ALTA Urges Congress to Provide Emergency Aid to Associations
April 7, 2020
ALTA joined 3,000 other organizations to urge Congress and the Trump Administration to provide emergency aid for associations in critical need of support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter to Congress, the groups asked for:
- $25 billion in aid for associations that face financial losses from cancelled conferences and events
- eligibility for associations to access small business interruption loans that prevent layoffs and continue to pay employees
- a pandemic risk insurance program to create a federal backstop for prospective insurance claims related to a pandemic or epidemic
“More than 62,0001 associations across the country play an important role to train America’s workforce, create industry and professional standards, and disseminate essential information and resources to people in need—particularly during times of crisis,” the letter said. “These organizations are already relied upon to help coordinate federal resources to combat the coronavirus pandemic, and they require staff to fulfill this duty. Associations now face, however, unprecedented financial losses from event cancellations. Most associations also anticipate further losses in dues revenues, as members address their own economically precarious circumstances by cutting expenses, including association membership.”
ALTA has postponed several events so far due to the health crisis:
- Digital Closing & eMortgage Boot Camp, April 8-9 in Atlanta
- HOP Leader Training, April 8 in Atlanta
- ALTA Advocacy Summit, May 11-13 in Washington, D.C.
- Commercial Network, June 1-3 in Minneapolis
ALTA is currently considering other dates or offering online sessions for some of the events.
Contact ALTA at 202-296-3671 or communications@alta.org.