The Foraker Group

There are a few general rules about board giving. The most important is “opportunity, not obligation.” This means that if the board members feel like they “have to” give, then it is likely they will not give at the level that makes them feel good or is helpful to the organization in the long term. If this conversation starts for the first time when the organization wants to approach a funder, it is easy to get stuck in “how much” rather than “why” it’s important that board members make a charitable contribution to the organization. I encourage organizations to remember several important points about board giving: As lead investors, board members show the community and funders that they believe the organization is a good financial investment and can be trusted…. Read more »

Can our Board of Directors simply vote on a question by email? Will the decision then be a valid decision of the board? By Steve Mahoney, Esq., Consultant to The Foraker Group Interesting questions for a board to consider. To answer we need to take some steps through general corporate common law, the Alaska Nonprofit Corporations Act (AS 10.20), and then our corporate documents. First, common law principles of actions taken by board members are set on three premises: That all directors are aware of what is being discussed and decided and have been given adequate notice, along with the ability to attend the meeting where the decision is being made. That no conflicts exist, or none remain undisclosed, that would place in question the board’s decision. That in practicing… Read more »

The list is posted on the PickClickGive website. It represents roughly 90% of the total donations. There will be a much smaller second installment for some organization that will include all the charitable gifts from PFD filers that are still under review by the State. That number should be available in early November. Specific donor information and a check will be coming to each organization by mail in the next few weeks. Please trumpet these numbers, thank your donors, tell your stories of impact, post updates on your Facebook pages, Tweet, email your friends, contact your local media. Every chance we get to raise awareness of PCG is an opportunity to grow donations through the program in this upcoming year…. Read more »

The growing popularity of Kiva,DonorsChoose, and other charity sites that allow online donors to earmark their gifts to specific projects makes a lot of people in the nonprofit world nervous. But two fund-raising consultants say that rather than fearing those groups, charities should embrace their approaches for seeking earmarked gifts as an additional tool to raise money online. Read more-… Read more »

In an earlier post, we linked to a blog post on the Chronicle of Philanthropy blog about a new study that offers a “value” to a Facebook fan. While the post there may have been simply informing nonprofits about a new study and asking how the study might change the way a nonprofit thinks about its social media investments, this post is troubling for several reasons: They offer no guidance to nonprofits regarding how to start thinking about the value of fans on Facebook; They offer no commentary on the findings in the study which are questionable at best. More than anything, nonprofits should not be looking simplistically at the “value” of a fan as this study presents value. The inherent value of a Facebook fan goes far beyond a… Read more »

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 »