Lawsuits have sprung up nationwide against state and local authorities who have imposed shutdown orders in an effort to thwart the COVID-19 pandemic. Here in Washington, two lawsuits challenging our state’s shutdown order have been filed. The first, by gubernatorial candidate Joshua Freed, was voluntarily dismissed after Mr. Freed was reassured that his backyard Bible […]
When the Paycheck Protection Program rolled out the morning of April 3, many faith-based nonprofits had legitimate concerns about their eligibility for such loans or the impact of receiving federal financial assistance. We explored those issues in this post and advised faith-based nonprofits that were otherwise interested to apply but watch for the SBA’s promised […]
The Paycheck Protection Program of the CARES Act goes live today (though lenders are expressing concern about preparedness). This post is intended for religious nonprofits that have questions about the strings attached to governmental aid. What rights will they relinquish as a condition of accepting a government-guaranteed, forgivable loan? These concerns are rooted in the […]
The CARES Act allocates $349 billion for forgivable paycheck protection loans for small businesses, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, sole proprietors, self-employed (even gig economy) workers, and others. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has an excellent four-page summary here: Generally limited to employers with less than 500 employees, the maximum loan amount is 2.5 times the borrower’s average monthly payroll cost up to a maximum of $10 million. The loan can be completely forgiven to […]
On March 23, Governor Jay Inslee issued a “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” proclamation. It requires all residents to stay at home except to conduct or participate in essential activities or for employment in essential business services. The proclamation is clear that multi-person gatherings, including spiritual and faith-based activities, are prohibited. But what about churches livestreaming […]
Churches and other faith-based organizations that have children and youth programming have legal and moral obligations to protect the children in their care. Yet failure to provide adequate protection for children and youth is one of the primary reasons these organizations get sued, and victims carry lifelong scars. A strong child protection policy is critical […]
Well, this blog post is late in coming, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share about the wonderful evening we had this past October at the Tierras de Vida fundraiser, held by Agros International. During this annual dinner, friends of the organization gather for an evening of stories, celebration, and inspiration. ELM was […]
In less than three months from now, a group of attorneys from ELM will fly to Nicaragua—many with their families—to spend a week with the community of Algroaldea San José, a village that ELM sponsors through a partnership with the non-profit organization Agros International. While there, ELM attorneys will get to know the people they support […]
On the fourth Wednesday of every month, you’ll find a group of ELM staff and attorneys serving dinner at the New Horizons drop-in center at 3rd and Cedar. The center offers hope to youth who are experiencing homelessness by providing cooked meals and a place to shower, among other services. Our managing partner, Lana Floyd, […]
When ELM attorneys and their families visit the village of San José, they find the green, volcanic hills of the Matagalpa region to be refreshingly cool compared to the rest of Nicaragua. The San José community, made up of 29 families, is fortunate to call this temperate region home. Sadly, however, the region is noted for more than just its […]
