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This conversation between Laurie Wolf (CEO, The Foraker Group) and Senator Lisa Murkowski was held at the 2025 Leadership Summit on April 14, 2025, at the Dena’ina Civic Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska. The Leadership Summit is a nonprofit leadership conference held every two years by The Foraker Group. You can watch a video of their conversation here.
Laurie Wolf: We are so incredibly grateful that Senator Murkowski has taken the time to be with all of us today. Just so much gratitude for you and your staff. You’ve been so wonderful taking all of our phone calls, all of our emails, all of our “Oh my goodness, what’s happening next?” moments. Thank you so much. I know you have an amazing staff as well. So an extra shout-out to them.
Senator Murkowski: I am sorry, can I interrupt? How rude is that? She’s giving me a nice introduction. But you mentioned my staff, and I want to give an added shout-out. I have a couple of my staff that are here. Cassidy Hobbs has been working with many of you on many of the issues you’re working on as they relate to healthcare, homelessness, and housing. All matters healthcare, really. Anna Powers, back in Washington, DC, on the Indian Affairs Committee. Grace Kubitz has been doing a lot on the housing side. And many of you have had the opportunity to interact with Emma, infamous Emma, who answers the telephone for me in Washington, DC.
Laurie Wolf: We can’t do it without them, right?
Senator Murkowski: Karina Waller, my state director, has been fielding so much of the incoming [communications] along with our constituent services person, Sherry Edwards. So, thank you for the work that you’ve been doing with them to help educate me. Now we’re going to go to the real stuff. It’s really important to acknowledge the people who have been standing with you through all of this, to all of your staff as well. (applause)
Laurie Wolf: Well, we have prepared a few questions, and we have questions from all of you. So, thank you to all of you who submitted questions. We really appreciate it. We’re going to do our best to get through as many of them as we can, and we’ll have lots of conversations with the Senator after the fact, as well, to help get you good responses.
Welcome home. We’re happy you’re here. So, so much going on. “Head on a swivel” is how I’ve been describing these last many months. Now, can you share with us the issues you’re tracking from the federal funding freeze to the reduction of the workforce and federal employees? What’s happening now? Give us a flavor.
Senator Murkowski: It is head-spinning. It seems that just when you have made a little bit of progress on one issue that has caused such anxiety, there’s yet another one equally important and equally as significant.
So, Laurie, you mentioned the reductions in force. I don’t want to start off with bad news, but we’re not done. Today is April 14th. Usually, we think about April 15th as the day we don’t like. This is going to be a day that we don’t like because we will learn at the close of business today what the broader reduction in force across federal agencies will mean.
I just met with the Army Corps of Engineers today. They are already down remarkably in their numbers. This is the agency that helps us build things in this state. And they don’t know what it’s going to look like tomorrow. So we’re dealing with a reduction in force.
We’re dealing with the freezing of program funds, the thawing, and maybe releasing a little bit in a trickle, or worse, you’re told, yes, we have released it, but no, you’re not seeing the funds. You’re not able to access it. Or maybe you don’t have frozen funds, but there’s nobody at the agency who can help you get through to that next step to gain access to them. So what we’re seeing is really unprecedented in its nature and its scope.
Much of what we’re seeing, in my view, in the way that this is coming about is unlawful. It is being challenged as such. So it’s going through the courts. But if what you’re trying to do is implement a program, if what you’re trying to do is keep women and children safe, if what you’re trying to do is to build out more housing, than that is not very much comfort because lawsuits take a lot of time and they take a fair amount of money. So it is a challenging time for us in Washington, DC.
But in fairness, I can’t imagine how challenging it is for each and every one of you who are dealing with people who are vulnerable, who are dealing with people who are anxious and afraid, and they’re looking to you for answers, and you don’t have them.
So, part of what I have been doing with my team is just trying to listen as carefully as I can to what is happening, how it is happening, and the impacts it is having on the ground.
And we’re honest upfront in saying we don’t have all the answers, but we’re trying to unlock it at different opportunities and in different ways as much as we can. And it is as hard as anything I have been engaged in in the 20-plus years I’ve been in the Senate.
Laurie Wolf: It definitely feels like times none of us have ever lived through. Absolutely. In your town hall, you talked about some really Alaska-specific things that are just so special that we maybe even take for granted here. Things like bypass mail or the way that we work and operate here that you are quite afraid of [losing]. And that was more than six weeks ago, maybe. Can you speak about some of the Alaska-specific things that we should all have on our radar that you’re concerned about?
Senator Murkowski: You mentioned some obvious ones, such as bypass mail, which is an essential air service. Those are very unique to us. For instance, LIHEAP, the low-income housing energy program, is a national program. But it’s important to us in a state where it’s not always as nice as it is today. SNAP is a national program that helps everybody, right? But boy, look at what’s happening in our state in terms of those families who are really constrained right now. Youth homelessness is a problem everywhere. But look at what we’re seeing in our state right now.
