The Foraker Group

Foraker is thrilled to welcome home Gretchen Guess as the new President and CEO of the Rasmuson Foundation. We are looking forward to working alongside Gretchen and the whole team to strengthen Alaska’s nonprofits, tribes, and communities. Gretchen’s previous professional and volunteer commitments position her to be a thoughtful listener and a ready partner across the diversity of people, places, and organizations across Alaska. Congratulations Gretchen and the whole Rasmuson team. Learn more in their press release: https://rasmuson.org/…/foundations-new-ceo-comes-home…/… Read more »

Let me share a few facts with you about volunteering in Alaska. First, we have a tradition of volunteering. Alaska ranks among the top five states for volunteer participation and consistently exceeds the U.S. average with an estimated 40.6% of Alaskans volunteering as of 2019. Second, volunteers contribute to the economy. The latest study from Independent Sector notes that volunteers typically contribute nearly $200 billion to the national economy. Here in Alaska, volunteer service is worth an estimated $594.7 million – a significant contribution to our economy. In 2020, the per-hour rate for volunteers in Alaska rose to $30.30 placing us 13th among all states and the District of Columbia in hourly rate. Volunteering enhances organizational impact, improves the volunteer’s quality of life, and creates momentum for a more fully… Read more »

Thanksgiving often brings us an opportunity to share time in our home or the homes of family and friends. Home can conjure up good thoughts and also reminds us of life’s challenges. I am thankful for many definitions of home. One of those is the definition of the nonprofit sector itself — a home with a strong foundation that we build upon every day. Our sector is built on community. We are on the ground working with our neighbors and working to improve the places we live. We are woven together by our diverse people, neighborhoods, and country, and we are stronger as a result. Our sector is built on partnerships. We are relationship-based, and we know that each connection with other organizations, businesses, and government strengthens our work and creates more lasting… Read more »

Whew! Decisions. Every day in every way. Life changing and insignificant – each one is called the same thing, but wow are they different. Sometimes the sheer volume of them can make even the insignificant feel hard. As humans, of course, we are always making choices – even choices that don’t feel like a choice. For many of you, your choices have a significant impact on people’s lives or on the stability of your missions. These are the choices I am thinking about at the moment – when our responsibility is always to be in a space of “leaving it better than we found it” – when all is as it should be – bigger than a person, a point in time, a single idea. These are the choices in… Read more »

Scott Crabtree, founder of Happy Brain Science, was one of our most beloved speakers at the 2019 Leadership Summit. So much so that we brought him back for the virtual 2021 Leadership Summit. He will be in Anchorage on October 26 and we are taking advantage of this opportunity to host him for a 90 minute training called Hiring, Engagement, Retention: What We Can Learn from the Science of Games. Scott will teach us how to ‘Gamify’ our nonprofits so your job candidates and employees have more fun, deliver better results, and stay with you longer. Space is limited so register today!… Read more »

I have been thinking about so many conversations lately that center on exhaustion.  I said recently to a few colleagues, I am tired in a way that sleep will not fix; they nodded in a knowing way. To be clear, my tired is a tired that comes with great privilege.  I am, in this moment, only talking about the work of leading an organization like so many of you do every day.  The persistent and consistent depth and breadth of decisions with no clear answers that impact others in every way is unceasing.  I am sure this was true pre-pandemic but perhaps it is the speed, the severity, the constant need to rethink or redo the same decision as new information emerges that makes it more challenging – honestly, I… Read more »

Have you identified foundation and/or corporate prospects, but are unsure of how to take the next step … or if it’s even worth your time to apply?  Are you struggling with how to find corporate and foundation funders that are a real fit for your organization? We are offering a new, virtual intensive designed to help organizations find, build relationships with, and solicit contributions from corporations and foundations who offer charitable funding. Our new program, Fundraising Action Plan: Raising Funds from Corporations and Foundations, will focus on best practices and hands-on tools for finding and approaching businesses, foundations, corporations and other nonprofits for funding. (Note: Techniques for fundraising from individual and family donors are covered in another Foraker intensive, Fundraising Action Plan: Raising Funds from Individuals) This Fundraising Action Plan intensive… Read more »

As a nonprofit employee or employer, you are making a difference every day. That service to others may make you eligible for a limited-time program to have your federal loans fully forgiven. But nonprofit employees need to act before October 31 to take advantage of this temporary waiver. Not to be confused with the recent debt forgiveness announcement, this temporary waiver means that, even if you were rejected for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) previously or had made payments that someone said didn’t qualify, you now may be much closer to having your loans fully forgiven. This limited waiver expires on October 31. Check your eligibility today! More Information: Good News for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Borrowers by Tiffany Gourley Carter details steps to take depending on the type… Read more »

Are you new to your job or still feeling like everything is changing so much it feels new all the time?  Are you feeling more alone in your decision-making right now?  Do you see the possibilities for change but need a thought partner to explore ideas in a safe space?  These are just some of the reasons nonprofit leaders are seeking our mentoring and coaching services.  Want to join them?  We are ready with a pool of highly qualified and seasoned professionals who can help you to: Increase your confidence on the job Develop and/or refine new leadership skills Find greater job satisfaction Improve your ability to achieve goals Learn about useful resources to help you lead Increase your certainty in decision making Discover new techniques for managing the many aspects… Read more »

Workforce shortages. Government contracting shortfalls and unacceptably late payments. Rapid program expansion to meet increasing demands. Financial uncertainty based on the end of pandemic relief and no restart yet of what’s next. These are the most common issues we hear from so many of you every day. For sure, the last two years have created a “new normal” and all our workplaces are scrambling to adapt and continue delivering our missions. Part of that process means dealing with challenges that often feel bigger than us and harder to understand, which is the right next step. Indeed, tackling these issues is a step-by-step adventure rather than just one big leap. We see you – we hear you. While no perfect tools exist for every challenge you face, we do want to… Read more »