The Foraker Group

Let’s take a quiz. What do these three things have in common? The 6th line in the United States Constitution Only 10 questions 18% of federal dollars flow directly into Alaska nonprofits every year Did you guess it right? Well if you said the U.S. Census – then you sure did. Just what is the census? As I alluded to above, the census is enshrined in our constitution and requires the federal government to count every person living in the United States every ten years. Remarkably, it is the single largest peacetime mobilization by the federal government and while it is the job of the census bureau to do all the counting, we sure can make their efforts a little bit easier by helping Alaskans know the facts, know their… Read more »

Foraker is pleased to announce the addition of Kimberly Waller to our team. Kim is the first-ever Director of Sultana, our fiscal sponsorship program. Sultana exists to support groups and projects in the preliminary stages of their development, offering opportunities to incubate ideas, employ staff, and provide the stability that funders need to make initial investments. As the Director of Sultana, Kim will support opportunities for new collaboratives and grassroots initiatives to germinate. She will also take on the role of a Foraker Lead Capacity Builder and join a team of facilitators who are responsible for strengthening Alaska organizations and tribes. Kim will be focused on collaborative efforts by fostering cross-sector partnerships to maximize missions across Alaska. Kimberly Waller, Director of Sultana/Lead Capacity Builder Kimberly was born in Fairbanks and… Read more »

Foraker’s Leadership Transition team is rapidly growing so we can better support your organization through a leadership change. We know that change is inevitable and that a smooth transition from one leader to another will keep your organization focused on mission. Please join us in welcoming Catherine Bradshaw and Mara Carnahan to Foraker. In addition, Foraker consultant Allison Fong has changed roles and is now a staff member. Catherine is joining us as the Director of Leadership Transition. She is deeply committed to helping nonprofits develop their leadership capacity and navigate the journey of transitioning to new leadership. She brings over 25 years of experience as a coach and consultant to nonprofit leaders, with a particular focus on succession planning and leadership transition. Before joining Foraker, she was a consultant with… Read more »

An invitation from the Alaska Census Working Group Recognizing both the importance of the census for our state and the many risks of an undercount in 2020, the working group has launched a statewide education and outreach initiative called Alaska Counts, which has four areas of focus: Mobilize a statewide nonpartisan multi-sector effort Create a statewide education effort Help recruit people for census jobs to support the census and build trust in communities Conduct localized outreach with partners like YOU Those who engage in promoting the census are our Census Champions. Central to our initiative is the website, which serves as an information hub with a wide variety of excellent – and free – resources. You’ll find many Alaska-made products, material for social media, and messages from trusted Alaska voices…. Read more »

We are excited to welcome our newest board members to the Foraker team! Tom Panamaroff, Valerie Davidson, Bernie Washington, and Michael Fredericks have joined our Governance Board. Brenda Riley has joined our Operations Board. Governance Board Tom Panamaroff, Regional and Legislative Affairs Executive, Koniag, Inc. We welcome Tom Panamaroff who jumped right in and became a Census Champion when he joined the Alaska Census Working Group just as it was beginning a few years ago. He is deeply committed to the nonprofit sector and has given strong support to ensuring an accurate count during the 2020 Census. Tom is the Regional & Legislative Affairs Executive for Koniag, Inc. directing Koniag’s legislative agenda and regional advocacy plan.  Tom has been associated with Koniag for over 25 years.  Born and raised in… Read more »

Rather than a “day off,” let this be a “day in” where we lean into our community and one another to build bridges through acts of service and kindness to each other. Thank you for all you do every day to serve your community. Laurie… Read more »

Are you ready for planned change? What about change that isn’t planned? Have you and your board talked about executive transition? Whether you are a new CEO, near retirement, or somewhere in between, it’s critical to know how mission will last beyond you. In this class, we will lead you through the steps that will ensure that your organization successfully manages inevitable leadership change. Come to this session with your questions, your ideas, and your next steps. Along the way, we will share some tools and a process you might consider. This session is for CEOs/executive directors. We encourage you to bring your board chair or a board member along. Three sessions of Succession Planning: Assuring a Smooth Transition When You Change Leaders are on the schedule: Wednesday, February 12, 9:00 to… Read more »

Governor Dunleavy joined the director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Steven Dillingham, at the Alaska Native Heritage Center Friday morning to kick off the 2020 Census. Congratulations to everyone who has been working extremely hard to let Alaskans know about the census. Alaska Counts, a project developed by the Alaska Census Working Group, has put together a comprehensive and exciting campaign that stresses to Alaskans the importance to the state’s future of participating in the census count. We encourage you to visit their website to learn more about the census and how you can work in your community to encourage participation. You can also see some of the media coverage of the kick-off here and here. Foraker is proud to be the convener of the Alaska Census Working Group. We… Read more »

2020 – the year of perfect vision – the year of hindsight and insight. I could use all of that, couldn’t you? What isn’t there to love about more understanding and an opportunity to learn? I am a true believer in the learning organization, where mistakes are information – where we get to try and risk and try again – where we can get it wrong and figure out a better way. There are few guidebooks worth their weight that can tell us exactly how to be and act and do our work. In fact, much of the attraction of our work is that it brings together people who are willing to break the mold and try new things in order to get a better result for their communities. I… Read more »

Foraker is offering a Fund Development Planning cohort in Fairbanks in March and April 2020. This is a cost-effective way for your organization to put a fund development plan into place with a group of peers and experts on hand. Over a two-month period, you will: Craft a gift chart that is real for your organization Learn how to launch or strengthen your board’s fund development committee Develop your organization’s philosophy of philanthropy Write fund development goals and objectives that are realistic for the next 1-3 years Practice donor recognition Acquire tactical tools to implement your plan in the immediate future Share your experience alongside a network of peers Applications are due January 7, 2020. The cohort launches on March 2. See the full schedule here. Why join the Fund… Read more »