So when I think about those programs that are unique to Alaska, so many of them are very national in scope. But the impact on us is that much heightened because we were already operating from a deficit to begin with, a deficit when it comes to childcare, a deficit when it comes to housing for vulnerable women, a deficit when it comes to resources for those who are dealing with levels of addiction, a deficit in housing. So, everything is accentuated when you have cuts, reductions, pauses, or freezes to these federal programs.
I woke up super early this morning, and I was outlining the various programs that I have been stressing over, and the ones that we know have been obliterated, like USAID. The impact that even USAID, which you think of as international in its scope, has implications for us here in Alaska.
But it’s Medicaid. It is SNAP. It’s the National Endowment for the Humanities, and all of the programs under the humanities that we see here. It’s the recent news about the funding and support to our museums and libraries through IMLS. It is, again, what we saw with LIHEAP and energy housing.
I’m operating on rumors a lot of the time. And then you see some things that are just unnerving in their scope, and you realize, well, that rumor was actually real. What’s happening with our refugee resettlement programs to me is very, very disturbing. One of the good things that came out last week was the rumor that the temporary protected status for the Ukrainians who are here [is that] they’re not going to be immediately deported. But you know what? Rumors just don’t come about because somebody has a wild hair going on. There’s something behind it. And so last week, it was they’re going to get rid of AmeriCorps. And so we try to chase that one down. And it’s no, no, no, it’s not going to happen. But I’m worried about things like that. So you need to direct me, Laurie, because I’m going to go off on tangents here.
Laurie Wolf: Did she list all the things that keep you up at night? Because I think that was my list of what keeps me up at night. I can hear you’re not sleeping. I’m for sure not sleeping. Okay.
Senator Murkowski: We haven’t heard about cuts to the NEA yet. It’s coming.
Laurie Wolf: It’s coming.
Senator Murkowski: Look what just happened with NIH.
Laurie Wolf: Yeah. That’s right. Where do these rumors come from? They come from somewhere. But I also am recognizing when we’ve come and had real honest conversations with your staff, who are so great to say, “I don’t know.” Right? And that’s real. You don’t actually know. So can you speak to that a little bit? How is it that our members of Congress don’t know what’s happening? What should we know about as we begin to formulate our own response? What is a good response when our own leaders don’t know?
Senator Murkowski: Well, I’ll give you a little bit of a vignette. About a month or so ago, the President’s Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, came to our Republican lunch, and there were a lot of questions at the time. The VA was seeing a significant reduction in their numbers. And a member raised a question to the Chief of Staff. And she said, “Look, sometimes these decisions are being made. They’re coming from DOGE. They happen, they’re implemented. And we don’t even know what has happened on the ground. And so when you hear about these things, send them to me.” And I’m thinking, wow, send them to the President’s Chief of Staff. She said that.
So, this week, when I heard that AmeriCorps could potentially be going the way of USAID, I sent a text to the President’s Chief of Staff and said, “Hey, is this true?” And she says, “Thank you for bringing it to my attention. We’re tracking this.” I don’t know whether that has taken things to a better place. I have no idea.
But I share this with you not to say that we don’t know anything, but I’m suggesting that things are happening so fast through the efforts of this Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE. You read a lot about it, but none of us understands the half of it. And again, sometimes we’re only getting a part of the story. And so to really try to understand the full picture, it’s literally piecing it together. It’s talking to people who have just gotten that notice of termination, who have been in the room, if you will. So we’ve been asking for you to share the stories. Because I think that actually helps us in trying to track down if there is something that we can do to fix this. And we have been successful in fixing some things, whether it’s getting the IFQ quotas out in time, whether it’s getting folks to peel back some things. These are important, but we’re not operating with advanced information on much of anything.
Laurie Wolf: Right. And this is why all of you right here, why we’re asking you to stay in touch with us, too, because we’re directly funneling all the information you give us. We’re also trying to figure it out before we give it to your staff. And it’s going to take all of us. I hope that’s the big message coming out of this room today: that it will take all of us to move these conversations forward, because we are all picking up little pieces of information. Maybe you got an email or a letter or something, and then that, you know, connects the dots to something else.
Senator Murkowski: Laurie, on that, if I can ask you, you all have networks, you’ve got networks within the state. And many, many of you have networks within a broader region or nationally. Make sure that you are connecting with these networks as well, because one of the things that we’ve been doing in order to get the attention of the administration is that we’ve been working together on bipartisan letters. So we did one, for instance, on LIHEAP. We did one on IMLS, we did one on representation for minors, immigrant minors. But those bipartisan letters don’t come about unless other members are hearing from people in their states, their communities, that these are priorities. So use that to help us elevate this to the administration.
Laurie Wolf: Let’s turn our attention to Medicaid and Medicare, shall we? And Social Security is in there, too. So, you know, [there are] lots of big concerns and impacts for all of us, right? Either directly through our work, ourselves personally, or our family members. Speak a little bit about what the right approach is at this moment around advocacy. What is it that we can do in this room? What would be a call to action, if you will? What feels less like shouting into the wind and something more effective?
