Each week, we outline the previous week's articles addressing these economic times for nonprofits in the United States. We select the content that is useful to Alaska nonprofits. Below are a few of the links from the previous week.

The Ghost of Christmas Future: State Budget Deficits in 2010
Rick Cohen, The Nonprofit Quarterly

State budgets were a mess in FY2009, a debacle in FY2010, and look like impending catastrophes in FY2011.

Five Internal Controls for the Very Small Nonprofit

Segregation of duties, checks & balances . . . difficult to implement in the organization that has perhaps three or fewer staff, or only a few active board members in an all-volunteer organization.

Funders focus on rebuilding assets
Philanthropy Journal

In the wake of a year that saw foundation assets tumble 24 percent, a majority of endowments and funders will focus on rebuilding their assets in the coming months, a new study says.

Access more News to Use articles on The Foraker Group web site.

Here are some article summaries posted in the News to Use section of the Economic Response resources on The Foraker Group web site for the week ending December 18.

Recession Prompts Watchdog Agency to Loosen Fund-Raising Standards
The Chronicle of Philanthropy

In recognition of the recession’s severe impact on charities, the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance announced today that it will allow organizations more leeway in meeting its standards for how much they spend on fund-raising and program activities. Since 2003 the watchdog agency has required charities that meet its 20 standards to spend at least 65 percent on programs (Standard 8) and no more than 35 percent of contributions on fund-raising expenses (Standard 9). But for the fiscal years ending in 2008 through June 2010, the agency announced, charities that spend up to 45 percent of contributions on fund raising and as little as 55 percent on programs will still receive the Wise Giving Alliance stamp of approval, so long as they comply with the other 18 standards. http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=10316

Social Good: How to Raise Support Through Online Contests
The Chronicle of Philanthropy

In our new edition of Social Good, a Chronicle podcast, you can learn how to use online giving contests such as the Case Foundation’s America’s Giving Challenge to raise money and awareness. http://philanthropy.com/media/audio/socialgood/

While this is not listed in News to Use, Beth Kanter - author of Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media - raised some interesting points about online giving contests, particularly utilizing social media in her recent post What Lessons Will Pepsi Learn About Crowdsourcing for Social Good from Chase Bank Contest Fail?

You can access more News to Use here.

Feel free to share some interesting articles in our comments section that pertain to the economy and nonprofits.

Because of the importance and impact of the economy on the nonprofit sector, The Foraker Group spends time each week to cull the most useful articles that we find in local, regional and national news and compile them into a list of links for you.

We now devote an entire section of Foraker web site to Economic Response. Our intention is to update this section of our site as new information is available so you can check back often and contact us directly if there is a service, course or information that would be helpful to you in your work.

You can find helpful links to resources here.

Check out the archive of News to Use which are the weekly updated links for the previous week of news.

And here's a link to the news items from the week of November 6th.

If you find something worth sharing, please let us know so we can review it and potentially include it in an upcoming list of links.

Did you know the Obama Administration has launched a new online portal, www.serve.gov, where organizations can list service opportunities and individuals can find openings of interest or develop their own projects?

From the site:

"This website is a new portal for you and all Americans to find your own ways to serve in your own communities. Just choose your keyword - "education," "environment," or whatever interests you - and type in your zip code to see what opportunities our partner organizations have in your area. Americans are putting their own country back on the right track, be a part of it."

The service effort will focus on:

1) promoting clean energy, energy efficiency, and public land restoration;

2) supporting education and literacy for all Americans;

3) increasing health care access, public health awareness, and prevention; and

4) providing community renewal to areas hardest hit by the economic crisis.

Federal agencies are also working on developing tools to assist service activities and to help to track the community impact of these efforts.

First Lady Michelle Obama and the Corporation for National and Community Service announced this initiative to help put volunteers "on a path to sustained service." The initiative launches officiallyon June 22 at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service and culminate in a National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11.

Additional reading:

Press Release: First Lady Thanks Corporation for National and Community Service Employees

Remarks by the First Lady at a Corporation for National and Community Service Event

Time is running out for all qualifying Alaska nonprofits to apply for the 2010 PFD Contributions Program.

Here are some things to note:

1. Apply now. If you are working with an Alaska nonprofit interested in being considered for the 2010 PFD Contributions Program, you must apply. You can get to the application information via Pick. Click. Give.'s site.

2. Re-Apply. If you are an organization that qualified in 2009 for the program, you still must apply again in order to be considered for 2010. It is not a given that you will get into the program again, plus there are new questions to answer as well as modified guidelines.

