DES MOINES, Iowa – The Small Business Administration (SBA) and U.S. Treasury Department released data for the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans. The data provides a list of businesses and organizations that received a loan.
Over 58,000 businesses and organizations received $5.1 billion in PPP loans. Almost 6,000 businesses and organizations received loans of more than $150,000 were identified. Among that number were 69 individual churches, nine denominational offices, 32 faith-based K-12 schools, and seven faith-based organizations. The data for entities receiving less than $150,000 did not identify borrowers.
PPP was meant to help businesses and organizations survived the economic downturn caused by COVID-19 and subsequent shutdown. Faith-based organizations during the COVID-19 shut-down also faced a significant drop in donations as members and donors faced unemployment. Also, many states banned mass gatherings that also included churches which also had the potential to severely impact donations. Christian and Catholic K-12 schools faced a drop in families able to pay tuition. These organizations, like businesses, also have employees who faced the potential lay-offs and some churches and faith-based organizations, like businesses, also faced closing for good.
The SBA did not provide the loans, but guaranteed loans that were applied for through different banks in the state. Borrowers who meet specific criteria are eligible for loan forgiveness, one of the primary reasons the program was popular. Numerous churches applied when the Trump Administration announced faith-based organizations that are 501(c)3 were eligible to apply.
In guidance for faith-based organizations, the SBA said those organizations would not sacrifice autonomy or their First Amendment statutory rights.
“A faith-based organization that receives a loan will retain its independence, autonomy, right of expression, religious character, and authority over its governance, and no faith-based organization will be excluded from receiving funding because leadership with, membership in, or employment by that organization is limited to persons who share its religious faith and practice,” the wrote.
Even so, there is disagreement over whether faith-based organizations, especially churches, should participate. The exact number of churches that participated in Iowa is unknown since entities receiving less than $150,000 were not identified.
Here’s the list of 69 Iowa churches receiving loans of more than $150,000:
- St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church (West Des Moines) – $1-2 million
- Cornerstone Church – Ames $350K-1 million
- Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Des Moines) – $350K-1 million
- Our Lady of Lourdes Church of Bettendorf – $350K-1 million
- Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church of Davenport – $350K-1 million
- Parkview Evangelical Free Church – Iowa City – $350K-1 million
- Prairie Lakes Church – Cedar Falls – $350K-1 million
- Sacred Heart Church of Valley Junction (West Des Moines) – $350K-1 million
- St. Augustin Catholic Church (Des Moines) – $350K-1 million
- St. Paul Lutheran Church (Davenport) – $350K-1 million
- St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church (Davenport) – $350K-1 million
- St. Pius X Catholic Church (Urbandale) – $350K-1 million
- St. Mary’s Catholic Church (Storm Lake) – $350K-1 million
- St. Matthew’s Catholic Church (Cedar Rapids) – $350K-1 million
- St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (Cedar Falls) – $350K-1 million
- St. Theresa Catholic Church (Des Moines) – $350K-1 million
- Valley Evangelical Free Church (West Des Moines) – $350K-1 million
- All Saints Catholic Church (Cedar Rapids) – $150K-$350K
- Ankeny First United Methodist Church – $150K-350K
- Antioch Christian Church (Marion) – $150K-350K
- Bettendorf Christian Church – $150K-350K
- Candeo Church (Cedar Falls) – $150K-350K
- Cedar Valley Bible Church (Cedar Rapids) – $150K-350K
- Christ Community Church (Ames) – $150K-350K
- Christ the King Roman Catholic Church (Ft. Dodge) – $150K-350K
- Church of the Sacred Heart (Boone) – $150-350K
- Coram Deo Bible Church (Davenport) – $150-350K
- Falls Avenue Wesleyan Church (Waterloo) – $150-350K
- First Evangelical Lutheran Church (Cedar Rapids) – $150K-350K
- First Presbyterian Church (Fort Dodge) – $150K-350K
- Grand View United Methodist Church (Dubuque) – $150K-350K
- Harmony Bible Church (Danville) – $150K-350K
- Holy Cross Catholic Parish (Sioux City) – $150K-350K
- Holy Family Church (New Hampton) – $150K-350K
- Mater Dei Catholic Parish (Sioux City) – $150K-350K
- Meredith Drive Reformed Church (Des Moines) – $150K-350K
- New Covenant Bible Church (Cedar Rapids) – $150K-350K
- North Liberty United Methodist Church – $150K-350K
- Northpoint Church (Johnston) – $150K-350K
- Notre Dame Church (Cresco) – $150K-350K
- Orchard Hill Reformed Church (Cedar Falls) – $150K-350K