Senator Murkowski: I think, particularly with Medicaid, and knowing that Medicaid continues to be one of those attention-getters. When you’re looking at where in this country we are seeing those federal costs increase. It’s on the Medicaid side. And so you have a target on that, if you will. And particularly as we are moving into this budget process called reconciliation, where there is an effort to make cuts and, not just cuts, but significant cuts to Medicaid. So, for us in Alaska, I don’t need to explain it to you. You know, you know, the significance of Medicaid throughout all of our communities, all of our populations. When you think about Alaska’s kids, over 40% [use Medicaid], the number of seniors that are on Medicaid, I mean, this is very real. This is very significant to us. The cuts that the House was particularly speaking about could not only be detrimental but could be devastating, just devastating to our programs. So I’ve made very, very clear that this is a nonstarter for me. We cannot absorb Medicaid cuts like we’re talking about. (applause)
And I’ve said it cannot hurt Alaskans. And I think what we have now started to see is more members that are saying, yes, we can’t have Medicaid cuts that hurt West Virginians or people from Missouri. And so there is a growing number of Republicans, which needs to happen, who are saying Medicaid is off the table. Senator Sullivan was there with us in making sure that Medicaid needs to be viewed very, very carefully. And I want to make sure you understand what I say by that.
There are aspects of Medicaid that we could look to for reform. There are aspects of that program that we can look to, and it’s not going to hurt Alaskans. I’ll give you one example. There’s something called a Medicare provider tax. In almost all states, with the exception of Alaska, providers are able to get some of their costs covered through Medicaid. So they’re made more whole. We didn’t implement it. That’s a bad explanation of it. Cassidy’s raising her hand, scratching her head, and saying, “It’s not quite that way, boss,” but leave it at this. It’s about $170 billion in savings that could be had if we were to eliminate that. To me, that’s a real savings. It doesn’t hurt Alaskans.
And so I’m not saying you cannot touch Medicaid at all. There’s going to be a lot of discussion on Medicaid work requirements. We’ve had this discussion before. Is there room for discussion? Further? I think there is. But what we need to make very clear is that people understand that in Alaska, it’s a little bit different. It’s going to be a little bit different if you’re out in a rural area where you don’t have the opportunity for jobs unless you move into the city, or if you are the full-time caregiver for someone in your family, you know. These are considerations that I think need to be taken into account. And so when you’re talking about work requirements, having some level of flexibility that is directed by states as opposed to a national level.
So these are some of the things that I think you’re going to hear about. What I hope we’re moving away from is an $880 billion cut to Medicaid, because if that happens, this is a very, very, very different state, and one where I don’t think that the Alaska population can be safe from.
Laurie Wolf: My understanding is that it impacts everybody’s insurance, right? There’s no Alaskan, regardless of how you voted, [who] would be left untouched by a decision like that. Yeah, absolutely. So given that, what is the [best] way to use our voice? What’s most helpful?
Senator Murkowski: So, it’s going to sound crazy coming from an elected official, but I’m going to continue to urge you to raise your voices. Protest can be a negative word, and protest can be a very affirmative word. And I think Alaskans need to be affirmative in saying why they support Medicaid, why they support our Humanities, why they support the federal underpinnings for so many of our social safety nets. I think they need to elevate and raise their voices. And in a way that is respectful.
But I’m almost afraid. I’m almost afraid that people are getting so anxious and so overwhelmed by what they’re continuing to see, news cycle after news cycle, where there’s just seemingly more, that they’re just going to start to check out. And they’re just going to say, “I can’t handle it anymore. I just can’t handle it anymore.” And their voices are going to get quieter. And people in Washington, D.C., people in the administration are going to say, well, I guess everybody’s doing okay, when not everybody is doing okay. And so I’m going to urge people to continue to be engaged.
I look around this room and I see a lot of friends. I see a lot of people that I call my friends. I see a lot of folks who I have seen in my office over the years. And I’m not suggesting that now is the time to take the hard-earned dollars or the dollars that you get from your donors and spend them on a fly-in back to Washington, D.C. Because, quite honestly, it’s the people here on the ground who need you and need that travel money more than a trip to Washington to petition your members of Congress. But you can elevate your voices here and continue to reinforce that this must be a priority. So keep calling, keep the emails, keep the social media going.
Laurie Wolf: People are filling your offices, aren’t they?
Senator Murkowski: People are still in my offices, and we still welcome them in our offices. But I think it’s important that the concerns continue to be raised rather than allow the fatigue of the chaos to grind you down. Don’t let it grind you down.
Laurie Wolf: I think there’s fatigue, and I also think there’s fear. So let’s take a moment and just address that. I think there’s been an approach that is making people afraid. We have people who don’t normally have access to our data that have access to our data, people who don’t normally have access to our cell phones and our computers, and they have access now.
So, can we take a moment? Not too long. I said at the beginning, this morning, we’re going to hold the hard stuff for as long as we need to, and then we’re going to put it down. But let’s hold it for a minute. Let’s hold some fear that people are afraid. They’re afraid to use their voice. They’re afraid to show up to a protest, even when it’s peaceful. Let’s talk about that for a minute. What do you have to say to people who are afraid or who represent people who are afraid?
