Alaska nonprofit staff, board, volunteers and donors: As tax legislation moves through the U.S. Senate this week, some of the basic structures under which the nonprofit sector operates are facing significant changes. For 100 years, through the U.S. tax code and its charitable giving incentive, Americans have been encouraged to donate to the causes that matter to them. If the Senate provision that raises the standard deduction is approved, 95% of us will lose that opportunity.  Additionally, partisan politics will likely enter into our charitable organizations, fundamentally compromising the nature of our work. Yesterday, the National Council of Nonprofits issued an open letter to all of us.  As a member of the Council, I encourage you to take a moment and read the full letter. There may be certain parts of the tax bills that you support, but… Read more »

The Senate is now looking at its version of tax reform legislation and Senator Murkowski and Senator Sullivan need to hear from you TODAY, before debate begins on the Senate floor. The most effective way of advocating on a fast-moving bill is to pick up the phone. So, if you have time to do only one thing today, have that one action be calling each of our senators. Make the Call: Simply call Senator Sullivan (202.224.3004) and Senator Murkowski (202.224.6665), identify yourself as a constituent, and relay these two important points: “Do not use tax reform to weaken or repeal the Johnson Amendment, which keeps divisive partisan politics out of nonprofits, houses of worship, and foundations. I am concerned that efforts to repeal or weaken the Johnson Amendment would harm… Read more »

On November 9, House Republicans unveiled their Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R.1). Our colleagues at the Montana Nonprofit Association prepared an excellent analysis on the impact of the legislation on nonprofits. With thanks to MNA, we share their thoughts here. The 429-page bill carries many implications for nonprofits and private foundations. MNA is concerned about two provisions in particular. First, the partial repeal of the Johnson Amendment erodes nonprofit nonpartisanship. Second, the standard deduction is doubled, which almost decimates charitable giving incentives for all but 5% of taxpayers. The bill will be marked up in the next few days, so now is the time to be very clear with our congressional delegation on the impact of these provisions. Join us in advocacy that protects the nonprofit sector. Foraker agrees with MNA and we… Read more »

Tax reform is taking center stage in Washington. The administration and House of Representatives have released their Unified Framework for Fixing Our Broken Tax Code, which proposes maintaining tax deductions for charitable donations. On the surface this is good news, but a closer look by the National Council of Nonprofits and the international Association of Fundraising Professionals has raised significant concerns. Don’t delay – act now. Here’s what you need to know. According to the Council, one provision – doubling the standard deduction – would reduce the value of charitable deductions because far fewer people would be able to take advantage of them. Currently, 33% of Americans itemize when they pay their federal taxes. AFP points out that the proposed change reduces to 5% the number of people who would… Read more »

Tomorrow we mark the 97th>anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. While we have seen much progress in rights for women, we know work still needs to be done. At Foraker, we are committed to this work with many others like the YWCA – especially in the area of pay equity. To add to the conversation, earlier this year we conducted research and prepared a report on pay equity in Alaska’s nonprofit sector. You can find that report here. Please join us in celebrating our achievements and re-committing to further advancing equity in our sector and others in Alaska…. Read more »

Last night was one of many tense nights in the ongoing debate about healthcare in our country. There is a lot at stake for getting it right, and no easy solution for Alaskans. One sliver of hope was the impact that many individuals and organizations in our state had when they raised their voices to engage in a way forward to a healthcare solution. I am proud to see so many Alaska nonprofits urge the U.S. Senate to engage in a clear, bipartisan process. We all need to unite in the goal of providing access to quality, affordable healthcare coverage to more Americans. If your organization has been on the sidelines so far, there are still many opportunities in the coming weeks and months to engage. Here are 3 reasons… Read more »

Take Action: Sign the National Council letter to protect the Johnson Amendment Over the past several months we’ve shared information with you about the impact of an administration move to repeal the Johnson Amendment. This provision in the tax code, named after President Lyndon Johnson, is intended to keep politics and the money that flows to political candidates out of charitable nonprofits. In March, the Foraker Governance Board issued a statement calling for support for nonprofit partisanship, and we joined over 4,500 nonprofits across the country, including organizations from Alaska, who submitted a similar call through a letter to Congress (join us and sign your organization on today!). In May President Trump signed an executive order that essentially instructed the IRS to look the other way when it finds that a nonprofit or religious organization violates the Johnson… Read more »

Last month we wrote about several issues related to the 2020 Census. This month we want to emphasize that the time is now to let your voice be heard. Even though the major census (the Decennial Census) occurs in 2020, each year the American Community Survey (ACS) is conducted. And an accurate count in this survey is critically important to Alaska. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “when Americans respond to the ACS, they are doing their part to help the community plan hospitals and schools, support school lunch programs, improve emergency services, build bridges, and inform businesses looking to add jobs and expand to new markets, and more.” The bureau points out that the ACS generates data that is used to distribute more than $400 billion in federal and state… Read more »

Here at Foraker we are following the current healthcare debate in Congress with concern about its impact on the nonprofit sector and the Alaskans we serve. Foraker’s President/CEO Laurie Wolf summarized those concerns in an email she sent earlier this week to Senator Murkowski, Senator Sullivan, and Congressman Young. Laurie wrote: As you know, The Foraker Group is the nonprofit voice for Alaska. In that role, I am strongly urging you to do what is necessary to take the appropriate amount of time to consider healthcare for all Alaskans. The charitable and philanthropic communities have a major stake in what the ultimate law says and does. Charitable nonprofits make up twelve percent of the private workforce in urban Alaska and more than fifty percent of the workforce in rural Alaska…. Read more »

Failure by the Alaska Legislature to pass a budget presents a grave risk to communities and individuals served by the nonprofit sector. We make a strong call to all legislators to break through the political gridlock and get the job done for Alaskans – pass a state budget that protects Alaska’s most vulnerable populations, our environment, education, and cultural life. Without a budget, many state operations will shut down on July 1. That’s something we haven’t seen in Alaska. And the lack of action by the legislature that is leading to this dire consequence is both irresponsible and unacceptable. Our message is simple: Get to work, stop the infighting, compromise, and pass a budget. As an organization that supports the work of nonprofits in communities around the state, we are profoundly… Read more »