- Our Savior Lutheran Church (Bettendorf) – $150K-350K
- Plymouth Congregational Church UCC (Des Moines) – $150K-350K
- River Church Assembly of God (Davenport) – $150K-350K
- Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church (Spencer) – $150K-350K
- SS. Mary and Mathias Catholic Church (Muscatine) – $150K-350K
- St. Anthony’s Catholic Church (Des Moines) – $150K-350K
- St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church (Ankeny) – $150K-350K
- St. Teresa of Calcutta Church (Ossian) – $150K-350K
- St. Benedict Church (Decorah) – $150K-350K
- St. Ceclia Church (Ames) – $150K-350K
- St. John American Lutheran Church (Cedar Falls) – $150K-350K
- St. Joseph Church of Dewitt – $150K-350K
- St. Joseph Church (Marion) – $150K-350K
- St. Josephs Church of Des Moines – $150K-350K
- St. Mark’s Lutheran Church of Cedar Rapids – $150K-350K
- St. Mary’s Church (Manchester) – $150K-350K
- St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church (Remsen) – $150K-350K
- St. Patrick’s Church (Waukon) – $150K-350K
- St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Waverly) – $150K-350K
- First Assembly of God Church (Cedar Rapids) – $150K-350K
- Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Parish (Ankeny) – $150K-350K
- Walnut Ridge Baptist Church (Waterloo) – $150K-350K
- Trinity Lutheran Church (Davenport) – $150K-350K
- Trinity Lutheran Church (Cedar Rapids) – $150K-350K
- Veritas Church of Cedar Rapids – $150K-350K
- Walnut Creek Community Church (Windsor Heights) – $150K-350K
- Westminster Presbyterian Church (Des Moines) – $150K-350K
- Zion United Lutheran Church (Clear Lake) – $150K-350K
Here is the list of nine denominational offices/agencies receiving a PPP loan of more than $150,000.
- Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church – $1-2 million
- Archdiocese of Dubuque – $350K-1 million
- Diocese of Davenport – $350K-1 million
- Diocese of Sioux City – $350K-1 million
- Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque – $150K-350K
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Sioux City – $150K-350K
- Catholic Diocese of Des Moines – $150K-350K
- Central District Conference of the Evangelical Free Church (Dayton) – $150K-350K
- Iowa Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God (Urbandale) – $150k-350K
Here are the seven faith-based organizations who received a PPP loan of more than $150,000:
- Hope Ministries (Pleasant Hill) – $350K-1 million
- Freedom for Youth Ministries (Des Moines) – $150K-350K
- Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Camp (Milford) – $150K-350K
- North Iowa Youth for Christ (Mason City) – $150K-350K
- Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp (Story City) – $150K-350K
- The FAMiLY Leader Foundation (Urbandale) – $150K-350K
- The Gospel Mission (Sioux City) – $150K-350K
Caffeinated Thoughts also found 32 Christian or Catholic K-12 schools that received loans of over $150,000.
- Des Moines Christian School (Urbandale) – $1-2 million
- Kuemper Catholic School System (Carroll) – $1-2 million
- Beckman Catholic High School (Dyersville) – $350K-1 million
- Bosco Catholic School System (Gilbertsville) – $350K-1million
- Council Bluffs Area Catholic Education System – $350K-1 million
- Gehlen Catholic School (LeMars) – $350K-1 million
- Grand View Christian School (Des Moines) – $350K-1 Million
- Holy Trinity Catholic Schools (West Point) – $350K-1 Million
- Newman Catholic School System (Mason City) – $350K-1 Million
- Pella Christian Grade School – $350K-1 million
- Pella Christian High School – $350K-1 million
- St. Edmond Catholic School (Ft. Dodge) – $350K-1 million
- Sioux Center Christian School – $350K-1 million
- Unity Christian High School Association (Orange City) – $350K-1 million
- Xavier High School (Cedar Rapids) – $350K-1 million
- Ankeny Christian Academy – $150K-350K
- Heritage Christian School Association (North Liberty) – $150K-350K
- Holy Family School (Des Moines) – $150K-350K
- Hull Christian School – $150K-350K
- Iowa Mennonite School (Kalona) – $150K-350K
- Linn Christian Education Association (Cedar Rapids) – $150K-350K
- Orange City Christian School ($150K-350K)
- Prince of Peace Catholic Church Education System (Clinton) – $150K-350K
- Regis Middle School (Cedar Rapids) – $150K-350K
- Scott County Catholic Education (Davenport) – $150K-350K
- Seton Catholic School (Farley) – $150K-350K
- Siouxland Community Christian School (Sioux City) – $150K-350K
- Society of Protestant Reformed Education (Hull) – $150K-350K
- Society of Christian Instruction of Rock Valley Christian – $150K-350K
- St. Francis Xavier School (Dyersville) – $150K-350K
- St. Malachy School (Creston) – $150K-350K
- St. Pius & St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Schools (Cedar Rapids) – $150K-350K
Caffeinated Thoughts also found every Christian college in the state received a PPP loan, but all of those institutions also receive federal financial aid.