3. Do You Qualify? Only qualifying organizations should apply. Guidelines for qualification are in the program's FAQ.

4. Apply Early. Think about submitting your application by May 31, 2009 to receive feedback on your application.

5. The Deadline Is...The final deadline to have your application postmarked is June 15, 2009.

For more information, you can call 1-888-785-GIFT (4438) or email pfdinfo@forakergroup.org.

Customer Satisfaction

Our success at The Foraker Group is measured, in part, by the satisfaction of our customers. Only by meeting your expectations will we be able to fulfill our core purpose of strengthening Alaska nonprofits. Recently you should have received an email about our 2009 Customer Satisfaction Survey if you have worked with us in the last year.

Please take a few moments to complete this survey. It will be open for your participation until May 29. We ask that you select one person from your organization to take the survey -- preferably a senior member of your board or staff. Individual responses will be kept confidential. However, we will share a summary of them with Partners after the survey closes.

As an added incentive this year -- after you have taken the survey we will include your organization in a drawing for one free hour of consulting time. At the end of the survey you will be sent to a separate web page to enter your name, organization, phone and email. This extra step assures the anonymity of your responses.

Please email info@forakergroup.org for a link to the survey if you haven't received our notice.

A recent article on The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that women are taking a more prominent role in charitable giving for their household.

The study, sponsored by Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, found that 80 percent of the respondents to their survey were married and the majority of the men who responsed said that their spouse was the primary influencer in charitable-giving decisions for their household. Women who participated in the study tended to name a wider range of influencers in their giving decisions including family members, friends, and co-workers. Almost half the women surveyed felt strongly about involving their children in philanthropy compared to 39% of the men.

High Income Women's Giving Habits

The survey also focused in on higher-income women and found that this particular group were more likely (than other survey respondents) to make public gifts to charity, to use more complicated financial structures to make gifts, and to turn to financial advisors when making charitable contributions.

Also according to the report, high-income women were more likely than other survey participants to donate to health and science-related causes and to make additional gifts to charity in response to increasing needs and difficult economic times.

The study found that the average charitable giver (male and female) surveyed donated 6 percent of gross household income in 2008 with a vast majority giving up to 10 percent. They also consider charitable giving as a part of their overall financial plan.

But Who Is a Philanthropist, Really?

An interesting finding in the study is that the respondents defined a philanthropist as someone who donates at least $100,000 a year or more. At a time when we're working to educate and create more awareness of the power of individual giving, this perception is a telling factor in why many people don't realize their personal power to give at any amount. Philanthropy doesn't require a minimum dollar amount. A philanthropist can be anyone giving any amount of money, time or attention to an important issue, cause or organization.

NOTE: The survey was conducted online by Chrysalis Research of Kirkland, Wash., and Research Data Technology of Woburn, Mass., from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4, 2009. It included 1,003 respondents who donated at least $1,000 in 2007.

You can read the entire article here and view the press release here.

The Conference of Young Alaskans took place Jan 3-6. Fifty-five young Alaskans from across the state met in Girdwood to talk about their thoughts on the state.

A relevant blog post worth reading is here:

Because Things in the Game Done Changed: Why Nonprofits Need Generation Y Leadership in an Uncertain Economy

Here are some local links to coverage about the conference:

Conference of Young Alaskans - KTVA

Conference of Young Alaskans Under Way - Juneau Empire

Conference of Young Alaskans In Full Swing - APRN

Anchorage - Eight Alaska nonprofit leaders have been selected for the 2009 Rasmuson Sabbatical Program, and they are:  

Lynne Ballew, Safe Harbor Inn
Christine Bauman, Sitkans Against Family Violence
Tammy Bidwell, Kenai Peninsula Community Care Center
Joyanna Geisler, Independent Living Center - Homer
Katherine Gottlieb, Southcentral Foundation
David McClure, Bristol Bay Housing Authority
Jonathon Ross, Alaska Native Heritage Center
Nicole Songer, Cordova Family Resource Center  

The Rasmuson Foundation Sabbatical Program is designed to provide time for nonprofit leaders to refresh and rejuvenate. The sabbatical is to be used for personal growth and reflection, according to Diane Kaplan, President of the Rasmuson Foundation.  

"Non profit leaders often work long hours helping others or operating programs that benefit the public. They experience emotional as well as physical effects from their work. Taking a sabbatical offers them an opportunity to spend quality time with their family, step back to gain new perspective on their organization and renew themselves," she said.  

