The Foraker Group

We want to call your attention to scholarship opportunities for a special event coming to Seattle this November – the 2014 Independent Sector National Conference, November 16-18, at the Sheraton Seattle. This conference is the premiere networking event in the charitable sector, bringing together grantmakers and nonprofits of all sizes. It will be packed with sessions on everything from the next generation of evaluation to crafting your organization’s stories to a first look at what the 2016 election means for our sector. It will also feature plenaries from major thought leaders, debates on new trends with issue experts, networking events, and a special reception at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Independent Sector is making available scholarships to attend the conference, which are designed especially for small and medium-sized nonprofits…. Read more »

Board work continues to evolve. Thirty years ago board norms were different. Boards met monthly. They used a strong executive committee that met between board meetings to manage the executive director’s actions – EDs made few decisions without the board’s permission. Only on rare occasions did the board or executive committee meet by phone. There were no faxes – board packets were sent by mail. Communications has drastically changed, and Dennis has some thoughts on just that. Read more here…. Read more »

This year we are partnering with Independent Sector, the leadership network for nonprofits, foundations, and corporations, to bring its 2014 National Conference to Seattle on November 16-18. The conference will feature programs highlighting the sector’s biggest names, alongside breakout sessions focused on the most complex questions of the day. With pre-conference sessions targeted to emerging leaders and policy pros, and a full conference roster of cutting-edge content for professionals and executives, the IS conference will arm leaders with the knowledge and connections they need to work toward the greater good in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, across the country and around the world. On-line registration is now open. Foraker Partners are entitled to receive a discounted registration rate. To learn more, visit the conference website or contact Liz Culkin at… Read more »

Alaskans set a record in 2014 for donations made to local nonprofits through Pick.Click.Give. More Alaskans than ever before participated in the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) charitable donation program, sharing millions of dollars with Alaska’s nonprofits. According to the Alaska Department of Revenue, as of April 1, 26,773 Alaskans donated $2,771,400 from their PFDs, which is $325,950 or 13% more than last year. The average amount donated per person was also record-breaking, increasing by 11% from $94 in 2013 to $104 in 2014. Overall, 4.8% of Alaskans who filed online for the PFD made donations through Pick.Click.Give. Read more details here. Foraker congratulates everyone involved in Pick.Click.Give. and thanks Alaskans who gave part of their PFD to help other Alaskans. We especially thank those who gave part of their PFD… Read more »

GrantStation polls organizations on the status of their grantseeking twice yearly in order to provide the nonprofit sector with a vivid, up-to-date snapshot of grantseeking today. We hope you’ll take a few minutes to help by completing their survey. Click here to get started. The survey results (which are free) can serve as a benchmark for your organization to compare your own grantseeking efforts with those of your colleagues. The more the respondents, the better the data that can be reported – so please include this survey request on your list serves, with membership groups, on Facebook, and more. We appreciate anything you can do to spread the word. GrantStation’s The State of Grantseeking – Survey and Report is underwritten by the Grant Professionals Association and the National Council of… Read more »

Have you heard about the “Double Your Dividend” sweepstakes for Pick.Click.Give.? Alaskans who make a gift between now and March 31 have a chance to win a cash prize equal to the amount of the 2014 PFD. You’ll find all the details here. To help you promote “Double Your Dividend,” PCG has developed the graphics below for you to use in social media, on your website, and in your emails. Double Your Dividend Icon DYD FB Cover Photo Three Kids DYD FB Cover Photo Dogs DYD FB Cover Photo Food Distribution 1 DYD FB Cover Photo Food Distribution 2 DYD FB Cover Photo Two Kids DYD FB Cover Photo Alaskans You also can print and distribute this flyer about the sweepstakes. It’s a quick, easy way to give Alaskans an… Read more »

In his newsletter article this month, Dennis emphasized the need for nonprofits to be involved in public policy. You can read his comments here. This week the president of the National Council of Nonprofits echoed that message in an address in Washington, DC, which he made as part of philanthropy week. Tim Delaney believes the real action takes place in state legislatures and urged nonprofits to focus on their state representatives at least as much as their congressional delegation. You can read his comments which were reported in Nonprofit Quarterly…. Read more »

The Cold Climate Housing Research Center is initiating a pilot project this month to help Alaska nonprofits save money by making their buildings more energy efficient. The application process opens tomorrow for nonprofit and tribal building owners in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The Fairbanks Nonprofit Retrofit Pilot provides energy audits and low-interest loans to nonprofit and tribal organizations as well as guidance through the entire energy retrofit process, including arranging an energy audit, prioritizing energy improvements, arranging financing, and coordinating contractors to complete the retrofit. In recent years, thousands of homeowners, small businesses and public buildings have taken advantage of energy efficiency programs to reduce operating costs. Homeowners have cut fuel use by an average 33% annually through AHFC’s Home Energy Rebate Program. The goal of the retrofit program… Read more »

Pick.Click.Give. has announced a new promotion for the final days of the 2014 campaign – the Double Your Dividend Sweepstakes. Ten Alaskans who make a PCG donation before March 31 and release their name from anonymity will win a cash prize equal to the amount of the 2014 dividend. Official sweepstakes rules can be found on the Pick.Click.Give. website. Thanks to a generous grant from ExxonMobil, statewide advertising of the sweepstakes began today and will run through the end of the month…. Read more »

Applications are now being taken for the 2015 Pick.Click.Give. program. Organizations can complete their applications by clicking here. The deadline for filing is Monday, March 31, 2014. If you have questions about the application process, sign up for a free webinar we are offering on Friday, March 7, from 11:00 to noon. Click here to register. All participating organizations must apply each year regardless of past participation. If you have not been part of Pick.Click.Give. in the past, a list of Frequently Asked Questions is available that will help you better understand the program and the application process. Click here for the FAQs…. Read more »