The Foraker Group

Foraker is improving its systems with a technology upgrade. If you have called or emailed our team in the last 48 hours, we may not have seen your message. The best way to reach a Foraker team member is by sending an email to info@forakergroup.org. The message will be passed along. Our systems will be running at full capacity in the coming days. Thanks for your patience!… Read more »

ELI is designed for executive directors who have been in their current position for up to three years and want to take the next step in leading their organizations and increasing job performance.  During your ELI experience, you will strengthen your board relationship, explore management and planning strategies with an experienced mentor, and learn from a network of peers. Learn more about the program here. Applications are now open. To apply, fill out this form and e-mail your current resume to Kate Rose at krose@forakergroup.org. The deadline to apply is December 18. … Read more »

The National Council of Nonprofits reports that changes proposed by the Biden administration to the rules governing federal grantmaking would “correct longstanding challenges that have limited nonprofit effectiveness, discouraged qualified organizations from seeking and performing under federal grants, and wasted billions of dollars and countless hours in needlessly complex reporting requirements.” In announcing the reforms, the administration said that the “proposal will materially decrease the burden on recipients of federal financial assistance, advance equity and job growth across the country, and meaningfully improve the administration of federal financial assistance.” The proposal would amend rules for grantmaking to charitable nonprofits, state, local, and tribal governments, and others. Public comments on the changes will be taken until December 4, 2023. Read more from the Council here…. Read more »

We regularly receive calls requesting us to teach parliamentary procedure – often referred to as Robert’s Rules of Order – and regularly we decline. We are not intentionally being obstinate, but there is something about teaching it that feels off for us – like we are not telling the whole story. We believe that focusing too much on the Rules takes away from important aspects of what makes for an effective meeting. Sometimes I remind groups that using Robert’s Rules is a “self-inflicted choice” so they know they can pivot if Robert becomes a burden and not an opportunity for structure. Some nonprofits have noted the use of Robert’s Rules in their bylaws, but most have not. It is simply a way of running a meeting that has “always been… Read more »

The 2018 federal government shutdown lasted 35 days. Today we are standing on the precipice of another shutdown. To avoid a “partial shutdown,” Congress must pass a stopgap bill known as a continuing resolution – the CR – by tomorrow to provide temporary funding to run the government. A federal shutdown translates to real and potentially devastating impacts on people, communities, and nonprofits that Americans rely on every day. Previous shutdowns proved in too many ways that nonprofits will once again be called on to provide a safety net for individuals who are without a paycheck. These same nonprofits already are operating within fragile systems with too few employees and fewer volunteers and philanthropic investments, which are the result of pandemic shifts and a lack of funding from state governments… Read more »

It is with great sadness that we offer our deepest condolences to Congresswoman Peltola and her family. We mourn the loss of Gene Peltola — an esteemed Alaska leader — and recognize his important contributions to his family, our state, and the nation. Both Mary and Buzzy served on the Foraker board and are part of the Foraker family. Our hearts go out to Mary, and we stand with her and support her through this tragic time…. Read more »

Decades into recommending a board matrix to focus on recruiting “the right people at the right time to serve mission” (as we say in the Foraker Nonprofit Sustainability Model), it dawned on me several years ago that when the data on board diversity still had not shifted, perhaps one of the problems is that the tool many groups are using to actually diversify the board is broken. Turns out, the tool itself may be fine, but if the users (you and me) are not implementing it with clear intentions, it will inevitably maintain the status quo in the boardroom. To be fair, that may be exactly what you are after, but again, many groups actually turn to the matrix to purposefully engage diverse individuals in the room based not just… Read more »

We’re hiring for an Operations & Education Coordinator. If you know a master multi-tasker with excellent communication skills and an upbeat attitude interested in expanding their career in the nonprofit sector, send them our way! Learn more here…. Read more »

            We are proud of all of our staff for their dedication to serving Alaska’s nonprofits. Foraker has a wonderful track record of longevity within our team. There are many reasons for this but one is our commitment to creating professional development opportunities including promoting from within when we can. We are thrilled to have that opportunity this year. Please help congratulate Tabitha Titus as our newest Executive Transition Guide, Kimberly Waller as the now Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Kathryn Knowles for taking on the role as Accounting Manager, and Karen Harvey in her new role a Senior Accountant. Congratulations to each of these team members on their promotion – we wouldn’t want to do this work without you…. Read more »

Our collective workforce woes are real, and we are all searching for what we can do to attract and retain a great workforce. Some of the obvious tools for compensation are outside our reach at the moment, but we do have tools in house right now that we can use to engage and understand our workforce more fully. One of those is meaningful evaluation. There is an art and a science to getting helpful feedback, and if you are the executive director or CEO, you likely know better than most how difficult evaluations are to come by, and meaningful ones are a bit like unicorns. That said, it is not just appropriate to expect some form of helpful feedback, but if you are the executive, it is part of the… Read more »