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has posted additional information, including an overview and a sample application for borrowers. (Taken From AAM's Financial Resources Website)

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Loan Advances (SBA 7(b) loans):

  • Eliminates creditworthiness requirements and appropriates an additional $10 billion to the EIDL program so that eligible nonprofits with 500 or fewer employees, as well as self-employed workers, can get loan advances of up to $10,000 within three days of a successful application. The loan advance provides economic relief to organizations that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. The loan advance is treated as a grant and will not have to be repaid.The SBA's regular EIDL program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. These loans are not forgivable (except for the $10,000 advance); the interest rate for nonprofits is 2.75%. Start your application here. (Taken From AAM's Financial Resources Website)

Nonprofit Association of Oregon Guidance:

Grant related resources for museums included in the package:

Independenct Sector's CARES Act: How to Apply for Nonprofit Relief Funds


Topics

Grants

Loans

  • SBA loan resources for small business and nonprofits impacted by disaster: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Declarations/DeclarationDetails?declNumber=6063989&direct=false. The applications can be filled out online or there is assistance through Small Business Development Centers. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can't be paid because of the disaster's impact. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%. SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower's ability to repay.

​Board Leadership

Recorded Webinar: AASLH Conversations: Leadership, Boards, and Response to COVID-19 (recorded on 3/30/20. You must register to access the recording but there is a FREEWBR20 code you can use so you don't have to pay a fee.

Employment

Many people are contacting the Oregon Employment Department and asking if WorkSource Centers are open to walk-in customers during this time of closures and social distancing. While the situation could change day-to-day, the centers remain open as of Thursday, March 19. Staff and customers are asked to take some simple health precautions, which includes limiting the number of customers at any given time and adhering to social distancing protocols. The Oregon Employment Department has timely information on unemployment insurance related to COVID-19. The Oregon Employment Department also has adopted temporary rules for unemployment insurance benefits flexibility and issued a news release related to COVID-19 and layoffs, closures and unemployment insurance. Email the department with COVID-19 related employment questions at OED_COVID19_Info@oregon.gov.

Paycheck Protection Program – U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): The Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. This program is for any small business with less than 500 employees (including sole proprietorships, independent contractors and self-employed persons), private non-profit organization or 501(c)(19) veterans organizations affected by coronavirus/COVID-19. Businesses in certain industries may have more than 500 employees if they meet the SBA's size standards for those industries. Small businesses in the hospitality and food industry with more than one location could also be eligible at the store and location level if the store employs less than 500 workers. This means each store location could be eligible. Deadline: June 30, 2020. 

Online Meeting Platforms (from State Library of Oregon)

Financial Management


  • This page has a good worksheet template on cash flow by month so that you can predict what your monthly cash is and when it might dip to an uncomforable place and you need to make critical decisions. Find that template here.

AASLH Conversations: Planning for an Uncertain Financial Future (you need to register to get the recording but there is a free code, FREEWBR20):


General Operations



Organizational Health Check-Up Resources - from a National Main Street Webinar presented by Kathly Laplante with NMSC and Donna Harris with Heritage Consulting, Inc.

AASLH Conversations: Structural Weaknesses Exposed by COVID-19 webinar (recorded on 4/7/20). You need to register in order to access the recording but you can use a free code, FREEWBR20.

AASLH Conversations: Historic Sites and COVID-19 webinar (recorded on 4/6/20). You need to register in order to access the recording but you can use a free code, FREEWBR20.


​National Alliance on Mental Illness COVID-10 Resource and Information Guide

NAMI Oregon

  • NAMI Oregon is committed to providing live responses to phone and email Helpline queries during our state's crisis response to the coronavirus. We will be answering calls and emails on weekdays between 9 am and 5 pm. Please feel free to call us at 503-230-8009, or toll free at 800-343-6264. You can email us at: namioregon@namior.org. We will do our best to help callers navigate local resources given current circumstances. (If you do not get through to a live person, please leave a message. We will return messages as promptly as possible. Messages left after hours and on weekends will be answered the next business day.)

