Latest news, alerts, and events.
Latest news, alerts, and events.
Rasmuson Foundation has reopened their small grant program, known as Tier 1, to fund emergency needs of nonprofits, local governments and tribal organizations. Complete applications must be in hand by Nov. 30, so don’t delay. Awards of up to $10,000 for either operational or capital needs will be made in December.
Interested organizations should click here to learn more and apply.
COVID-19 has changed nearly everything about the way Alaska nonprofits are meeting mission. We are innovating in how we deliver our programs and services – exploring new options for fundraising – changing the way we manage our human and financial resources – working differently to better leverage our partnerships – and so much more.
However, the why of our work has not changed. The need for nonprofit advocacy also has not changed. In fact, during this pandemic it is more important than ever before. It is critical that nonprofits keep in touch with their local governments, state legislators, the Alaska executive branch, and our congressional delegation. We are all looking for new ways to engage with policy makers because of COVID. Since in-person meetings with elected officials and staff will be exceedingly difficult in the next few months, we must engage virtually. We cannot wait until COVID is behind us to talk to our policy makers.
The foundation of successful nonprofit advocacy has not changed. The most important aspect of advocacy is building relationships with policy makers. A good first step is to connect with legislators who have been reelected. For those new to their office, reach out and congratulate them on their win. And don’t wait until January to make these contacts. You have a much better chance of reaching legislators while they are still in their districts. You can find a contact list for current members of the legislature here. The list for the 2021-2022 legislature will be available soon.
When you talk with elected officials and their staff (and that staff relationship can be just as important as the one with the legislator), make sure they understand your mission and that you want to be a resource for them, especially when they are crafting legislation that may impact your organization. The more you engage with your legislators, the better the chance they will reach out to you when they need data, a story, an opinion, or a sounding board. Before talking with them, send any relevant materials about your organization. Tell your story and share your data, making sure you have your facts and figures in order.
Advocacy does not have to be more difficult during the pandemic. In fact, it may be easier to reach more policy makers with your message. There are several ways to do this effectively. The most obvious virtual platform that we have all been using for the past nine months is Zoom, or some equivalent. Although we may feel Zoom fatigue, it is still a way for you to have a real-time, back and forth discussion. Again, ask your legislators how they would like you to communicate with them. It is possible that the state and legislature will use their own virtual platform or prefer a simple phone call.
Prepare for the meeting by sending the legislator any material you want them to review in advance. That material could include your mission statement, a list of your board members, or even a short power point presentation on the topic you want to discuss. Make sure you know how long the call will last. You do not want to be only halfway through your presentation when the time is up. Once the call is over, send a follow-up email or letter thanking them for their time, emphasizing your message and the points your discussed, and reminding them that you are a resource for them.
Remember, you do not have to be the only one who reaches out to policy makers. If you have an issue you want to resolve or a piece of legislation you want passed or defeated, ask your stakeholders, board members, clients, and funders to assist. You can also reach out to select community members and opinion leaders to help get your message across.
Depending on COVID restrictions in your area, you may be able to plan a COVID-safe visit with your legislator in their district. You may also be able to invite a legislator to visit your organization. If an in-person meeting is not feasible, consider putting together a “virtual tour” of your organization and post it on YouTube, or some other appropriate site.
If you have questions about virtual advocacy, please do not hesitate to contact us. Watch for future Advocacy in Action sessions that will keep you updated on what is happening at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as learn about opportunities to enhance your own virtual advocacy.
Hey new Executive Directors – we have a program designed for YOU! In our Executive Leadership Intensive we’ll share tools and resources to help you take the next step in leading your organization and increasing your job performance. The deadline to apply is December 7. Learn more here.
Are you feeling it? Are you hearing it? Election anxiety – it’s a thing. It might look different across the country but we are not immune in our great state. The rising rates of COVID infection are only exacerbating our collective anxiety. Overlay a reckoning about the deep inequities experienced in our communities not just by the ravishes of COVID right now but by historical trauma, and we have the perfect storm for deep and real anxiety.
What we also know is that the collision of COVID and the election has something else in common: it takes all of us to participate and believe in the greater good for change to occur. If your anxiety is being stoked and you are having trouble finding the right things to say – remember, it’s not always about what you say but what you project in other ways. By your very existence as a nonprofit leader you are participating in democracy. That’s because we serve the greater good and bring people together to create change and provide a voice for civil society. You do this every day.
It’s likely that the election outcome will be delayed for weeks. If that happens, it will be unnerving for so many. Your response during this time will be crucial in helping the people around you stay calm. Importantly your gift of a safe and calm voice to your staff and board, encouraging them to take extra care, is as important as your message to your stakeholders. In particular, we know that immigrants, people of color, people in certain religious groups, and the elderly are more likely to be fearful during this time. If this is you, we see you and we are lifting you up. We all need to be here for each other – now more than ever and then more as we go.
If you are ready to use your nonpartisan voice in the next few days or few weeks or few years – great! Your voice matters and people are watching and listening.
One of our coping mechanisms during this time is to read, reflect, and share some ideas. Take a breath and pick one. Or pick them all. It will take all of us doing a little to help a lot.
Regardless of the election’s outcome, the nonprofit community will prevail. We will never stop doing everything we can to help people and to heal the planet. We will never stop standing up against injustice. We will never stop lifting up spirits. We will always be the place where new solutions arise and are tested. We are democracy come to life, and we will prevail.
You can count on Foraker to be a strong voice for democracy and for the power and strength and passion of the nonprofit sector. You can count on us to support and elevate nonprofit leadership as solution-oriented people who are about resilience and taking action. We are standing by your side and leading the way together for the betterment of all Alaskans.
Be well – wear a mask – wash your hands – keep your distance – VOTE
Laurie
P.S. Join us on for a nonpartisan election debrief at our regularly scheduled Advocacy in Action on November 5 at 9:00 am. There will likely be a lot of unknowns, but we will share with you what we do know. You can register here.
Applications will open for the Municipality of Anchorage Nonprofit Relief grant program at noon on Monday, October 19, 2020. The grant program will make available over $4,000,000 of CARES Act funds to eligible nonprofits, and $50,000 from the Rasmuson Foundation that will be dedicated to arts and culture nonprofits. Cook Inlet Lending Center (CILC) will process applications for this grant program and distribute the funds.
$2.5 million of the grant program will be set aside for general nonprofits, while $1.5 million of the grant program will be set aside for arts and culture nonprofits. Qualified applicants will be eligible to receive grants of $7,500, $15,000, or $30,000 depending on the recipient’s gross revenue.
The grants may be used to cover costs of operational interruptions caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic and local emergency orders, including loss of income, additional expenses incurred to protect staff and clients, and the cost of expanding critical charitable services to address the direct impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nonprofits are eligible if they have been harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and:
In addition to the above criteria, arts and culture nonprofits must fit within the following definition of arts or cultural organizations: An arts organization is a nonprofit with a primary purpose to produce or promote arts events, projects, or services. A cultural organization is a nonprofit with a primary purpose to engage in the promotion or preservation of cultural identities, histories, and traditional practices. Those entities that received relief funding as one of the Culture Pillars identified by the Anchorage Assembly, are not eligible for this round of funding.
Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 30. Applications and more information can be found on the Cook Inlet Lending Center (CILC) website. Want to learn more? Join us for a session on Wednesday, October 21 at 1:00 pm with the Cook Inlet Lending Center team to get your questions answered. Register here.