The Foraker Group

The Census Bureau put out an official statement that 2020’s count will be cut short a month, ending on September 30. The devastating consequences on Alaska will be felt for at least a decade. The Alaska Congressional Delegation needs to keep hear from you. Please join us in encouraging them to take action.

• Senator Lisa Murkowski: https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/contact/email
• Senator Dan Sullivan: https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/contact/email
• Representative Don Young: https://donyoung.house.gov/contact/

Draft paragraphs to copy & paste:

We are concerned by this week’s changes to the timeline of the Census. Alaska currently has the lowest Census self-response rate in the nation. If the count is cut short now, we will suffer the largest consequences of any state, which will be reflected by a loss of billions of dollars flowing into our economy over the next decade.

Responding to the census is one of the most influential opportunities Alaskans have to empower our communities, rebuild our economy, and protect our rights COVID-19 has already caused unprecedented disruption to the 2020 Census, making it impossible for the Bureau to finish a complete count and compile its findings within the usual timeline. Census data is with us for a decade. Waiting four months for an accurate count leaves us nine years and eight months of accuracy. An inaccurate count, delivered earlier, means ten years of inaccuracy.

Ending the Census early will shortchange Alaska’s families and economy for the next decade. It undermines the accuracy of the count, and provides no tangible benefits to Alaskans, the public, or the Census Bureau.

Please do what you can to ensure the 2020 Census is not cut short, and can continue through October 31 as planned.

And Alaskans need to keep hearing from you. Consider: Making your statement public, posting on social media for others to see + echo, or forwarding this message to other communications partners who might find it helpful. We want every Alaskan to be counted, and the more we can reach, the better.

Thank you, everyone. While the Census may have become more of a roller coaster than any of us could have expected this year, the closer we get to the end, the more important it is to hang on tight.

— The Alaska Counts team

A global pandemic – a childcare/educational crisis – escalating economic loss – a sector under siege or boarded up while adapting to the needs of our communities. This is beyond the disasters that Alaskans know of like earthquakes, floods, and fires. These disasters come quickly, leaving us devastated, but a clear path forward soon emerges. Our current crisis is the longest marathon at sprint pace most of us have known. Adjusting is an understatement. Recovery is a faraway place as we live in the here and now and do our best to put the puzzle pieces of relief together.

What we know is that as a sector we are the safety net. We are fire service, childcare, and food security. We are human support. We are human spirit. We are essential to the economy. These are the messages we are all sharing, and I know that many of us are not sure how it will end. There are staggering stories like this one in the New York Times, which highlights our partners at the National Council of Nonprofits, and shows us what it is like outside. Or this one from the Nonprofit Quarterly that focuses on layoffs in the sector and found that 1.6 million nonprofit employees lost their jobs in the three months from March through May.

We see signs of these losses here in Alaska, too. And, still, we also see signs of you taking charge and seeking support in many ways so you can continue to serve your missions. (We thank our local governments for making specific and easily accessed grant programs to help you.) We are grateful, too, that you are accessing our COVID-19 relief page as a trusted, up-to-date source of information, and that you’re attending our rapid relief webinars in record numbers. Know that we are working in as many ways as we can to ensure you will thrive not just survive in this new reality.

We are also thankful to our friends at the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development who crunched a few extra numbers for us on how nonprofits accessed the first round of PPP, and we share that data with you below. We know this program was not an option for many of you, but it does give us a sliver of understanding. If you want to see their full report that goes beyond the sector go here.

Data on Alaska’s nonprofit access to the first round of PPP

Top 10 Nonprofit Recipient by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)

We are grateful to Alaska’s banks and credit unions for stepping up to help Alaska’s nonprofits. Top 10 access points:

Very soon we will launch another statewide survey so we can learn more about COVID’s impact on the sector. We hope you will participate and share your experiences. But more importantly, if you are struggling right now, please reach out to us. We truly believe that asking for support is a sign of strength. We are ready to practice “we care” with you not just hope you are finding some self-care. We are ready with new offers and new ways of leaning in. Let’s navigate this unimaginable journey together.

