The Foraker Group

Seventeen-percent – that number represents the average of Alaska’s workforce that works for nonprofits. In rural and remote rural Alaska, it can be as high as 40%. Rarely is the sector talked about as an industry, but if we were, we would be the second largest Alaska industry based on employment – right behind oil and gas. The data is compelling for many reasons. One is the opportunity to look closely at what we are doing in the sector to both attract and retain this workforce. In 2006, Tom Tierney published an article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review called The Leadership Deficit in which he articulated his view of our future as a sector. A key element of that future was a high turnover of Baby Boomers and a… Read more »

We have two new series for you to take this summer: Managing Your Nonprofit – The Essential Toolkit A  webinar series featuring courses on sustainability, human resources, board development, finance, and fundraising. Are you new to a management position or to the nonprofit sector? Are you looking to apply nonprofit best practices to your workplace? In this series we’ll explore the core framework for running a nonprofit and the elements that will help you to make sound management decisions. The series will include five courses – each two hours in length – to enhance your nonprofit management skills. The fee is $200 for the series; $125 for Foraker Partners. Learn more here.  Your Guide to Media Relations: The Strategies & Techniques for Effective Communication Join us for a webinar series… Read more »

The Alaska Division of Insurance is working to stabilize and reduce health care coverage costs in the small group market – those employers with 50 or fewer employees, which includes many nonprofits. To develop a clear path forward, the division is surveying small businesses and nonprofit organizations to identify issues and barriers to affordable health care coverage. Foraker supports the state’s efforts, and we encourage you to participate in this survey to help them develop realistic, effective options for improving affordability in Alaska’s small group health insurance market. The deadline to participate is June 30…. Read more »

Happy Summer, everyone. I bet you were thinking: “there is no better topic to celebrate summer than tax reform.” Right? Well, lucky for all of us, this isn’t as much about the policy of tax reform as about what we need to do to follow the new rules and position ourselves differently for philanthropic success. So pour yourself a glass of iced tea, open the window, and let’s talk. When nonprofit leaders are asked about what their organization is doing as a result of tax reform, the common response over the last six months has been “nothing.” I understand how that can sound like the right answer, especially if you don’t have staff. However, you really can do things right now to adjust to the new rules. If you do… Read more »

Are you an Alaska nonprofit or tribal leader? Do you want to enhance your management skills and explore new techniques to effectively lead your organization? The Foraker Certificate in Nonprofit Management program features courses developed to apply classroom teachings to your workplace, case studies directly related to issues facing Alaska nonprofits, and a network of fellow professionals to last a lifetime. Learn the essentials in each of the key areas of nonprofit management: Strategic Planning & Direction Organizational Development Board Development Marketing & Communications Fundraising Public Policy Human Resources Volunteer Engagement Budget & Finance Business Planning Evaluation Apply today – the deadline to submit an application is June 1, 2018! … Read more »

Foraker’s Catalyst for Nonprofit Excellence program is moving to a winter/spring schedule! The application period will open in the fall. Let us know if you want to stay up to date on program details – email Kate Rose at krose@forakergroup.org with your interest!… Read more »

Foraker has been honored to work with our funding partners – the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Denali Commission, Mat-Su Health Foundation, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, and Rasmuson Foundation – to bring the Pre-Development (Pre-D) program to Alaska nonprofits. The purpose of the program, which was launched in 2006, is to plan sustainable capital projects, which we define as projects that contribute to the long-term viability of the organization and the community it serves. “Pre-development” describes the phase of a capital project between the origination of the concept and the initiation of design.  It is the period of gathering information, exploring options, and making decisions about the direction of a project. Since the program began, more than 100 nonprofits have been part of Pre-D and have gone on to successfully… Read more »

Last week I had two inspiring and unexpected conversations. The first went something like this: “I love meeting one on one with donors and showing them the results of their investment .It is just so much fun.” The other one was: “It is so much fun to connect with potential donors who care so much about mission and help them connect the dots with their philanthropy.” What was interesting about these comments is that one of these people has been in this work for over 30 years and one is a month into the work. And, what they both know is that fundraising is fun. Consider now your own experience. Make a mental list of all the things you think are fun in the nonprofit sector and chances are that… Read more »

Alaska’s nonprofit sector represents a wide variety of organizations that provide public service and have an impact on the lives of nearly everyone living in the state. Although most Alaskans do not think of nonprofits as an economic powerhouse, you know that we play a critical role in the state’s economy both as major employers and as revenue generators. No industry in Alaska can prosper without the nonprofit sector. We provide both a financial and social return on investment by leveraging public and private resources. We are part of the healthcare, utilities, fisheries, and oil and gas industries, and provide essential services such as firefighting, early child care, basic utilities, housing, and food security — just to name a few. Nonprofits are the safety net across Alaska. Every Alaskan is… Read more »

The nonprofit sector is a fundamental component of a healthy democracy. We see the sector as the foundation for virtually all social and civil rights movements in our country. What starts as a grassroots voice grows to a movement and is most often sustained through the framework of the sector. The movements for civil rights, disability rights, women’s rights, and others all took hold in our sector. These issues continue to need our attention. They are amplified and joined now by new movements we recognize as #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, and in response to gun violence #NeverAgain, to name just a few. It is no wonder that the fastest growing classification of nonprofits is 501(c)4, which gives organizations more ability to lobby and advocate with a stronger voice. These issues generate hot… Read more »