Visit the Foraker blog and and share your thoughts and experiences with us. Or join the conversation on the Foraker Facebook Page. Let us know, for example, how your organization views health insurance for your employees. It’s the subject of Dennis’s column this month.

Now that health care reform is back on the Congressional agenda, it’s doubtful that any bill that passes will contain sweeping changes to significantly alter how we provide health care in our country.  In America, we just don’t seem to be at a point yet where we will support minimum health coverage for all citizens, as is the case in Canada and most other economically advanced countries.  Nor, does it seem, that our elected leaders are willing to address the issue now – it may be another decade before they take that risk again.

However, the fact remains that as employers we continue to be tasked with finding the best benefits for our employees so we can attract and retain the right people. We are still working on this issue at Foraker. In an article from our September 2009 newsletter, I referenced the Stockdale Paradox.  In my opinion, Foraker along with many of our Partners now understand that our elected officials are not practicing this paradox when they address health care reform.   [Read More... ]

• State Chamber joins Foraker Group Benefit Plan
• Pick.Click.Give. – the final push
• IRS issues advisory on 990 filing
• The Foraker Group Salary & Benefits Survey© in final testing phase
• Offering video conference classes and teleconferences
• “Service interns” available from UAA to help nonprofits
• Want Social Media?

The Alaska State Chamber of Commerce has entered a partnership with The Foraker Group to offer the Foraker Benefit Plan to Chamber members.  The plan is designed to reduce health care costs, while providing incentives to employees to engage in healthier lifestyles.  The plan has been available to Foraker Partners for over a year.

Foraker President Dennis McMillian says the new collaboration has the potential to make health insurance available for Chamber members who could not previously purchase it for employees.

“We are very pleased with this collaboration,” McMillian said.  “It brings more organizations into the group which ultimately will make this a more affordable plan for everyone.”

McMillian and ASCC President Wayne Stevens, a member of the Foraker Operations Board, unveiled the plan on February 23 in Juneau. 

“This is an important day for our members,” Stevens said.  “All too often, especially for our smaller businesses, health insurance is something they want to offer but the cost puts it out of reach.  Now they have this excellent program that will help cover their employees and put them on the road to better health at the same time.”

Read more at www.alaskachamber.com.

The final days for Alaskans to Pick. Click. Give. are quickly approaching. and the campaign is progressing well.  As of this week, 10,000 donations have been made.  That easily exceeds the 7,500 donations made in 2009.

In addition, the state has fixed its computer system and it will be possible for Alaskans who had difficulty making a donation earlier this year to go back and Pick.Click.Give.  Between April 5 and May 31, 2010, every Alaskan will have a second chance to make a Pick.Click.Give donation – this option is available to people who tried unsuccessfully to donate, would like to make additional donations, or would like to make new donations.

Find out more about Pick. Click. Give.

The Internal Revenue Service has issued an advisory reminding tax-exempt organizations to make sure they file their annual 990 information form on time. In 2010 the tax-exempt status of any nonprofit that has not filed the required form in the last three years will be revoked.

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 requires that nonprofit organizations that do not file a required information form for three consecutive years automatically lose their federal tax-exempt status. This requirement has been in effect since the beginning of 2007.  More information is available at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=218550,00.html.

Testing is almost finished on the new web-based survey that will track salaries and benefits in Alaska nonprofit organizations. Foraker has been publishing surveys to support human resources within Alaska nonprofits since 2002.  This year brings a major improvement for participants – information will be entered online from our web page with no additional forms to submit or spreadsheets to complete.  These surveys help organizations to:

• Set salaries for new positions in your organization
• Review your over-all salary structure for comparability with like organizations
• Satisfy IRS requirements to support salaries for senior staff at higher compensation levels with survey data of comparable positions

In addition, we’ll evaluate trends and provide comparative tables to show what’s happened in our sector from one survey period to the next.

If you are a consistent participant, we look forward to your submittal this year.  If you have not participated in the past, please consider doing so this year.  The more data we collect the better the quality of the information we report.

We’d like to thank the volunteer organizations that currently are helping us test the new system.  When the testing is completed, the launch of the survey will be announced via email.

Are you looking for better ways to serve your organization?  Whether you're staff, a board member, or a volunteer, The Foraker Group has a class for you. In March, we offer on-site classes in Anchorage, along with three video conference classes in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau and seven different GoToMeeting teleconferences.  Visit our class calendar to see what's available and then register for one that will help you enhance your skills.

We have just a few policies on registration.  GoToMeeting teleconferences and video conference classes must be paid in advance of the class.  You may pay for on-site classes in advance, or when you arrive.  If we don't have at least seven people registered for a class three working days before it's to be held, we have to cancel it.  To see a full list of our courses, please visit  www.forakergroup.org. If you have questions, you may contact us by email, info@forakergroup.org, or by phone at 907-743-1200.

The University of Alaska Anchorage will begin a program this fall that offers interns to nonprofit organizations with social service missions.  The interns will come from the schools of engineering and business administration and will assist in the areas of management or technology for organizations that don’t have funds to hire consultants.  The students will spend one semester working on projects that are defined by the nonprofit.  The client organization will commit to having a senior executive supervise the student’s work.  There is no charge for this service.  Interested organizations should contact Dr. Alex Hills, 907-232-6088, ahills@cmu.edu .

Blogs, microblogs, social networks, podcasts, widgets, oh my!

We've added a poll to The Foraker Group Facebook page to gauge your interest in a class about social media tools for nonprofit organizations. Take our poll.