By far, SBA disaster loans are the major source of financial support to those who need assistance in rebuilding homes and businesses after a disaster.
And here is something I didn't know before August 24th: the historical decline rate on SBA loans is more than 50%.
Based on the volume of SBA loan applications currently in circulation, I estimate as many as 1,000 local families and business owners may be turned down when they apply for low-interest government loans, or receive loans which don't fully cover their losses.
With the $8 million-plus we still have in the Disaster Relief Fund, I think we can assist, at best, 750 to 850 families and business owners.
This is where you come in, if you are able. Our goal is to raise an additional $1.5 million by December 31st, so we can:
- Help seniors and low-income families get their mobile homes back on their foundations, and seismically retrofitted for the next quake
- Support small business owners who are trying to get back on their feet, and meet short-term obligations like payroll
- Enable homeowners to make important safety repairs to chimneys, roofs, foundations and walls.
The people we aim to serve are not unwise, they're just unlucky. Like 96% of us, they didn't have earthquake insurance for their homes or businesses when the ground began to shake. Also, like many of us, they bought their homes at the peak of the market, and don't have a personal balance sheet that can support additional debt.
The partnerships we've built with local and national nonprofits to deliver assistance to the people above are rock solid, with systems in place to ensure accountability; to comply with IRS rules regarding charitable distributions following a disaster; and to avoid fraud. To learn more about our plans moving forward, or to help a friend apply for assistance, please click
here.
If you've already made a gift to support the Disaster Relief Fund, thank you very much again. Should you feel inspired to give again, please go ahead and do so by clicking
here. I would be very grateful for any additional help you might offer us, and so would the Napa County families that will benefit. Your previous gift enabled us to meet urgent needs in the weeks following the earthquake. Your additional support will help local residents rebuild their homes and businesses.
And if you haven't made a gift yet, please consider doing so right now by clicking here. The Disaster Relief Fund aims to raise $1.5 million before the end of 2014. This is a unique opportunity to provide concrete assistance to some of your friends and neighbors in need; to make sure homes are weatherproof as winter rains begin; and to help local businesses keep people employed as the busiest retail quarter of the year unfolds.
Many thanks again for your support. I hope you won't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have about our disaster recovery and rebuilding efforts, or the broader work of Napa Valley Community Foundation.
Sincerely yours,
Terence
Terence P. Mulligan
President
Napa Valley Community Foundation
3299 Claremont Way, Suite 2
Napa, CA 94558
P 707.254.9565 x 11
F 707.254.7955
terence@napavalleycf.org