If you are involved with an art organization that was impacted by Hurricane Harvey, we have some important news: the deadline to submit a FEMA Request for Public Assistance is 5PM on October 31, 2017. If your organization misses the deadline, it misses the opportunity to be considered for federal disaster assistance. The Texas Commission on the Arts has FEMA instructions for Texas on their website — to see those, please go here, or see them below.
If you are an artist who was affected by the storm, go here to see a list of resources compiled by the Texas art community.
1. File a claim with your insurance company immediately. Follow all the deadlines set by the insurance company, and submit all documents and information requested within the deadlines set by the company. FEMA will want to see a settlement or denial letter from your insurance company to ensure that benefits are not duplicated, so be sure to file an insurance claim promptly. If you still have unmet needs or damages that the insurance company does not cover, then FEMA may be able to provide you with assistance.
2. File for FEMA Public Assistance. Don’t dither about your eligibility; let FEMA determine your status. Be aware of the filing deadline. If you miss the deadline, which varies based on your county disaster declaration date, you will not have access to this federal disaster assistance. (See the briefing slide deck for deadline dates.)
3. File for a Small Business Administration disaster loan as well. Complete and submit the application as soon as possible. Returning the application does not obligate you to accept an SBA loan, but it is a necessary step to being considered for other forms of federal disaster assistance, including FEMA Public Assistance.
To learn more about filing for FEMA public assistance for nonprofit organizations, go here.
