In response to an amended Presidential public assistance declaration, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the availability of low-interest federal disaster loans for private nonprofit organizations in Crittenden, Garland, and Mississippi counties affected by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding from April 2-22, 2025.
These loans are also accessible in several other Arkansas counties including Clark, Clay, Craighead, Cross, Dallas, Desha, Fulton, Greene, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Izard, Jackson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lee, Little River, Lonoke, Marion, Miller, Monroe, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton Pike Poinsett Prairie Pulaski Randolph Saline Scott Searcy Sevier Sharp St. Francis Stone and Woodruff.
Applicants may qualify for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of their physical damage as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes. Eligible improvements could include insulating pipes and walls or installing storm windows to protect against future disasters.
“One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades reducing the risk of future storm damage,” said Chris Stallings from the SBA's Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. He encourages businesses and homeowners to work with professionals to enhance storm readiness using these loans.
Private nonprofits can also apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to cover working capital needs such as fixed debts and payroll. This assistance is available regardless of physical property damage.
Loan amounts can reach up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.62% for private nonprofits over terms extending up to 30 years. Interest accrual begins only after 12 months from the first disbursement date. The SBA will determine loan specifics based on each applicant's financial condition.
The SBA advises applicants to submit their applications promptly as they will be processed in order received. Applications can be submitted online at sba.gov/disaster or through their Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or via email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Telecommunications relay services are available at 7-1-1 for those who need them.
Deadlines for application submissions are July 22, 2025 for physical property damage and February 23, 2026 for economic injury applications.
The U.S. Small Business Administration supports entrepreneurs and small business owners with resources needed to start or recover businesses through its extensive network of field offices and partnerships.