The Foraker Group

You’re invited to the 2025 Foraker Leadership Summit! Join us on April 14 & 15 at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage to stretch your thinking and discover ways to put new ideas into action. Stay tuned for information on registration, speakers, and more…. Read more »

The U.S. Department of Labor issued a final rule to increase the minimum salary threshold for the “white collar” overtime exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) from its current rate of $35,568 to $43,888 per year starting on July 1, 2024 and increasing to $58,656 per year starting on January 1, 2025. To be exempt from overtime pay under this provision, workers must be paid a salary of at least $58,656 and must also meet certain job duties for executive, administrative, and professional employees. Workers with a salary below this threshold must be paid overtime if they work more than 40 hours a week. Currently, the State of Alaska requires salaried employees who are exempt from the minimum wage and overtime requirements under Alaska Statute 23.10.055(b) to maintain a salary that is equivalent to two… Read more »

After a thoughtful process using Foraker’s Leadership Transition services, the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Board of Directors has selected Benjamin Mallott as the organization’s next President. Mallott has been with AFN for more than 11 years and currently serves as the organization’s Vice President of External Affairs. Board Co-Chair Joe Nelson said the board conducted an extensive statewide search before making its selection. “We were fortunate to receive applications from strong and impressive candidates,” Nelson said. “This enabled the board of directors to select a person who is well aligned with AFN’s mission and values. Ben understands AFN’s diversity and has demonstrated steady leadership within the organization for many years.” Nelson cites Mallott’s background in Alaska Native issues and state and federal public policy as key to his selection…. Read more »

Leaders of Alaska nonprofit organizations and tribes are invited to apply for a 2025 Sabbatical Award. The program provides time away to rest, reflect and rejuvenate. Each recipient will have 90 to 120 continuous days in the coming year to unplug from demanding jobs. The award amount in the coming cycle is $50,000. These grants to the individual’s organization help cover the leader’s salary, interim team, and costs of travel and other experiences during the time off from work. Applications will close on August 14. A Rasmuson Foundation selection panel, which includes prior recipients, will select up to eight individuals for 2025 awards. Learn more here…. Read more »

Some days more than others, we need to remind ourselves that nonprofits are a hallmark of a healthy democracy and a thriving economy. Today is one of those days. In other countries nonprofits are referred to as non-governmental organizations to indicate their separate relationship from the government, since it is the IRS that deems the reality of our existence in this country, we are framed from a tax perspective. In either case, our role is essential in the depth and breadth of our services that the government either will not or cannot provide and inherently will fail in a market-driven economy. The rationale for our existence in a thriving economy is also long – just look around at how each of your communities operates. Ask yourself, who is doing the… Read more »

The classic vicious cycle in nonprofit operations is the need to raise more money to hire more people but needing people to raise more money.  It is an easy scarcity trap to fall into regardless of your organizational size, topic, or geography.  Scarcity thinking dominates nonprofit and fundraising culture. It drives us to believe there is not enough time, money, energy, or people, leading us to the inevitable conclusion that we are competing with one another. Countless nonprofit boards and staff believe this false narrative and because it is so pervasive it is easy to find evidence to be right.  And yet, we must resist the scarcity trap if we are going to be truly successful. The alternative is an abundance mindset, one that asks you to think about what… Read more »

Major developments are underway in federal grantmaking! The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has announced significant revisions to the Uniform Guidance, promising big changes in how organizations access federal funds. For many nonprofits, this will mean easier application and reporting processes and more funding for indirect costs/overhead. Join a free webinar, Thursday, May 30 from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm Alaska time, as OMB officials Deidre Harrison and Steven P. Mackey discuss the latest revisions, implementation timelines, and real-life implications for charitable nonprofits. Register to save your spot…. Read more »

We want to hear from you! What are the greatest barriers you face in your ability to meet your mission? What would strengthen your capacity? We’re conducting research with four other states – Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho – to gain a comprehensive look at the sector across the Northwest. Foraker will share the survey trends with funders and use the redults to reflect on our strategies to better meet your needs here in Alaska. Your organization’s participation will allow us to provide you with an analysis of how your nonprofit compares to others in the region in these categories: Mission – direction and priorities Human – leadership, staff, volunteers Governance – board and oversight Culture – team and well-being Strategy – programs, services, and innovation Resources – fund development… Read more »

The Foraker Group seeks an adaptive individual with high emotional intelligence and an interest in joining a fun, collaborative team as a Leadership Transition Guide.  In support of nonprofits experiencing a change in leadership, the Leadership Transition Guide leads multi-phased consulting projects using a holistic approach and is part of a team of organizational development staff, consultants, and recruiters who partner with Alaska nonprofits through well-managed leadership transitions. In addition to managing a portfolio of leadership transition projects, the Guide will collaborate internally to continually improve our service.  The ideal candidate will have a passion for supporting the advancement of nonprofits and growth of people, a strong ability to act strategically, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Learn more here…. Read more »

After more than 15 years of service to us and Alaska’s nonprofits, Rebecca Savidis has announced her resignation from Foraker. Rebecca initially came to us to pursue potential solutions to the challenge of providing adequate health insurance coverage for our sector.  At the same time, she applied her HR experience to enhancing and expanding our offerings and has been a valued member of our leadership team. Whether supporting Foraker’s internal HR function or working with organizations around the state, Rebecca has brought professionalism and compassion to her work. She is well respected by Alaska’s nonprofits. Over the years, she has helped organizations in need of critical HR support to navigate complex situations and develop HR functions that support their mission and their people. Rebecca’s last day with Foraker is April… Read more »