Senator Murkowski: We are all afraid. Okay. (long pause) It’s quite a statement. But we are. We’re in it. We’re in a time and a place where I don’t know, I certainly have not, I have not been here before. And I’ll tell you, I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice. Because retaliation is real. And that’s not right.
But that’s what you’ve asked me to do. And so I’m going to use my voice to the best of my ability. And sometimes it will be viewed in a way that, well, that’s pretty confrontational. And other times it’s going to be using my mother’s charm that I learned as a young girl, and in direct communication with those that I have made relationships with, and am able to affect some change that way. But I’ve got to figure out how I can do my best to help the many who are so anxious and so afraid. So I guess I will leave with you that we’re all anxious. You have to measure yourself how you can be most impactful for those that you are serving. But don’t think that you’re the only one who is anxious right now.
Laurie Wolf: Thank you. Well, let’s pivot to you using your voice and talk a little about how you are using that voice to make some headway in the Trump administration. What’s your path? How are you advancing Alaska’s issues? Talk to us a little bit about strategy.
Senator Murkowski: So, strategy has to be multifaceted because everything and everybody is different. I have been collecting a lot of new phone numbers to send texts to very busy people. And whether it is texts to the Secretary of Commerce to educate him about halibut and sablefish, and why permits from the Department of Commerce are necessary to get IFQ. For him, that’s nothing but gobbledygook. So I sent a second text saying, “Have you ever had black cod at a fancy restaurant when it’s soaked in miso? It’s really good.” This is what I’m talking about – he responded instantly after I said that. So some of it is just the personal reach-out.
A great deal of it is through bipartisan efforts where we’re joining hands with colleagues on the other side of the aisle in other states who are equally impacted and working that way.
It is direct intervention with secretaries and many who are lower in the department. Part of our challenge right now is there are so few in the department who are actually filled out. So you have some people who are holdovers, some people who were just part of the transition, some who are brand spanking new and don’t know anything yet. And so it’s been challenging in that way to try to make some headway.
And I think much of it is engagement with colleagues in the House and the Senate to push back in certain areas. And I’ll share with you what I mean by that. When Congress passes a law, like we did with the infrastructure bill, we said these funds are going out in these areas, and then we appropriate the money to them. And that is signed into law. So you have two laws. You have the infrastructure bill that’s signed into law. And then you have the appropriations bill that is signed into law, two bills signed into law. And then you have a new administration come in and say that program that was authorized under IIJA, and that was appropriated under FY24, we’re not going to send that money out. Well, you can’t do that. That’s called against the law. It’s actually a more technical term. (applause)
And so there are ways that you can approach that. Obviously, you can go through the litigation, but it’s also about Congress standing up for the role that we have that is not determined by a president, and it’s not determined by you all. It was determined and laid out in the Constitution. And the Constitution says it’s our responsibility when it comes to appropriations.
The Constitution also gives Congress the ability to lay imposts and duties. In other words, tariffs. And yet, what we are seeing in the aftermath of last week is a president who has decided everybody gets a 10% tariff. And then on top of that, [he’s] going to add more. And then on top of that, “Oh, I’m going to pause it for 90 days. But I’m going to add more on China.” It’s just kind of all over the map. And I’m hearing people saying, well, what are you guys in Congress doing?
Well, one of the things that we’ve done over the years, over the decades, actually, in about a century, is we have continued to give authorities to the executive through emergency laws that we put in place that were designed to respond to specific emergencies. So when we give up through legislation or when we cede because we say, well, we actually like that policy, and so we’re not going to object to it, then they [the Executive Branch] just absorb it. And then the next administration comes in and says, “Well, they did that. So we get to do that.”
We in Congress have a responsibility and an obligation. It’s called the checks and balances. And right now, we are not balancing like we need to as Congress. (applause) Sometimes it’s really easy, particularly when things are so turbulent and really very, very chaotic that you want to be able to blame somebody else. But we cannot. Congress has ownership in this. And this is when I say it’s sitting down with our colleagues to say we have a role here, too. We can’t say, “Well, we’ll let the courts sort it out.” We’ve got to step it up.
Laurie Wolf: So you mentioned the courts. I am curious, I think I lost count, but I think we’re at 150 lawsuits at this point.
Senator Murkowski: No, I think we’re just over 200.
Laurie Wolf: Over 200. With over 200, I am watching two of them. Which ones are you watching, and what are we going to do if the checks and balances don’t seem like they’re working? What are we going to do if they really don’t work?
Senator Murkowski: Well, which ones am I watching? I mean, obviously, on the immigration side, [I am watching] very, very carefully. So many of these decisions go to the heart of our Constitution in so many ways. And so, again, if it’s authorities that are rightly with the Congress, whether it’s immigration, whether it’s birthright citizenship – I mean, there’s so much to be watching at this point in time, but you ask the right question. What happens when you have an administration that says, I don’t care what the courts say?
Well, when you no longer have that respect for that jurisdiction for the rule of law and the role of the courts, you have, in my view, not eradicated, but certainly eroded the underpinnings of the fundamentals and the foundations of our democracy. And so this is significant in so many ways.