Now more than ever we face a multitude of challenges in our communities and our economy, and we know that not everyone is being impacted in the same way. Already existing disparities in economic status are exacerbated by the pandemic, and the same is true for the gender pay gap. Economists are now predicting that as women take on more responsibilities with children at home, the pay gap will widen. With that in mind, now is the time to reflect on what we can do to end the gender pay gap in Alaska. Our latest report specifically details pay inequity in the state’s nonprofit sector, and guess what? We have work to do – and we believe the nonprofit sector can lead the way.

But first, a brief moment of history: In 2015, our board was asked to sign on to a resolution to end the gender pay gap in Alaska by 2025. Rather than simply lending our name to a good effort, we determined that we needed more data. Since then, we have released two reports on the pay gap in Alaska’s nonprofit sector. What is incredibly exciting this year is that we have a new data source. In the past, we relied upon a survey to capture gender, and the results were limited. In 2019, the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development – notably Karinne Wiebold – focused the September issue of the Alaska Trends Report on the gender pay gap for Alaska’s entire workforce. But how? Well Alaska, guess what? We have what no one else has when it comes to data on gender (well at least binary gender)—the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend application. Yep, you pick a gender when you fill out that form. Karinne was able to share the data with us and our partners at the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development in a way that allowed us to segment nonprofit employees using EIN numbers.

So drum roll please – for the first time in Alaska’s history, and for the first time in the entire country, we have accurate gender pay data for the nonprofit sector. No other state has these tools, so those of us in Alaska get the best data out there to make very important decisions. At the same time, we have identified some workable solutions to address the situation.

To be clear, every employee is counted who works for a nonprofit registered in Alaska, who is an Alaska resident, and who also filed for a PFD in 2019. Is it perfect? No. Are we missing people? Yes. Do we get to honor our commitment to our transgender community? Sadly, very sadly, no. Do we get to segment and understand the impact of race as it impacts this data? Again, very sadly, no. But even given that, I hope you will agree that the information we do have is pretty darned amazing.

We are committed to raising questions of equity when it comes to race, gender, age, and ability. We hope you will join us in that commitment by asking these questions, too, as you use the data and turn it into action – because that’s where the real work begins.

If we want to achieve the change we seek in the world, then we must endeavor to understand what the facts say about an issue and how we can best use that information. We hope you will join Foraker in seeking lasting change in our sector on issues of diversity and equity. Each of our organizations is starting in a different place on this journey. While we might not see our ultimate goals achieved while we are on the board or staff of a particular organization, we can all stay devoted to raising the questions and seeking solutions. To that end, in addition to the data, we are also sharing resources to better explore the intersection of racial diversity on the pay gap, to grapple with how COVID-19 will impact and set us back even further in our goals, and so much more. You’ll find links to these resources, along with a set of generative questions here. Together, these will help you start conversations or reignite discussions you may have been having before COVID-19 changed the focus of our work.

Generative discussions focus more on sense making, values propositions, and the “why” far more than the “what” or the “how.” When you are ready, the “what” and the “how” are waiting for you to make the changes necessary. And most critically, we have provided a set of concrete action steps you can take within your organization, your community, and for the state. These are well proven steps that will make a difference if we commit to taking them together.

Take a step with your team or ask us for support. We are ready to walk with you in this journey.

Finally, I hope you will join Foraker and our research partner, the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development, along with our generous donors to this project, GCI Women’s Network (GWeN), Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, and Women’s Power League of Alaska, to explore the data and how we can work together to turn our data into action. Register here and join us on August 25 from 10:30-12:00.

Mission Driven is a good-news series highlighting the many ways in which Alaska’s nonprofit sector is moving forward during the pandemic. Hosted by Foraker President/CEO Laurie Wolf, these recorded chats feature inspiring tales of resilience from nonprofit leaders in our state.

