The Foraker Group

There will be harm and unimaginable grief from the lack of an override today, but know that the fight is not over. The Legislature still has options and there will be action to take in the coming days and weeks. These are unprecedented times in our state and for our sector. And while I understand all too well the obstacles in front of us, I want to say how very proud and impressed I am with every nonprofit that has mobilized – not just standing up for their mission and the people they serve, but also standing up for the sector and for Alaska. This could have been a moment that divided us, pitting organization against organization and mission against mission. Instead, day after day I have seen solidarity. This… Read more »

Yesterday the House Finance Committee heard from many – including Foraker’s President/CEO Laurie Wolf, Diane Kaplan (Rasmuson Foundation), Jim Johnson (UAA), Becky Hultberg (Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association), Melanie Bahnke (Kawerak), and more – testifying on the impact of the Governor’s vetoes. You can listen to the recording here. You can read Laurie’s testimony here…. Read more »

Even if your organization is not directly impacted by the state budget, you will likely feel the indirect effects. We encourage you to use our Indicators of Financial Crisis tool to be prepared. A stressed organization can make ill-advised decisions, especially in the financial arena – and the results can be damaging. This tool can help you assess where you are financially and plan for the future. Use the tool. You can find the print version here…. Read more »

The 2020 Census is just around the corner. More than two years ago, Foraker convened the Alaska Census Working Group (ACWG) to advocate for a fair and accurate count of all Alaskans in the census. The ACWG is a nonpartisan, multi-sector collaboration with representation from business, local, state, and federal governments, nonprofits, Alaska Native organizations, the University of Alaska, and others. We’re pleased that Mayor Ethan Berkowitz recently appointed Foraker President/CEO Laurie Wolf and ACWG Chair and Foraker Operations Board member Gabe Layman to the Anchorage Census Complete Count Commission. These appointments give Laurie and Gabe more opportunity to advocate for a successful census and ensure that all Alaskans are counted. Learn more about the Alaska Census Working Group here…. Read more »

Yesterday we hosted a conference call for Alaska’s nonprofits to talk about how we amplify the nonprofit community response to the line-item vetoes in Governor Dunleavy’s budget. Our message was clear. As a nonprofit, including 501(c)(3) organizations, you have a responsibility to stand for your mission and engage in public policy. There has never been a more important time to engage on behalf of all Alaskans you serve. If you are worried about lobbying restrictions, call us. But don’t sit this one out. Your strongest voices will come from your board and your stakeholders (donors, volunteers, participants). Engage them all. If we divide, we will all fall. We must stand together to override the budget vetoes. We have very little time to make this happen. Celebrate our democracy this weekend… Read more »

Yesterday we hosted a conference call for nonprofits to talk about how we amplify the nonprofit community response to the line-item vetoes in Governor Dunleavy’s budget. We heard from you that you need tools to navigate the next steps. To that end, we have crafted a message template for you to use as a guide. We encourage you to use it to create a message to share with your board and others to help them when they contact their legislators. Call to Action – Please follow these steps: Step 1 – Gather your stakeholders: board, staff, donors, volunteers, participants. Step 2 – Provide them with a contact list of all the legislators. Start with your own district and then move on to the whole list – it is essential to… Read more »

A message from Laurie Wolf, President and CEO Today, Governor Dunleavy used his line-item veto to cut over $400 million from the FY2020 state budget, adding to $280 million in cuts already made by the legislature. These cuts represent some of the largest we have seen to health and human services in our state’s history. And these figures do not take into account the loss of $22 million in matching federal funds. Let’s be clear, these cumulative cuts will have an impact on every Alaskan. As we have been saying for some time now, Alaska only truly works when we work together – nonprofits, business, and government. These cuts will mean the loss of essential services, and our most vulnerable will be the most harmed. More people will go without… Read more »

The Rasmuson Foundation grants up to $40,000 to cover salary and expenses during a leadership sabbatical, which supports the personal growth or renewal of a nonprofit CEO or tribal executive. Consider nominating someone or plan to apply yourself. The deadline this year is September 15. Learn more at www.rasmuson.org/grants/sabbatical…. Read more »

A message from Foraker’s President/CEO Laurie Wolf: As nonprofit leaders we make difficult financial decisions every day and are driven to do what is best for the communities and people we serve. We know that the essential services we provide, the gifts we create for our communities, and the economic opportunities that are derived from our sector all work because we do it as partners with government, business and industry, and individual philanthropists. No one operates in a vacuum, and we need each other. Even if your organization receives no direct government funding, each decision by our policy makers has an impact on the people and places we serve. This is Alaska – we are all connected. When faced with a drastic budget proposal earlier this year, Alaskans spoke up… Read more »

One of the many gems at our Leadership Summit was Vu Le sharing the idea of practicing “we-care” in addition to “self-care.” Our team at Foraker heard the idea of “we-care” and immediately adopted it – not surprising, perhaps, because it is all about giving and receiving support, which is a staple in our work. Support in this case can take many forms from gentle reminders, motivational support, planning, coordinating, or even jumping in and doing something together. Your team can define what “we-care” means for your workplace culture. And your choice should have the flavor of not just expecting someone to figure out self-care on their own, but rather of creating an environment where care in general is a high priority and a celebrated choice. In that spirit and… Read more »