The Foraker Group

The work of change is loud and strong and in the street. It is also quiet and subtle and continuous. It is inside and outside. It is in a person’s head and body and soul and woven throughout an institution’s culture – glimmering in its people, practices, and principals. It is personal and collective. It is not about better or worse ways. It is not about ending or stopping but about starting and momentum. It is about the commitment to change. It will take all of us. Some things will be simple and obvious, but mostly it is hard, and it is worth it. We each begin this journey in different places so the idea that there is one way might be a good way to sell something or promise… Read more »

The National Council of Nonprofits provided the following information on the executive order that was issued by the President on August 8. “The Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service has issued a three-page guidance implementing the Presidential Memorandum allowing employers to defer withholding and payment of the employee’s portion of the Social Security tax. Notice 2020-65, posted on August 31 on IRS.gov, makes relief available for employers and generally applies to wages paid starting Sept. 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020. The employee Social Security tax deferral may apply to payments of taxable wages to an employee that are less than $4,000 during a bi-weekly pay period, with each pay period considered separately. No deferral is available for any payment to an employee of taxable wages of $4,000 or… Read more »

The state has made important changes to the AK CARES grant program. Starting on August 31, 2020, 501(c)3, 501(c)6, and 501(c)19 nonprofits that received any amount of PPP/EIDL funding will become eligible.  AIDEA has developed an online application portal that is available at www.akcaresonline.org. All applications must now be made through the portal. Please note, there is no option to save and come back to the grant application. Do not start the application until you have reviewed the FAQs/Checklist and have all supporting documents ready for upload. The funds will go quick – so if you plan to apply you’ll need to prepare now. Join us on Monday at 1:00 to learn more…. Read more »

A note from Laurie: We are thrilled that our latest gender pay equity report was highlighted in The Nonprofit Quarterly. As you know we are strongly committed to the goal of achieving pay equity and have been working on that commitment in a variety of ways for many years. We’ve published several reports in the past as part of our Salary and Benefits Survey. However, this year we are bringing a new level of data and resources to understanding the issue, and we’ve been able to take advantage of information that’s only available in Alaska. This work could not be more important right now as COVID is taking an additional toll on women in the workplace.  I am sure many of you understand this first hand and I ask that… Read more »

Are you uncertain about how and when to reach out to your donors during this pandemic? Do you need help taking the next step forward and being held accountable to reaching out and asking your donors? Are you starting to panic about how to launch your end-of-year campaign? If so, our fund development team is here to help! The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the fundraising efforts of many Alaska nonprofits. That’s why we are offering a new, short-term Fundraising Action Plan cohort that specifically guides you through the steps you need to take NOW to get you the funding results you want. This is a hands-on experience that will require you to do homework and real-time work with your donors – with the support of your team, a cohort of peers,… Read more »

The AK CARES grant application is live and has received 800 applications totaling $37 million in its first week. Credit Union 1 continues to process the applications they received before the portal went live. If your organization applied to CU1, there is no need to reapply. CU1 has approved 500 applications for a total of $24 million. A few tips for filling out the application: Gather all your documents before beginning the application. Once the portal application has been started, you cannot save your application and return later. The portal will not time out, so you can leave it open as long as you need. When a supporting document is uploaded, there is a text box allowing the applicant to leave a note regarding the document if explanation is needed…. Read more »

The Census Bureau put out an official statement that 2020’s count will be cut short a month, ending on September 30. The devastating consequences on Alaska will be felt for at least a decade. The Alaska Congressional Delegation needs to keep hear from you. Please join us in encouraging them to take action. Senator Lisa Murkowski: https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/contact/email Senator Dan Sullivan: https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/contact/email Representative Don Young: https://donyoung.house.gov/contact/ Draft paragraphs to copy & paste: We are concerned by this week’s changes to the timeline of the Census. Alaska currently has the lowest Census self-response rate in the nation. If the count is cut short now, we will suffer the largest consequences of any state, which will be reflected by a loss of billions of dollars flowing into our economy over the next decade. Responding… Read more »

A global pandemic – a childcare/educational crisis – escalating economic loss – a sector under siege or boarded up while adapting to the needs of our communities. This is beyond the disasters that Alaskans know of like earthquakes, floods, and fires. These disasters come quickly, leaving us devastated, but a clear path forward soon emerges. Our current crisis is the longest marathon at sprint pace most of us have known. Adjusting is an understatement. Recovery is a faraway place as we live in the here and now and do our best to put the puzzle pieces of relief together. What we know is that as a sector we are the safety net. We are fire service, childcare, and food security. We are human support. We are human spirit. We are… Read more »

Now more than ever we face a multitude of challenges in our communities and our economy, and we know that not everyone is being impacted in the same way. Already existing disparities in economic status are exacerbated by the pandemic, and the same is true for the gender pay gap. Economists are now predicting that as women take on more responsibilities with children at home, the pay gap will widen. With that in mind, now is the time to reflect on what we can do to end the gender pay gap in Alaska. Our latest report specifically details pay inequity in the state’s nonprofit sector, and guess what? We have work to do – and we believe the nonprofit sector can lead the way. But first, a brief moment of… Read more »

Mission Driven is a good-news series highlighting the many ways in which Alaska’s nonprofit sector is moving forward during the pandemic. Hosted by Foraker President/CEO Laurie Wolf, these recorded chats feature inspiring tales of resilience from nonprofit leaders in our state.   RBI Alaska’s Founder/CEO, Jamar Hill, has had a storied baseball career. These days, he’s finding new ways to teach kids about the sport he loves. His takeaway: kids are resilient Michele Girault hit the ground running in her first 100-days as Executive Director at Hope Community Resources. Her focus in a distanced environment has revolved around deepening personal connections and maintaining flexible systems. How are nonprofit leaders gathering and using data to chart their way forward during a pandemic? For Anchorage Concert Association’s Executive Director, Jason Hodges, the process… Read more »