RBI Alaska’s Founder/CEO, Jamar Hill, has had a storied baseball career. These days, he’s finding new ways to teach kids about the sport he loves. His takeaway: kids are resilient

Michele Girault hit the ground running in her first 100-days as Executive Director at Hope Community Resources. Her focus in a distanced environment has revolved around deepening personal connections and maintaining flexible systems.

How are nonprofit leaders gathering and using data to chart their way forward during a pandemic? For Anchorage Concert Association’s Executive Director, Jason Hodges, the process involves sticky notes.

What’s the best way to take care of staff, the children of first responders and each other during a pandemic? For Camp Fire Alaska’s CEO, Barb Dubovich, it comes down to staying connected.

Anchorage Museum’s Director/CEO Julie Decker knows the museum has a role in helping people to imagine tomorrow. Her team has adapted to delivering content in new ways while focusing on the core questions: who are you, and how are you essential to the community?

What are the right tools to pull from your toolbox in a pandemic? Carol Wren and Aleesha Towns-Bain are co-leading the COVID-19 task force at Bristol Bay Native Corporation and Bristol Bay Native Corporation Education Foundation. Through partnerships, collective efforts and even mask-making, they’ve mobilized to serve the shareholders and communities in Bristol Bay.

What is the unit of measure when two businesswomen identify a big problem they believe they can help solve during a pandemic? According to Marilyn Romano, Alaska Regional Vice President of Alaska Airlines and Janet Weiss, president of BP Exploration Alaska Inc, one million jet fuel gallons and travel miles.

There is no word for “coronavirus” in Yupik. For Shane Iverson, General Manager of KYUK, his team is more creative than ever in delivering the news to their Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta listening audience during a pandemic.

Museums Alaska advocates for museums and cultural institutions across our state. Executive Director Della Hall found a way to step up support for Alaska’s museums during a pandemic – and it started with challenging her own assumptions.

Reverend Matt and Reverend Elizabeth Schultz have been innovating with new technology to provide a consistent place of worship for their congregation – many of whom will not physically return to worship until there is a vaccine for COVD-19. Even though the doors are closed, First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage, Alaska is very much open.

As Executive Director of Shiloh Community Housing Inc., Shenee Williams helps to provide quality housing for our city’s homeless population and those in transition. During a pandemic, the work must go on – and doing it in a virtual space has turned out to be a blessing.

The Alaska Black Caucus frames their work around education, justice, economics and healthcare. For President and CEO, Celeste Hodge Growden , getting the word out means keeping the community informed. This crucial work must continue – even if in a virtual space.

The Special Olympics was founded in 1968. Here in Alaska, Special Olympics CEO Sue Perles can attest their nonprofit has remained true to their mission of providing year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults of varying abilities. Enter “Virtual Games” – yes, it can happen!

Saving the Salmon. With a pandemic leading to school closures, Tebughna School’s Salmon in the Classroom curriculum for students in Tyonek looked like a wash. How could students raise baby salmon in the classroom when there were no classes? Christy Cincotta, Executive Director of the Tyonek Tribal Conservation District , shares how partners and friends of the community got on board to save the babies (well, baby salmon).

2020 was to be biggest PRIDE celebration the University of Alaska Fairbanks had ever coordinated. But when a week-long (and in person) event with lots of moving parts meets a pandemic, plans must change. According to Jo Malbert Narvaez, Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator at UAF, COVID-19 was no match for Nanook PRIDE. Learn more about UAF LGBTQ PRIDE.

Tuzzy Library at Iḷisaġvik College is both an academic and public library. With the college being closed due to COVID, library director Teressa Williams got creative in prioritizing the safety of her staff and the high demand for literature.

We know many of you have questions about the next federal relief packages.  Thanks to the National Council of Nonprofits for putting together this chart to document how nonprofits could be impacted in the various bills being proposed.  We are monitoring these options closely and will keep you informed as we continue to learn more.