Congress is expected to pass another piece of COVID-19 legislation by the end of this month. It is important to reinforce with our Alaska delegation and other members of Congress that nonprofit policy solutions need to be included in each relief and recovery effort. We are essential to a healthy economy. You can make your voice heard by signing the new Nonprofit Community Letter sponsored by the National Council of Nonprofits. Foraker has signed, and we urge all Alaska nonprofits to join us and your colleagues from around the country to do the same. The CARES Act enacted by Congress in March extended economic relief programs to some nonprofits, but the law fell short in many areas. The Nonprofit Community Letter calls for improving the Paycheck Protection Program, providing loans to mid-sized… Read more »

Foraker President/CEO Laurie Wolf called on the Senate Finance Committee to move critical CARES Act funds to Alaska’s nonprofits and small businesses as fast as possible. “We need it today so we can be here tomorrow,” she said. Read her full testimony here…. Read more »

The federal government will soon send $1.25 billion in CARES relief funding to state and local governments. Nonprofits are an essential part of Alaska life, and we strongly believe they should be included at every level of funding. As part of her testimony before the House Labor and Commerce Committee on April 25, 2020, Foraker President/CEO Laurie Wolf presented three considerations and seven requests related to funding and strongly encouraged Alaska leaders to implement them in their policies and procedures. You can read her full testimony here. Three considerations for relief First – We must plan for the future we want to see in our recovery and beyond. Second – Time is critical, and support must occur in at least two phases. Third – Recognize that many avenues are present… Read more »

Congress is moving quickly to draft a fourth economic stimulus bill that will expand on the CARES Act that was enacted in late March. We have been pleased that the original CARES Act included the nonprofit sector – a first in federal relief legislation. However, according to our partner the National Council of Nonprofits, many implementation challenges have arisen with federal agencies and private entities that undermine the intent of the law to provide economic relief for nonprofits. Negotiations on the new legislation are going on right now. While the Council is working the issue with congressional leaders in Washington D.C., Foraker has been talking with the Alaska delegation about including certain provisions to benefit nonprofits. Those include: Expanding access to credit by designating funding exclusively for nonprofits within the two principal… Read more »

Let’s take a quiz. What do these three things have in common? The 6th line in the United States Constitution Only 10 questions 18% of federal dollars flow directly into Alaska nonprofits every year Did you guess it right? Well if you said the U.S. Census – then you sure did. Just what is the census? As I alluded to above, the census is enshrined in our constitution and requires the federal government to count every person living in the United States every ten years. Remarkably, it is the single largest peacetime mobilization by the federal government and while it is the job of the census bureau to do all the counting, we sure can make their efforts a little bit easier by helping Alaskans know the facts, know their… Read more »

An invitation from the Alaska Census Working Group Recognizing both the importance of the census for our state and the many risks of an undercount in 2020, the working group has launched a statewide education and outreach initiative called Alaska Counts, which has four areas of focus: Mobilize a statewide nonpartisan multi-sector effort Create a statewide education effort Help recruit people for census jobs to support the census and build trust in communities Conduct localized outreach with partners like YOU Those who engage in promoting the census are our Census Champions. Central to our initiative is the website, which serves as an information hub with a wide variety of excellent – and free – resources. You’ll find many Alaska-made products, material for social media, and messages from trusted Alaska voices…. Read more »

Governor Dunleavy joined the director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Steven Dillingham, at the Alaska Native Heritage Center Friday morning to kick off the 2020 Census. Congratulations to everyone who has been working extremely hard to let Alaskans know about the census. Alaska Counts, a project developed by the Alaska Census Working Group, has put together a comprehensive and exciting campaign that stresses to Alaskans the importance to the state’s future of participating in the census count. We encourage you to visit their website to learn more about the census and how you can work in your community to encourage participation. You can also see some of the media coverage of the kick-off here and here. Foraker is proud to be the convener of the Alaska Census Working Group. We… Read more »

A bi-partisan resolution on the 2020 Census that was introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) has passed the Senate and is on its way to the U.S. House of Representatives. The resolution encourages individuals, families, and households across the United States to take part in the Census so that all communities can be counted. “Census data is essential for the government to make informed decisions about the future of its people and ensure that all Americans have equal representation. I’m proud of the Senate passage of our bipartisan resolution that recognizes the importance and the significance of the 2020 Census and ensures it is quick, concise, and easy to complete,” said Senator Murkowski. “I’m glad to shine a spotlight on our efforts to ensure an… Read more »

Join Foraker and nonprofits across the state in a series of one-hour conversations on the impact of Governor Dunleavy’s budget on nonprofits and their mission. We will look at ways to engage your board, staff, and volunteers in the conversation, and we will offer practical tools that will make it easy for your team to become involved and speak up for your mission. Come to one or all of our conversations. Board, staff, and volunteers are welcome. Our first conversation will take place on Thursday, December 19, from 10:00-11:00 am. You can join by using this zoom link:  https://zoom.us/j/494898737 There is no charge for the series. Please register so we can send you materials, if any, in advance. Dates for other sessions will be announced soon. This series complements our Advocacy in… Read more »

Organizations across Alaska can now apply for up to $250 to fund local census outreach efforts. The more awareness that can be raised, the better. The 2020 Census will generate ten years of funding and data that we need to plan Alaska’s future. Check out the application, share with your network, and brainstorm creative ways to do outreach in your community! Apply here: Get funding. Do good. Be counted! Learn more at alaskacounts.net… Read more »