Lynne Ballew is Founder and Project Director of Safe Harbor, Alaska's first and only nonprofit motel for homeless families and people with disabilities. She will use the time for rest and relaxation, and to "let go." She said, "sooner or later, every founder's vision must give way to the realities of time, change and subsequent management with the hope the cherished work finds able and imaginative curators," she said. Her absence will allow others to assume more responsibility and ownership of the program. Safe Harbor is located in Anchorage. 

Christine Bauman, Executive Director, Sitkans Against Family Violence, has led the organization for four years and has continuously worked in domestic violence services for many years . Bauman oversees management of a 25-bed residential program serving victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. She recently attended a workshop on vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout. "I was only mildly surprised that I exhibited the symptoms of burnout. I love my job, but it is wearing me down. A significant break will allow me enough time to full recover and rejuvenate," she said.                                                               

Tammy Bidwell, Executive Director, Kenai Peninsula Community Care Center, began working there in 1987 as a Family Teacher. She believes the sabbatical will permit "time for relaxation and solitude." She says it has become difficult to separate her personal and professional life, and that taking a break will allow her to "continue the same level of efficiency and productivity that being a nonprofit executive director requires." She will spend time with family. With a staff of 25, the Community Care Center provides services to emotionally and mentally disturbed adolescents in a group home setting.  

Joyanna Geisler, Executive Director, Independent Living Center in Homer, has served in that role for 17 years guiding the program's growth to a million dollar service budget. She will use her Sabbatical to focus on health, connect with friends and family, and "relax, have fun and come back energized and ready to get back to work." The Independent Living Center trains people with disabilities to develop personal living skills.  

Katherine Gottlieb, President and CEO, Southcentral Foundation, has been a health care leader in the Alaska Native community for nearly three decades. She manages more than 1,000 professionals in a complex health care delivery system serving 46,000 Alaska Natives and American Indians in 55 urban and rural communities spread across southcentral Alaska. Her Sabbatical will allow her three months away from these responsibilities. 

Dave McClure, Executive Director, Bristol Bay Housing Authority, has worked in his position for 15 years. He embraces the sabbatical to "evaluate his experience and return with clarity of mind to focus on new and ongoing endeavors with a renewed perspective." The Dillingham-based housing authority manages 500 homes and apartments with 22 new units in development.  

Jonathon Ross, President and CEO, Alaska Native Heritage Center, intends to use his sabbatical to learn the Dena'ina language from elders on the Kenai Peninsula. "There has not been a single person in many years who has gone from not knowing any of the Dena'ina language to being fluent. I hope to be the first of many." The Alaska Native Heritage Center is a 26-acre facility with year round programs and exhibits telling the story of Native cultures and histories to more than 110,000 visitors each year.  

Nicole Songer, Executive Director, Cordova Family Resource Center, is on call seven days a week to oversee and staff the 24-hour help line. "The sabbatical will give me time to refresh myself, learn new things and take time to reunite physically and emotionally with my family," she says. "After seven years of this occupation with minimum leave, my family needs me and I am in need of a break."   

The next postmark deadline to apply for a Rasmuson Foundation Sabbatical is October 1, 2009. Details about the Sabbatical Program, guidelines for preparing a proposal, and application materials are available online at www.rasmuson.org  or by calling (907) 297-2700. The toll free number within Alaska is 1-877-366-2700.  

About the Foundation The Rasmuson Foundation was created in May 1955 by Jenny Rasmuson to honor her late husband E.A. Rasmuson.  Through grantmaking and initiatives, the Foundation is a catalyst to promote a better life for all Alaskans.

The financial crisis is causing significant shifts in the nonprofit job market. What do these shifts mean to you — and what should you be doing to advance your career in the current market?

Read the transcript from a Live Discussion at The Chronicle of Philanthropy's web site.

There is also a related article called Rethinking Nonprofit Jobs about how nonprofits are being more creative with staffing strategies due to the bad economy.

SEATTLE -- As more Americans turn to charity amid worsening economic gloom, operators of food banks and other aid groups are relying on the surprisingly resilient generosity of their neighbors and finding that even when times are tough, people still give.

In Seattle, Boeing Co. employees tripled their cash donations this year to Northwest Harvest, operator of Washington's largest food bank. And every week, Northwest Harvest spokeswoman Claire Acey says, companies call to say their employees have decided to skip their holiday party and buy food for the hungry instead.

"We see things like that and they are little beacons of hope," Acey said.

Read more...

Do you think Alaskans are still giving despite the economic "meltdown?"