And there will be people who will say there have been other administrations that, when the courts ruled, they figured out another way around it. And I’m not suggesting that everybody has clean hands in this. They don’t. But I do think that we are in dangerous territory when you have a view and an attitude that the reason the court went against you was because, well, that was an Obama judge or that was a Biden judge. This is a fear that I have right now. The executive [branch has] always been political, the legislative branch, always political. We get that. But the one branch that was supposed to be unbiased, very balanced, the one that was really going to be there for the checks, it was going to look solely to the Constitution.
Now we are seeing the courts being viewed as more and more partisan. And when people do not feel that the courts are there for them because they look at the court and they say, well, that’s a Biden court or that’s a Trump court. That’s when we are in a very dangerous place, because then you stop believing in the rule of law. You stop believing that there is justice and equality for all. And if we stop believing in that, who are we? I mean, this is the point that we do not like.
Laurie Wolf: This is the question. Well, Senator, we have just a few more minutes, and you have a willing audience of 500 people who are cheering for you, rallying for you, and supporting you in your effort to bring our causes to Washington. [Do you have a] final couple of things that you’d like to say, given that we are counting on you?
Senator Murkowski: So there was an exchange over the weekend. I haven’t seen Mark Lackey. Is Mark here? All the way in the back? I should recognize him from his big, long beard back there. A little bit grayer because of all that’s going on. [There is] a great deal of anxiety in the Head Start world because of a newspaper article this week that the president’s budget might not fund Head Start, and what is that going to mean to us? It’s already been difficult enough with Head Start when they shuttered some of the offices, and people don’t know where to go for help with grants or some of the day-to-day stuff they’re doing—so much anxiety.
So you’ve got what you read in a newspaper; you have stuff you’re hearing just by way of rumors. If I have any free advice, worry about the things that you have in front of you right here, right now, because that’s hard enough, as is. Try not to get too spun up with the things that are floating out there in the what-if category.
The president’s budget – we have no idea what it’s going to look like. We’re not anticipating it until probably the last week in May. So it’s causing all kinds of problems and issues within our appropriations. But, you know, the president’s budget, it’s done some damage before in the Head Start category. And Congress pushes back on it because we know the value and the importance of that. And so we say, at least we appropriators say, the President proposes, the Congress disposes. And so keep that in mind that we will be there to help you in advocacy for so many of these important programs that you are dealing with, the people that you serve, and just the communities across our state.
So, I guess I’m suggesting a level of patience. And as I say that, I don’t even feel good about that because it’s so hard to be patient when there are so many who are so anxious and who feel that they have no time because they’ve lost a job. They’ve lost a program. They have no answers for those who are serving.
So, know that I acknowledge how hard a time we are in as a state, and I can’t thank you enough for the sacrifices that you are making for so many, to try to be there for them. And know that I’m going to be there as your partner throughout it all, throughout some really difficult and very hard times. So, just genuinely thank you for what you do and how you do it.
Laurie Wolf: With that, please give the Senator a round of applause. (applause)
The place where your child stays safe after school or plays soccer or learns an instrument
The place where your niece or nephew adopted their dog, cat, or guinea pig
The place where your neighbor gets a bag of groceries to make ends meet every few weeks
The place where your sister learns how to sing, dance, and perform
The place where someone you love seeks refuge
The place where your parents or grandparents seek daily elder care
The place you call in an emergency
The place where you get well
The place you tune in to stay informed, entertained, and up to date
The place where your auntie draws hope
The place where your community worships, explores, and connects with like-minded people
The place you turn to after a storm, a fire, or an earthquake
These are places that matter to you and so many others as part of everyday life. These are nonprofit places.
These are the places every Alaskan and American depend on – and often they don’t know they are nonprofits.
These are the places that make your life work, your neighbor’s life work, your community’s lives work.
And this work today carries forward the longstanding American tradition of residents coming together at the local level to recognize community challenges and solve local problems – the place where they practiced democracy. It was how our country organized itself. From the beginning, it was the basis for an efficient structure – one where government provided for the well-being of its citizens at a high-level, and nonprofits met those needs directly within communities.
To be sure, in each of our efficient and effective spaces, nonprofits take what they have and stretch it beyond anything that generally is practiced in a for-profit model because for them people and places matter, and the goal is to do all they can with what they have. Nonprofits fill the void – fill the gap – make it work.
What do nonprofits mean when they say: “we fill the gap or meet the need”?
To understand that question is to also understand that the nonprofit sector is called the “third sector.” By its name, it is the place where the government either can’t or won’t provide the service directly but still must meet legal obligations and fulfill its role to serve the common good. Serving the common good is often determined both with an ideological understanding of government’s role and through moral reasoning. While there are vast differences of opinion about government’s role in our lives, most would likely agree that if government has a role, providing the services directly is illogical when there is a nonprofit on the ground, in the community, who could be funded to do it better, cheaper, and faster.
