Two months after a authorities company warned 38 Deliberate Parenthood associates to return $ 80 million in COVID-19 aid funds, two clinics in Texas stated they had been protecting the cash.

Deliberate Parenthoods in San Antonio and Houston each obtained between $ 1 million and $ 2 million in April and Might from the Paycheck Safety Program designed to assist companies and nonprofits climate the crippling financial results of the pandemic.

“We don’t intend to return these important funds,” Jeffrey Hons, CEO of the South Texas website in San Antonio, stated in a press release.

The Gulf Coast location in Houston additionally retains its $ 1 million to $ 2 million forgiveness mortgage.

The one different clinic in Texas to obtain funds – Deliberate Parenthood of Higher Texas – repaid its $ 2-5 million mortgage on Might 28. Designed as a lifeline for its 244 workers, the mortgage was not price a doubtlessly costly authorized battle, stated Sarah Wheat, exterior affairs supervisor on the Dallas Household Planning Clinic.

“The elected officers have distinguished us for political causes,” she stated. Household planning is a frequent goal of political conservatives as a result of it offers abortion providers.

Collectively, the three Texas Deliberate Parenthoods generated greater than $ 62.7 million in income in 2018, in response to their newest filings with the Inside Income Service.

The US Small Enterprise Administration, which manages the PPP, brought about a stir in Might when it despatched letters to Deliberate Parenthood associates throughout the nation asking them to repay this system cash. He additionally warned that if a corporation made a false declare on its mortgage software, it may face “civil or legal penalties.”

The company stated that as a result of the person clinics are tightly managed by the Nationwide Deliberate Parenthood Basis of America, they depend as a single entity and have too many workers to qualify for the cash loans, that are restricted to firms of 500. workers or much less. The SBA has additionally stated that Deliberate Parenthoods might submit paperwork to show that they don’t seem to be centrally managed by the nationwide workplace.

Up to now, the 2 Texas associates who saved the cash haven’t heard of the SBA.

The construction of Deliberate Parenthood – a nationwide group supported by a community of locals – is frequent amongst giant nonprofits, together with others just like the United Approach which have obtained P3 funds, stated Jessica Abrahams, a Washington lawyer. , DC, specializing in public procurement. Solely Deliberate Parenthood was requested to return the cash.

“It appears to me that if Deliberate Parenthood is to offer a refund, the United Approach and others ought to too,” Abrahams stated. “However these aren’t lightning rods politically.”

SBA regional spokesperson Darla Booker stated the company wouldn’t focus on particular PPP debtors. She stated he was reviewing all loans over $ 2 million, along with different loans, if any.

Some beneficiaries “appropriately reassessed” their want for loans and paid them again, she stated.

Nonprofits with 500 or fewer workers had been allowed to use for PPP loans as a result of they had been struggling as badly as small companies at a time when folks wanted meals and medical providers greater than ever. The funds preserve workers on the payroll so organizations can proceed to ship group packages.

Texas nonprofits have obtained as much as $ 2.6 billion in PPP loans of $ 150,000 or extra, in response to information launched by the SBA.

The SBA evaluations the oversight to find out affiliation, together with whether or not an area is a authorized entity, has its personal board of administrators and doesn’t obtain fundraising help or recommendation on its spending from the SBA. of the bigger group, Abrahams stated.

The nationwide group of Deliberate Parenthood, which didn’t apply, and its 49 associates are unbiased nonprofits, stated nationwide spokesperson Samuel Lau. Every member group information its personal tax type and has its personal unbiased board of administrators that decides on its CEO.

The Texas Deliberate Parenthoods say they’ve fastidiously reviewed the CARES Act and decided they’re eligible. Lau stated most locals don’t refund the cash.

United Approach, primarily based in Alexandria, Virginia, offers well being providers, academic alternatives for kids, and monetary stability for households. Eleven of its Texas chapters have obtained as much as $ 15.1 million in mixed P3 loans. Its Dallas website obtained a mortgage of $ 1-2 million, whereas its Houston workplace obtained $ 2-5 million.

The group mentionned its chapters are certified for loans as a result of every website is unbiased with its personal CEO and tax identification quantity.

Leah King, CEO of Tarrant County United Approach, stated the construction of the social service company is just like Deliberate Parenthood.

“We’re a part of a world group however ruled regionally,” she stated. “There’s a membership charge to make use of the model, however we fundraise regionally, and I believe [Planned Parenthood] is comparable in nature. Plainly the problem of household planning is extra of a political dialogue, sadly.

Boy Scouts, whose mission is to assist younger folks put together to make moral selections in life, has 1,300 workers nationwide – together with 380 in his Irving workplace – making him ineligible for PPP. The nationwide group didn’t apply, however a few of its 258 native councils did so as a result of they’ve their very own board of administrators and their very own scout government, a spokeswoman stated.

In whole, Boy Scout councils in Texas have obtained as much as $ 7.7 million in P3 funds.

Sam Thompson, head of Circle 10 in Dallas, which obtained a mortgage of $ 1 million to $ 2 million, stated the cash helped him keep away from pay cuts, day off and layoffs for his 76 workers at full-time and 54 part-time workers, in addition to its 200 camp leaders. The group switched to digital conferences and made 15,000 to twenty,000 calls in six to eight weeks to pivot, Thompson stated.

Thompson stated every Boy Scout council information its personal tax type.

It is a distinction the nationwide group has been insisting on because it filed for chapter safety earlier this yr so it may create a fund to pay victims of sexual abuse who sued it. In any other case, he would have needed to settle every declare individually. After the submitting, the nationwide group, which has almost 2.2 million members aged 7 to 21, stated every of its associates was legally separated and financially unbiased.

Anti-abortion teams haven’t held again their glee over the misfortune of Deliberate Parenthoods, which carried out 345,672 abortions in 2018 to 2019. The group says abortions made up 4% of its medical providers, a rise from 3.4% the yr earlier than.

Whereas it might be a political lightning rod, Deliberate Parenthood nonetheless receives most of its cash from state, native, and federal funds, though authorities cash isn’t allowed to be spent on abortions besides in some instances, similar to when a girl’s life is on. hazard. Within the final fiscal yr, it obtained $ 600 million in authorities funds.

Final yr, the nationwide group and its associates achieved a mixed income of $ 1.6 billion, in response to its final annual report.

Texas Proper to Life, which obtained a PPP mortgage of $ 150,000 to $ 350,000, stated Deliberate Parenthood institutions in Texas illegally requested the funds understanding they weren’t eligible.

“Texas Proper to Life is appalled, however not stunned, that Deliberate Parenthood associates in Texas have discovered one other strategy to obtain taxpayer cash,” a spokesperson stated in a press release.

Lau of Deliberate Parenthood stated household planning clinics are an important a part of the social security internet that gives important well being care within the occasion of a pandemic.

“I do not suppose we’re ever stunned when folks assault Deliberate Parenthood,” he stated. “Nevertheless it’s simply extraordinarily political. There are such a lot of different nonprofits with related constructions. “