NWAA presentation: Understanding SFA

Rael & Letson Consulting Actuary, Jeff Frizzell and Communications Consultant Charity Gourley recently spoke at the Northwest Association of Administrators conference in Chelan, Washington on July 24, 2024. Their presentation, titled The American Rescue Plan Act: Navigating Applications & Communications for ARPA Special Financial Assistance (SFA), dove deep into what SFA is, why plans need it, and key takeaways for Administrators.

Jeff explained how many plans landed in a financial deficit, who should or can apply for SFA, what the application and waitlist process looks like, and tips for getting the application approved. Charity then broke down the various communication pathways depending on a plan’s situation, when and where to share information and with whom, and an overview of various approaches and tactics. The lively presentation was peppered with excellent questions from the informed audience and ran for just over an hour.