The Foraker Group

Urge our congressional delegation today to enact essential relief for charitable nonprofits before leaving Washington for the holidays. Congress is actively negotiating the next COVID-19 relief package. Senator Lisa Murkowski is a leader in the bipartisan effort to bring immediate relief to millions of Americans, local governments, businesses, and nonprofits.  Communities in all parts of Alaska are relying on nonprofits more than ever as COVID-19 cases rise in our state and across the nation. Join us TODAY. Let Senator Murkowski know you support her willingness to include nonprofits in the next relief bill. And join the national call to action — #Relief4Charities — to ensure every legislator knows the national nonprofit priorities…. Read more »

Holiday lights for Diwali, Hanukkah, Solstice, Christmas, and Kwanzaa – that is what I savor on an evening ramble through my neighborhood during these dark days of winter. They’re in the trees, windows, and roofs – inside and outside. Their sparkle lights my way both literally and in my heart. This year – the year that is so very different, the year that is like living in a snow globe that is forever in dizzying motion – I have noticed a few things about these lights. First, there are more of them, a lot more. Second, they were out way earlier than I can remember from years before now. Third, while they still bring me great kid-like joy, they also have me wondering more about how the people who put… Read more »

Rasmuson Foundation has reopened their small grant program, known as Tier 1, to fund emergency needs of nonprofits, local governments and tribal organizations. Complete applications must be in hand by Nov. 30, so don’t delay. Awards of up to $10,000 for either operational or capital needs will be made in December. Interested organizations should click here to learn more and apply…. Read more »

COVID-19 has changed nearly everything about the way Alaska nonprofits are meeting mission. We are innovating in how we deliver our programs and services – exploring new options for fundraising – changing the way we manage our human and financial resources – working differently to better leverage our partnerships – and so much more. However, the why of our work has not changed. The need for nonprofit advocacy also has not changed. In fact, during this pandemic it is more important than ever before. It is critical that nonprofits keep in touch with their local governments, state legislators, the Alaska executive branch, and our congressional delegation. We are all looking for new ways to engage with policy makers because of COVID. Since in-person meetings with elected officials and staff will… Read more »

Hey new Executive Directors – we have a program designed for YOU! In our Executive Leadership Intensive we’ll share tools and resources to help you take the next step in leading your organization and increasing your job performance. The deadline to apply is December 7. Learn more here…. Read more »

Are you feeling it? Are you hearing it? Election anxiety – it’s a thing. It might look different across the country but we are not immune in our great state. The rising rates of COVID infection are only exacerbating our collective anxiety. Overlay a reckoning about the deep inequities experienced in our communities not just by the ravishes of COVID right now but by historical trauma, and we have the perfect storm for deep and real anxiety. What we also know is that the collision of COVID and the election has something else in common: it takes all of us to participate and believe in the greater good for change to occur. If your anxiety is being stoked and you are having trouble finding the right things to say –… Read more »

Applications will open for the Municipality of Anchorage Nonprofit Relief grant program at noon on Monday, October 19, 2020. The grant program will make available over $4,000,000 of CARES Act funds to eligible nonprofits, and $50,000 from the Rasmuson Foundation that will be dedicated to arts and culture nonprofits.  Cook Inlet Lending Center (CILC) will process applications for this grant program and distribute the funds. $2.5 million of the grant program will be set aside for general nonprofits, while $1.5 million of the grant program will be set aside for arts and culture nonprofits.  Qualified applicants will be eligible to receive grants of $7,500, $15,000, or $30,000 depending on the recipient’s gross revenue. The grants may be used to cover costs of operational interruptions caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic and local emergency… Read more »

We call these days “blursday.” They are endless and full, and one day bends and folds into liminal space. These are days where the virus has done more than bring isolation, death, and sorrow – it has revealed and exploited the deep inequities that already existed, and its wake only deepens our fears about each other and about the state of our nation. In this “in-between time,” we hold our breath waiting for the next revelation  that we know will come, and we are never sure from which direction. Will it be in the new way we respond to our work with agility and speed that we didn’t even know we had? Or in the new life of teacher-parent-worker that we never thought was possible but yet is happening? Or… Read more »

Help us create a tool for Alaska nonprofits to use in making important personnel decisions. Your participation in our salary and benefit survey allows us to generate a report to help you establish a salary for a new position, evaluate salary norms within the Alaska nonprofit sector, and compare your organization’s benefit offerings and total compensation competitiveness. The survey will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. You’ll need a list of your employees’ positions and their wages (Note: we are collecting data for 48 position categories, so not everyone at your organization may fit in the categories.), your employee handbook, and a description of your benefit plan. The link to the survey will take you to a secure online area that allows you to add key information about wages and benefits. If you participated… Read more »

The National Council of Nonprofits is hosting a free webinar on September 24 at 11:00 AKDT to answer questions about COVID-related paid leave requirements. During the webinar, speakers from the U.S. Department of Labor will: Walk participants through the requirements of the laws Explain which employees and employers are and are not covered Discuss the concept of intermittent family leave in the context of school reopening Address the recent federal court decision and changes to Labor Department regulations effective September 16 You can register here…. Read more »