Mental Health and COVID-19 (AFSP)

All the ways to get free therapy during the coronavirus pandemic (Fast Company)

The National Trust for Historic Preservation put together some “On a Lighter Note" resources:

  • Fill your home office (or home) with tunes from one of our historic preservation-themed playlists on Spotify.
  • At the end of the day, settle on the couch with some popcorn and watch one of these preservation-themed movies (or one of these).
  • If you are looking for a new book, fiction or nonfiction, check out our thematic reading lists.
  • Add a new podcast to your listening list. Here are some suggestions to search for on your preferred platform:
    • Conversations at the Washington Library
    • Curious City
    • Getty Art + Ideas
    • Old House Love, Archives in Context
    • Practical Preservation
    • PreserveCast
    • Sidedoor
    • Smithsonian's Air Space
    • True Tales from Old House

Western Museums Asosication Blog post "A New Month – Time for Some Introspection and Self-Care Magic"

​Oregon Heritage COVID-19 Commiseration Call Recorded on April 8

Oregon Heritage COVID-19 Commiseration Call Part 2 - April 23

  • Join us here on Skype at 11am to have a conversation on how to communicate with stakeholder groups such as members, donors, volunteers, sponsors, etc.

​General

Request from Main Street America: Help Us Help Small Businesses. We are seeking information from small business owners about the challenges they're facing as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Specifically, we need to better understand the ability of businesses to withstand what may be a several months of suppressed revenue and what kinds of support programs will have the most impact. Please encourage your small businesses to respond to this survey. This data will make us stronger advocates to Congress, to state legislators, and to our local elected officials in explaining the kind of resources needed by Main Street businesses to weather the storm. We're asking for responses by 5:00pm PT this Friday, April 3rd. It should take each small business owner about five minutes to go through the questions.

E-Commerce

  • The Denton, TX Main Street hosted a Facebook Live on e-commerce https://www.facebook.com/events/2597241333854952/ . It was held last week but it's available to view now under “videos" on their FB page.
  • Here is a 25min tutorial on setting up ecommerce: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-start-an-online-store/
  • Brad Attig is in the process of or has developed a number of workshops which can be delivered fully online and will all be on their learning platform by the end of next week. He did suggest creating a "Community Marketplace" online store first, especially if most small business owners in a community are hurting for resources right now to launch their own online ecommerce platforms. Last year they created this site for The Arts Center in Corvallis: https://the-arts-center-artshop.myshopify.com/ (to support all the artists in the collective rather than set by ecommerce artist by artist)
  • Resources for businesses that are trying to set up online gift cards or certificates:

Information for Business Owners

Grants

  • The Oregon Community Foundation has two new active funds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation's website has information on the Oregon Small Business Stabilization Fund and the Oregon Community Recovery Fund.  
  • Musicares Fund
    • The Recording Academy® and its affiliated charitable foundation MusiCares® have established the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help our peers in the music community affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
  • Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
    • Sweet Relief provides immediate assistance through a DONOR-DIRECTED FUND with a limited amount of funds available to be used specifically for musicians and music industry workers affected by the Coronavirus. Funds raised will go towards medical expenses, lodging, clothing, food and other vital living expenses to those impacted due to sickness or loss of work
  • Cerf+
    • CERF+ emergency assistance is available to established artists working in a craft discipline
  • James Beard Foundation started a Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund to provide microgrants to independent food and beverage small businesses in need.
  • Facebook Small Business Grants Program Facebook's small biz grant program has not yet been released, but you can sign up at the bottom of the page for updates when the application goes live. Facebook is offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries where we operate.
  • The AARP Community Challenge Grant deadline has been pushed back to May 15th.  For info and to apply: https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/community-challenge/info-2020/2020-challenge.html.  If anyone has a questions or would like to discuss a project idea, you can contact Bandana Shrestha in the Oregon AARP office at BShrestha@aarp.org
  • Northwest Health Foundation Grant Program

Organization/Nonprofit Finance Information

​Oregon Heritage Tool: Starting the Reopening Conversation

State Resources

Industry Guidelines/Tools to Use

Oregon Health Authority Museum Guidelines

American Alliance of Museum (AAM)

American Association for State & Local History (AASLH)

Western Museums Association (WMA)

Cuseum

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT)

Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF)

Signage Resources

Main Street Recovery Action Plan - A tool created in partnership with Oregon Main Street, Washington Main Street, and Main Street Iowa

  • While this was designed for Main Streets based on the four point approach, all heritage organizations can use information found in the "Organization" and "Board" part of the document.

Recorded Webinars