So, on one side of the gap is the government and its responsibility to do or to fund for the greater good, while on the other side is the for-profit marketplace, which by its very nature is in business to make a profit. When the IRS determines nonprofit status, part of the litmus test is that the organization serves the greater good, is bigger and broader than the interest of a single person or small group of people, and that the purpose is inherently not viable in the for-profit marketplace. To that latter point, every nonprofit must rely on either a third-party payer (think government contract, government grant, insurance, Medicare/Medicaid, fee for service at below market rates, etc.) and/or it must raise revenue from charitable sources such as people, corporations, foundations, and other nonprofits.
While our revenue alone does not define the gap we fill, it does position us to have an interdependence with our funders that is often misunderstood and misjudged by how others think we should be able to make our missions work.
In this space in between, it is also important to clarify how in our democratic structure, our sector is also purposely separate from government. Our legal structure creates independence from government in and how we govern ourselves. It also provides some of the hallmarks of democracy that most of us hold as unequivocal – the opportunity to exercise freedom of association, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom to provide for the greater good. Even the most ardent opponents of the nonprofit sector generally favor these hallmarks of our society, at least when it comes to their own personal use of them.
And here lies one of the root problems we face right now. In this world of misinformation and direct attacks on the sector, we need to do a better job of making this personal.
Listening to the news every night, we hear opinions of those with diverse views on the massive cuts to our federal workforce and to federal funding overall. It seems that to a person, for those who favor the cuts – the cutting is good – unless the cuts get personal. Their flooded home, their food bank, their neighbor, their program. Those matter. They should not be cut – but all the others, yep, that is fine.
The ability to deeply understand how each cut matters is simply too obscure until it is personal, and then it is too late. The cut is made. The damage has begun.
We learned a long time ago in so many movements for change that “the personal is political.” Each story, each example, each cut – it has to mean something for people to understand that taking away someone else’s rights or services or security could happen to them, too. It has to feel personal in their heart to overcome the narrative in their head.
So, as we watch the beloved things we have collectively built to care for each other’s spirt, security, and humanity be dismantled in 100 days and counting, I am challenging each of us to set the record straight. To cut through the noise of myths and falsehoods or presumption and assumption.
I am asking you to move from telling stories of the big cuts to telling stories of the personal impacts of those cuts, not in ways that exploit or lessen the people we serve, but in ways that the people we don’t serve can connect them to their own lives.
We often say the shortest distance between two people is a story. Let’s sit with our teams and find our stories in the most tangible ways and let’s connect our stories to more people. These cuts are not just happening to you or the organization across the state, they are happening everywhere, to so many – let’s weave those stories together.
As you consider your messages, keep these points in mind:
One last tip – recently, I heard an eloquent reminder about how we might view this effort when we look back at this time. This person said that we will know if we didn’t just help ourselves when instead we emerge stronger because we helped each other, we heard each other, and we saw each other. To me, this is what it means to build resilience while enduring hardship. So many generations before us and maybe we, too, know what it means to move through hard things.
That said, I recognize I am asking you to do more as sector leaders when doing more seems extra hard. I know because I am asking it of myself, too. I also recognize that I am asking you to do something you already know how to do because it comes from your heart.
We must stand together. We must combat misinformation. That is what it means to be stewards of our missions right now. We can do this together.
Laurie
PS. If you have not signed onto our letter to the delegation asking you to stand with us and stand with the truth of why nonprofits matter to Alaskans, you can do that here. The deadline to sign is May 16.
PSS. Brushing up on some common nonprofit myths might help you get into the right headspace for crafting your stories for new audiences. Check out these five myths of the sector.
Opening the 9th Foraker Leadership on April 14, President/CEO Laurie Wolf called for nonprofits to reach deeply and explore ways to better support their missions through collaborations. Below is a transcript of her remarks.
To know Foraker is to know our Nonprofit Sustainability Model. This is not a recipe but rather a way of making the right decisions for your mission, so you keep moving toward success. We know this is a journey and not a destination, and as board and staff stewards of your mission, we hope that your collective decision making leaves your mission in a better place than you found it.
As we look through the lenses of sustainability, we could have encouraged you to simply focus on your own core purpose and values and your own people and money. But every mission is bigger than a single institution and partnerships are the source of our greatest strength. While some may embrace a mindset of scarcity as we compete for people, money, power, or other resources, we stand firm that true growth and impact come when we commit ourselves and our organizations to strategic partnerships.
Our theme this year is Better Together: Partnering for Good. With this in mind, we will explore effective partnerships – as teammates working together within an organization, as nonprofits collaborating for a shared vision, and as partners with businesses and government.
Collaboration is not just our Summit theme but is a way of being that we hope you carried into this room, and you will carry with you long after you leave as you continue doing the good work of serving Alaska.
The way that Alaska’s nonprofits and tribes are centered in our communities means we are the nexus of these essential relationships. Federal, state, and municipal governments, for-profits, and donors are in our orbit as we find new, long-standing, and effective ways to make Alaska work.
Of course, in the last few months, our federal partnerships have been deeply shaken, and the sector has become a target, not an ally, to many. We know that this is neither efficient nor practical as Alaska’s economy relies on each of us to do our part.
