The Foraker Group

For some time now, we’ve been sharing information from the National Council of Nonprofits on changes taking place in the way nonprofits will be reimbursed for their indirect costs when they are implementing programs that are at least partially funded by the federal government. New guidance was adopted at the end of 2014 that streamlines and clarifies the rules. We strongly encourage Alaska nonprofits that receive federal funding to examine the guidance. To help you get started, the Council has published a white paper, Know Your Rights – and How to Protect Them, that analyzes your rights and highlights potential challenges you may encounter. The paper also will help you properly interpret the guidance. If you have any questions, please call the Foraker office, 907-743-1200…. Read more »

The National Council of Nonprofits has announced it 2015 public policy agenda, which focuses on six broad categories: tax policy, budget and spending, the economy, public-private collaborations, advocacy rights, and public accountability. You can read more on the agenda here. The council suggests several ways organizations can use items from its agenda, including: Sharing it with members of your board or public policy committee Using the information to augment your own public policy agenda Using it as a starting point for your own agenda if you haven’t developed one Foraker’s public policy committee will present its recommended agenda to the Governance Board at the annual meeting on January 15. We’ll report on the board’s action here on the blog and in the February newsletter…. Read more »

We are pleased to offer travel assistance for Foraker Partners attending the 2015 Leadership Summit who live outside the Anchorage area. Click here for details and an application form. Because funds are limited, please review the criteria carefully to determine if you or a member of your organization is eligible. Deadline for applying is Friday, February 27. You will be notified no later than Tuesday, March 10, if we are able to assist you. Assistance will include one free night at the Hotel Captain Cook and a stipend toward airfare. You may apply for lodging or a stipend toward airfare – or for both. If you have questions, please call us at 907-743-1200…. Read more »

December 31 marked the last day in the office for our good friend and Foraker “go-to” person, Vicki Lewis. Vicki has been with us almost since we opened our doors. She has managed the education program, kept a million balls in the air during our Leadership Summits, and brought a delightful sense of humor to the office. Even though she is retiring, Vicki promises to check in with us when she’s not spending time with her granddaughter. For more than a decade, Vicki has helped edit and proofread this newsletter. So if you find a few typos in this edition, it’s because we haven’t yet found someone with her keen eye for detail to catch our oversights. Thanks, Vicki, for your dedication to Foraker, our Partners, and to the sector…. Read more »

In her recent blog post, Rasmuson Foundation President Diane Kaplan shares new information people will see when they go to the PFD website to file for their dividend and contribute through Pick.Click.Give. A screen will announce that beginning this year 7% of donations will be used to fund administration of PCG. As Diane says, “this is great news for the program. Why? It means that Pick.Click.Give. is no longer a start-up, but is maturing and moving toward sustainability.” Click here to read Diane’s message. And we encourage you to share it with your supporters. Happy New Year!… Read more »

In less than one month, new rules go into effect that benefit nonprofits in their relationships with local, state, and federal governments. The Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Guidance, published at the end of last year, mandates that governments at all levels must reimburse nonprofits for some or all of their indirect costs (sometimes called administrative or overhead costs) for work performed under a wide variety of contracts and grants when federal grant money is involved. For the past year, federal agencies have been revising their regulations in order to ensure consistency with the new federal reforms. OMB is expected to release Interim Final regulations from most federal agencies that will take effect by December 26, and all governments at all levels will be obligated to follow the new… Read more »

We encourage you to take a look at this message on advocacy from Foraker Vice President Mike Walsh. It appeared in our last newsletter. A recent article from David Thompson, Vice President for Public Policy at the National Council of Nonprofits, asked an important question: “Who has time for advocacy?” His answer was clear – nonprofits in Alaska don’t have the time NOT TO ENGAGE in public policy advocacy. Most of us in the nonprofit sector have heard about the link between active advocacy and meeting mission, and I have a simple formula: More Advocacy = More Mission. At The Foraker Group we have been changing the way we think, talk, and act about nonprofit advocacy. We are working to be better advocates for our mission to strengthen nonprofits, and… Read more »

We are pleased that Meg Wheatley, an internationally acclaimed writer and speaker, will return to Anchorage for our 2015 Leadership Summit. Meg was extremely popular at our 2010 summit when she worked with us to better understand how to create healthy communities. Since then, she has released her newest book, So Far From Home: Lost and Found in Our Brave New World, which is described as “a startlingly honest, profoundly reflective, and yet paradoxically down-to-earth book rooted in the day-to-day experiences we all share but seen with fresh eyes. It is both affirming and provoking, calling us to reexamine our expectations and redefine our role for the work ahead.“ Also confirmed is Richard Evans, CEO of EMCArts, who will explore ways to restructure organizations for innovation. Meg and Richard are… Read more »

Members of the 2014 cohort have successfully completed 14 days of classes and received their certificates from Foraker and from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. It was our pleasure to have you in the program this year. Welcome to the growing network of other grads. We hope you will stay in touch with each other, and with us. Congratulations…. Read more »

Since Foraker’s beginning we have been dedicated to the concept of shared services — or what is more commonly called “backroom services” — to support the sector. The rational for these services is simple — we are better when we work together. Foraker has proven this time and again in our many offerings of shared services including Financial Shared Services, our Pre-Development program, and our website design services, to name just a few. We are pleased to announce the latest addition to our suite of shared services — human resources. Expanding on our already popular HR activities, which includes one-on-one work with organizations and our educational offerings, we have developed a program to truly fit the needs of the sector. Our work throughout Alaska is proof that this service is… Read more »