The Foraker Group

Let’s face it: planning for fundraising goals is always a good idea, but finding the time is hard. Our team can help you get organized.  Our new, three-part virtual course, Fast Track Fundraising: It Starts with a Plan, will guide you through the process of drafting a fund development plan for the next year. Templates and real-time exercises will help you organize donor data, create a gift chart, draft/update case language, and calendar key action items. Note: This course will focus on creating fund development plans for charitable giving – not government funding or earned revenue, such as ticket sales or memberships. This course is best suited for organizations that have some current charitable giving experience and seek to stabilize, diversify, and strengthen unrestricted charitable revenue. Launching on May 28, the… Read more »

Following Foraker’s rigorous nationwide recruitment effort using our comprehensive Leadership Transition services, Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has selected Esther Pitts to serve as its next President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Pitts is a long-time Alaskan, Mat-Su resident, and currently serves as the Chief Community Impact Officer (CCIO) at MSHF. She will succeed retiring CEO Elizabeth Ripley and formally step into the role on May 1, 2025. Ripley announced last year that she would retire to spend more time with family, travel, and explore other community opportunities. In anticipation, MSHF Board of Directors (Board) engaged with The Foraker Group to lead a thoughtful and thorough selection process. The search spanned the nation, garnering interest from over 75 applicants. Through a series of complex and intensive interviews, the Board narrowed the… Read more »

For nonprofits, municipalities, and tribes receiving state payments through approved grants, contracts, and reimbursements, those payments must be made on time. If they are not, critical services to Alaskans are threatened. Organizations should not be expected to perform work and then have to wait unreasonable amounts of time to be paid – and that’s what has been happening for some time now. Today, Representative Rebecca Himschoot and Senator Scott Kawasaki introduced HB 133 & SB 129 in their respective chambers. The companion bills aim to bring parity in state payment on par with current statutory protections for private contractors who deliver public works projects. HB 133 & SB 129 ensure both state and federal pass-through funds are disbursed promptly to nonprofits, local government, and tribal organizations, benefiting the people of Alaska. Foraker is joining with the Alaska… Read more »

In the vein of never missing an opportunity to make your organization stronger, these steps will put you and your team back into a space of control while thinking strategically about your next move. Even if you never have to take out these tools and use them, having done the work will place your organization on solid ground. Take the time to “go slow, to go fast.” Your mission is worth it! Focus on compliance! There was never a more important time than now to have your internal house in order. Check your compliance list twice when it comes to funding and personnel compliance with the law and the rules of each granting agency. Since the pandemic, we have seen a national and statewide shortage of auditors, so make extra… Read more »

Never let a crisis go to waste. Find the opportunity in the chaos. Look for the connections to make things better. Find a new way to see what is happening by joining together. Find our own ground and help others find theirs. These are the things I have been thinking about as we create ways to keep you informed, keep you connected, and keep us moving forward during these incredibly turbulent times. We are leaning all the way in with trusted tools, new data turned to action, lots of communication, and a bunch of tried and true ways to help you feel less isolated. In a few weeks, we present again one of our signature opportunities to draw you together – The Foraker Leadership Summit. This is the largest gathering… Read more »

Amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding federal funding, many organizations are grappling with how to adapt their staffing structures. In this FREE webinar on March 12 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm, we will address key employment challenges, with a particular emphasis on effectively managing layoffs and furloughs. We’re here to help you and your organization navigate employment challenges in our current operating environment…. Read more »

One of the highlights of the Summit is connecting with amazing nonprofit and tribal leaders from Utqiaġvik to Ketchikan and everywhere in between. If traveling to Anchorage isn’t in your budget, you can apply for a travel scholarship! Don’t wait—applications close tomorrow, March 7. Apply for travel assistance. … Read more »

After a comprehensive approach using Foraker’s Leadership Transition services, Kodiak History Museum (KHM) has selected Kristin O’Lear as its Executive Director. Ms. O’Lear was chosen from a field of qualified applicants to join KHM in its mission to facilitate the exploration of the natural, cultural, and artistic heritage of Kodiak Island and surrounding communities. She will lead the KHM team in creating opportunities for the public to discover, share, and exchange knowledge through the museum’s collections and resources. Ms. O’Lear brings more than a decade of museum experience and will be joining KHM from Imperial Valley Desert Museum in Ocotillo, CA where she has served as Executive Director since 2021, and head curator before that. During her tenure there Ms. O’Lear successfully led the organization through a period of rapid… Read more »

After a comprehensive process utilizing Foraker’s Leadership Transition services, the Alaska Airmen’s Association (AAA) is proud to announce the appointment of Priscilla Ribic as Executive Director of the organization. Ms. Ribic was chosen from an extensive field of candidates in a nationwide search to join the Airmen’s Association in their mission of protecting, preserving, and promoting general aviation throughout Alaska. Ms. Ribic joins AAA with extensive nonprofit leadership experience, having served as Executive Director for USA Powerlifting, an Anchorage-based national nonprofit. A pilot with a strong passion for general aviation, her experience in development and membership growth will help the Airmen’s Association move forward and continue to expand its reach and influence in the aviation sector. Alaska Airmen’s Association Board President Stephen Ratcliff said, “The board is excited to welcome… Read more »

A funding freeze for any length of time could affect the billions of dollars Alaska receives each year from the federal government. Recent Foraker research in partnership with the UA Center for Economic Development shows our state received $38 billion in federal funds in 2023. This is in addition to funds received between 2022 and 2024 from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ($7.6 billion), the Inflation Reduction Act ($2.5 billion), broadband funding ($2.2 billion), and remaining federal pandemic relief funds ($2.5 trillion). Alaska is one of the largest recipients of federal funds per capita, with roughly 37% of the state’s annual budget coming from the federal government. Every Alaskan will feel the impact of retrenchment. To better understand the impact of a freeze, Foraker conducted two surveys of nonprofits… Read more »