I am going to be honest. Our sector is facing a pretty difficult set of circumstances that are likely to get worse before they get better – and we are not alone. Hundreds of government agencies we partner with are also being dismantled without a strategic understanding of the impact on human life, our environment, or our economy. We know this is happening to many nonprofits, too. At the same time, we see some who are hopeful about the possibilities of these changes. And I am sure some would strongly disagree with both these views – such is the nature of democracy. We can do things that feel and impact people in very different ways.
Mostly, however, as I listen every day to the stories of human impact and watch the increase in legal actions to protect people and the work we do, the only thing I know for sure is what I knew when all of this started – the nonprofit sector, if not every institution we know, will look different before this is all over.
As we walk into these next two days, I invite you to stay extra curious and to listen. I invite you to take in the hard news and sit with it for as long as you can before moving to the next thing – not to stew in it, but to recognize it for what it is and to honor the hard parts. I also invite you to remain encouraged, not with some false sense of promise, but with a realism that keeps reminding you that your work matters today, and it will matter tomorrow.
Today, let’s focus on “what’s next” and “to what end.”
Together let’s imagine a future where it easier to access support, easier to navigate compliance, easier to get paid on time for the work we do, easier to fund operating expenses, and easier to focus on what matters the most in our missions. How would our partnerships be stronger? This Summit is where we can start those conversations, even in small ways.
What if we can find the courage and the moments to work together to imagine the future we want to build, rather than struggling for what we had that we are losing anyway? Why not be the voice for what we want that is even better – to thrive and not just survive?
The future is made by those who show up, let’s dig in deep together. Our facilitators are all also ready to meet the moment with you.
Now more than ever, let’s embrace an abundance of knowledge, energy, and ideas.
SO, ARE YOU READY?!
Let’s collaborate together for good.
We invite you to read the letter below and sign on here.
TO:
Senator Lisa Murkowski
Senator Dan Sullivan
Representative Nick Begich
RE: An Invitation to Stand with Alaska’s Nonprofit Sector
DATE: April [11], 2025
As our Alaska representatives in federal policy we, the undersigned nonprofits, along with our partner The Foraker Group, request that you stand strongly with us as we endure an unprecedented amount of undoing of our vital programs and services that are designed to help all Alaskans.
Looking past the rhetoric being used to defund and dismantle our programs, we invite you to look around and see that no matter where you live or how you move through your day, Alaska’s nonprofits are providing essential services like medical care, housing, fisheries management, emergency services, and utilities. We also bring joy and purpose through art, religious and cultural expression, education, recreation, economic development, and more. Nonprofits sustain our way of life, ensure our quality of life, and attract and develop employees, volunteers, and donors to our state. Together, we foster healthier and more prosperous communities throughout Alaska.
Nonprofit organizations do essential, often life-saving work – in our neighborhoods, in red states and blue states, in rural and urban areas alike, and in every Alaska community. Alaska is home to 5,600 nonprofits, and the sector employs 35,000 Alaskans who collectively generate $3.8 billion into our economy. To put this in perspective, nonprofits account for 10% of Alaska’s workforce and up to 40% in some communities.[1] We are fifth in the nation for the number of Alaskans who volunteer.[2] In other words, we are your neighbors, your friends, and your family.
Make no mistake, nonprofits do not come from just one side of the political spectrum – by our very nature, we represent all facets of American and Alaskan life. Truly, for every organization you care deeply about there is a nonprofit working on opposite goals. This is how it is supposed to work in a democracy.
Our work today carries forward the longstanding American tradition of residents coming together at the local level to recognize community challenges and solve local problems.[3] We are the tool that separates government from opportunities to exercise freedom of association, freedom of speech, and freedom to provide for the greater good. Nonprofits embrace missions that governments either couldn’t or wouldn’t but are still necessary for a healthy society. Importantly, none of these services are viable in the for-profit marketplace – a litmus test for every nonprofit in this country.
Nonprofits are woven into the fabric of our lives. No industry in Alaska can prosper without the nonprofit sector, and every dollar invested in the sector, regardless of the source, results in lower government costs in the long run. We provide both a financial and social return on investment by leveraging public and private resources. That is what we call efficiency.
An attack on nonprofit organizations IS an attack on a fundamental principle of democracy. It is not harmless musings that we can just brush aside, we all are required to pay attention and take action.
If Alaskans want to have a conversation about how we pay for the essential services and quality of life offerings the nonprofit sector provides, then we should do that with you, our leaders and with each other. These conversations will require all Alaskans to engage and share what is important to them and their communities to thrive – and that will take time. Haphazard, unresearched, and indiscriminate cutting of funds don’t just hurt one group of people or another, or one community or another, they hurt all of us as Alaskans regardless of how we voted.[4]
We call on you, our federal delegation, and all Alaskans to stand with us.
Respectfully Submitted:
Laurie B. Wolf, CFRE, MNPL, President & CEO, The Foraker Group
(Your organization name) – Sign on.
