The U.S. Small Business Administration announced Tuesday that certain Private Non-Profit Organizations in Georgia that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low interest rate disaster loans. These loans are available as a result of a Presidential disaster declaration for severe winter storm from Feb. 10 through Feb. 14, 2014.

PNPs located in the following Georgia counties: Baldwin, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Candler, Carroll, Columbia, Coweta,Dade, Emanuel, Fayette, Fulton, Gilmer, Glascock, Hancock, Haralson, Heard, Jasper, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson,Jones, Lamar, McDuffie, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Pickens, Pike, Richmond, Screven, Spalding, Upson,Walker, Warren, Washington, Whitfield, and Wilkes that provide non-critical services are eligible to apply.  Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

"PNP organizations are urged to contact their town or city officials to obtain information about local briefings. At the meeting, PNP representatives will need to provide information about their organization," said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA Field Operations Center East in Atlanta. The information will be used to submit a Request for Public Assistance which FEMA uses to determine if the PNP provides an essential governmental service and meets the definition of a "critical facility." Based upon that conclusion, FEMA may provide the PNP with a Public Assistance reimbursement grant for their eligible costs or refer the PNP to SBA for disaster loan assistance.

PNP organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. The interest rate is 2.625 percent with terms up to 30 years. Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, to make improvements that help prevent the risk of future property damage caused by a similar disaster.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is May 5, 2014. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Dec. 8, 2014.