The Foraker Group

CHECK THE LIST and File Online Today On Oct 15th over 1000 nonprofits in Alaska could lose their tax-exempt status. Will your nonprofit be one of them? We hope not. The Urban Institute’s National Center for Charitable Statistics has developed a simple tool to find out if you need to file. Here’s how in 3 easy steps: (1) Go to the NCCS website <http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/PubApps/990search.php> (2) Select the name of your state and then enter your nonprofit’s name. If there is an alert “FILE NOW” by your nonprofit’s name, then (3) File a 990 by Oct 15 or your nonprofit’s tax-exempt status will be automatically revoked Please help The Foraker Group SPREAD THE WORD!… Read more »

The Foraker Group once again will provide a rich learning and sharing opportunity for Alaska’s nonprofit board members, volunteers and staff at its second Leadership Summit. The event will be held September 20-21, 2010, at the Egan Center in Anchorage. This year’s summit will focus on the steps we can take to enhance the wellness of our community, our organization and ourselves. We all have heard about “best practices.” At this summit we will discover ways we each can make those practices a reality. Join us as we network with our peers, rejuvenate and take the next step. Registration is now open…. Read more »

After a brutal year that included personnel cuts and a dramatic reduction in giving, the Rasmuson Foundation anticipates a transition ahead to “the new normal” — cautious optimism and increasing donations to Alaska charities and artists. Read more-… Read more »

April 16 — An innovative program designed to make philanthropic giving easier for Alaskans is one step closer to permanence. A bill passed by the Alaska State Legislature on today will extend the PFD Charitable Contributions Program, known as Pick.Click.Give., by removing the three-year sunset provision that was included in the original 2008 authorization. Senate Bill 171, sponsored by Senator Kevin Meyer, passed the Senate this afternoon. The bill, which carried language offered by Representative Bill Thomas to extend the program, had already passed the House of Representatives. The bill also establishes a $250 nonprofit application fee to address the ongoing administration costs of Pick.Click.Give. Start-up costs for the program were supported by private funding. Pick.Click.Give. allows Alaskans to make charitable donations when they file online for their Permanent Fund… Read more »

The final days for Alaskans to Pick. Click. Give. are quickly approaching, and the campaign is progressing well. Thus far this year, 7,742 Alaskans have made 11,387 pledges to the 366 organizations participating in the program. As of Monday, March 22, a total of 477,586 applications for the 2010 PFD had been filed online. The percentage of Alaskans who are choosing to give has remained steady through the 2010 filing period at nearly 2 percent of all PFD filers, with nearly half of those choosing to support more than one organization. Last year, approximately 1 percent of filers, or about 5,100 Alaskans participated in the program, donating a total of $550,000. In addition, the state has fixed its computer system and it will be possible for Alaskans who had difficulty… Read more »

In our March newsletter, Foraker president Dennis McMillian discusses how employers continue to be tasked with finding the best benefits for their employees so they can attract and retain the right people. In an article from our October 2008 newsletter, McMillian referenced the Stockdale Paradox. In his opinion, Foraker along with many of Foraker’s Partners i.e. Alaska nonprofits – now understand that our elected officials are not practicing this paradox when they address health care reform. In that article, here’s how McMillian described the Stockdale Paradox: Admiral Jim Stockdale was the highest-ranking military officer held in the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. From 1965 to 1973, he was tortured over 20 times, had no rights, no set release date, and had no certainty that he would ever see his… Read more »

Here are some article summaries posted in the News to Use section of the Economic Response resources on The Foraker Group web site for the week ending December 18. Recession Prompts Watchdog Agency to Loosen Fund-Raising Standards The Chronicle of Philanthropy In recognition of the recession’s severe impact on charities, the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance announced today that it will allow organizations more leeway in meeting its standards for how much they spend on fund-raising and program activities. Since 2003 the watchdog agency has required charities that meet its 20 standards to spend at least 65 percent on programs (Standard 8) and no more than 35 percent of contributions on fund-raising expenses (Standard 9). But for the fiscal years ending in 2008 through June 2010, the agency announced,… Read more »

More than 5,100 Alaskans give $545,000 through their Permanent Fund Dividend The Alaska Giving Coalition has announced preliminary results from the first Pick. Click. Give. campaign. The new program allowed Alaskans filing on-line for their 2009 Permanent Fund Dividend to give all or part of it to qualifying nonprofit organizations, community foundations or campuses of the University of Alaska. According to preliminary figures from the Alaska Department of Revenue, 5,163 Alaskans filing on-line selected the option to give to a nonprofit. Those Alaskans made a total of 7,572 donations – some choosing to give to more than one organization. The approximate total for the amount donated is $545,000. Specific organization contribution totals and the final figure will be available in October when dividend checks are determined and disbursed. “We were… Read more »

Veteran Silicon Alley news guy and publisher of OnPhilanthropy.com , Tom Watson has come out with one of the first books about social media for nonprofit organizations. CauseWired: Plugging In, Getting Involved, Changing the World takes a look at the impact of social networks, blogs, podcasts and Web video on society. As more and more organizations are looking toward new and more affordable ways of reaching constituents, understanding how to best use social media tools can be a barrier. While CaseWired is not a basic “how-to” book for the absolute beginner, it does outline examples of nonprofit organizations who have used social media tools to promote a cause and encourage activism. Consider this book more of an overview of the thinking behind social media used for social causes, an introduction… Read more »

We’ve upload presentations from the Leadership summit. You can view all documents and information here – or select a link from below. Presentations & Breakout Session Documents – Summit Overview & 2007 Nonprofit Economic Impact Study – by Dennis McMillian (854 KB) – KEYNOTE: Leading Your Nonprofit Through Generation Change – Presented by Peter Brinckerhoff (291 KB) – Environmental considerations before and after a disaster – Presented by Carlton Dufrecho (45 KB) – From 911 to Katrina: How Arts Organizations Survive?and Thrive – Presented by Annie LaRock (152 KB) – Signs of Trouble: Being an Effective Leader in Good and Bad Times – Presented by Peter Brinckerhoff (235 KB) – The Calm Before the Storm: Integrating Government, Business and the Nonprofit Sectors – Presented by Charmaine Caccioppi (821 KB) –… Read more »