The Foraker Group serves as the state nonprofit association and capacity-building organization for Alaska’s nonprofits and tribes. We work with policymakers, businesses, and other organizations to highlight the positive impacts of Alaska’s nonprofits. Foraker serves all nonprofits and tribes and is dedicated to increasing the leadership and management skills of their leaders, staff, and volunteers. Foraker recently published its seventh report documenting the impact of the sector on the state’s economy, which is available at forakergroup.org.
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[1] Alaska’s nonprofit Sector: Generating Impact Report, The Foraker Group, 2024As is my way, I am going to be honest. As a sector, we face a pretty difficult set of circumstances that are likely to get worse before they get better – and we are not alone. Hundreds of government agencies with which we partner are being dismantled without a strategic understanding of the impact on human life, our environment, or our economy. Simultaneously, we can see some who are incredibly hopeful about the possibilities of these changes. I am sure some would strongly disagree with both these views – such is the nature of democracy. We can do things that feel and impact people in diametrically different ways.
Predominately, however, as I watch and listen every day to the stories of human impact and the depth of the legal actions taken to protect people, the only thing I know for sure is what I knew when all of this started – the nonprofit sector, if not every institution we know, will look different before this is all over.
So what? Now what?
So, now I find myself living in two places simultaneously.
First the present – today – this week – this month.
In this place, I stay extra curious. I ask many questions. I listen. I think. I seek opportunities and connections. I take in the hard news and sit with it for as long as I can before moving to the next thing. I focus on remaining encouraged, without being swayed by or endorsing false promises. And, I still do the job I was doing before all this began because, like you, that is my calling and that is my commitment. Are these the things you are doing? What else is on your list?
In this time, I know many questions come up about what to do now. The Eight Steps we offered last month are still the right next steps. Make time to go through them. They remind us that our job is to tell our story – loud and proud – first to those we communicate with regularly and then to larger, but specific audiences. This is no time to be the “best kept secret” as too many nonprofits are too often. Your work matters in real time. Your mission matters, so be clear and sing loudly.
The Eight Steps ask you to plan for the worst so you can be at your best. I know this can feel exhausting and overwhelming, but we do this so we stay in control of our decisions. Knowing you are making your own choices is at the heart of self-determination and freedom even as you grapple with the reality that these do not feel like decisions you would make on behalf of your mission. Scenario planning invites you to do the best you can with what you have. It does not, on the contrary, ask you to do more with less. This is a key distinction as the latter only hurts more people and doesn’t help the ones you can help.
The steps also strongly encourage you to ensure your house is squeaky clean with compliance. Your internal compliance should always be above reproach and ready for an outside set of eyes. This is not easy by any measure as so many of us are under resourced in staff and money to excel at this critical task. Ironically, the very funding that asks us to have all the compliance pieces in place does not pay for those pieces to be there. Yet, that is all less important now than getting it right. Take the time to look inward. If you know your messy spots – work to fix them. If you can’t tell – ask for help. Now is not the moment to feel bad about the messiness, now is the time to ask for support to fix it.
The second space I am living in feels like an envisioned future. This future comes from people like you and me who take time to consider the questions of “what’s next?” and “to what end?” In this space, we have faced the truth that our work matters to people and communities. And we acknowledge that the system we’ve been working with hasn’t always been effective. In this space of honesty, we can pull out that “to do list” of all the ways we dream of making the system work better for more people.
Over the many decades I have been in the sector, I have heard endless examples of “if we could build it better, it would look like ________(fill in the blank).” I am sure you have heard this, too. In those conversations, we would make it easier to access support, easier to navigate compliance, easier to get paid on time for the work we do, easier to fund operating expenses, and easier to focus on what matters the most in our missions. Our partnerships would be stronger, our people would be even more invested, our donors would feel so much joy in giving, and mostly the work would make even more sense than it does today (if that is possible).
At this point, some of you are saying that is never going to happen. Sure. I get it. Even I think it sounds idealistic right now when we are faced with so much uncertainty and where every day feels like a lot to carry. For me, though, this is where I go for hope. This is where I go to boost my spirit to continue on the path forward.
This is where I imagine how we start, even in small ways, those conversations today.
Believe me, I am not minimizing the harm we face. And I have been saying frequently that if Americans and Alaskans want to have a real conversation about what is important to our communities and our people, then we need a runway not a cliff to move us to those conversations. What if while some are pushing toward cliffs others of us are building runways? What if we began or kept with conversations that had us redesigning systems to help us thrive and not just survive.
Idealistic? Maybe. But Alaskans are incredibly resilient. We also are diverse in our geography, cultures, peoples, and lived experiences. This diversity and our resilience are our strengths. What if we can find the courage and the moments to work together to imagine the future we want to build, rather than struggling now for what we had that we are losing anyway? Why not be the voice for what we want that is even better?
The future is made by those who show up, and I am digging deeper to build a runway where we can all take off and fly. Let’s do it together.
Laurie
PS. I hope I will see you at the Leadership Summit next week. This is one of the many places where we will begin these conversations while we attend to the current reality in front of us.