The nonprofit Yuut Elitnaurviat People’s Learning Center is the principle adult education and workforce training organization in Bethel, the hub for the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) region. This vast area in southwest Alaska covers 75,000 square miles (around the size of South Dakota) and is home to over 26,000 people. The organization’s mission is to prepare residents for in-demand, high-wage jobs that are critical to the economy of the region. Its extensive work in career development extends from basic qualifications to specialized certification, both of which seek to increase the earning potential of residents and help fill open positions with qualified applicants. One of its leading programs is the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) course. Open nursing positions are a constant in the region, both in Bethel and the surrounding villages. Yuut Elitnaurviat’s… Read more »

We’ve all known that ranked choice voting was coming to Alaska, but not this soon. The passing of Congressman Don Young has accelerated the use of ranked choice voting in Alaska by a few months, and like all of our fellow Alaskans we need to know more so we can participate fully in this special election. Alaska nonprofits have an important voice in shaping public policy, in part through the ballot box. Nonprofits can break down barriers to civic engagement by demystifying the process, providing language access, and by using our trusted voice to cast a wider net of engagement. Ultimately, when we all vote, we all win. If you missed our webinar on ranked choice voting, you can find the recording here and can find more resources below. Alaska… Read more »

As Alaska’s nonprofit state association, we connect with policy makers, businesses, and other nonprofits to highlight the positive impacts nonprofits have on our state. Positioning the sector as a credible voice is a role we take seriously. Each year a joint committee representing Foraker’s Governance and Operations Boards analyzes issues affecting the Alaska nonprofit sector. In addition to ensuring that we are nonpartisan, Foraker’s Public Policy Committee uses four criteria (see How does Foraker decide which issues to focus on?) to analyze issues and recommend annual priorities. We are excited to work together on reaching our 2022 advocacy objectives. We invite you to join us in advocating for the following issues that have an impact on your mission and the sector – you can learn more about each of these… Read more »

In partnership with the Alaska Municipal League, Alaska Federation of Natives, and through support from the Municipality of Anchorage, The Foraker Group is taking part in a Federal Grant Symposium on April 12 from 9am – 4pm at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage following events hosted by Senator Murkowski on April 11. Nonprofit leaders are encouraged to register to attend. The event is free and offers learning opportunities focused on federal grant compliance, preparing to apply for federal grants, and opportunities to network and engage with community development projects being planned at the regional and local levels. While the presentations will be in the context of the federal funding coming to Alaska through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed earlier this year, this symposium is an opportunity to collaborate with community members, organizations, and leaders from… Read more »

Nonprofits from all 50 states have signed a letter to the President and congressional leaders calling for “urgently needed pandemic and workforce shortage relief that will enable charitable organizations to fulfill their roles in our nation’s relief, recovery, and rebuilding.” The letter identifies nonprofit-specific policy solutions that would provide disaster relief, address nonprofit workforce shortages, and promote volunteerism. The letter is open for all charitable organizations to sign and circulate for others to sign to show Congress and the White House that nonprofits in local communities throughout the country support these priorities. Join us in signing on. … Read more »

Our work in nonprofits is full of paradox. One of those is about how we grapple with data. On the one hand, we lack access to or capacity to get enough data to be as effective as we always strive to be, and on the other, we are awash in lots of data but again lack enough context or capacity to do anything meaningful with it. Something we often see in the latter case is that boards, especially, are bombarded with data but in essence have little information. Over the years, we have committed not only to gathering data but also to providing education and support to turn that data into knowledge that can lead your organization to strategic action. The “data to action trajectory” is our gold standard. With… Read more »

In November, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a standard requiring employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their employees are vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19. The U.S. Supreme Court stayed that requirement on January 13. This means that the court hasn’t struck down the standard but only put it on hold pending further action in lower courts. In other action, the court lifted injunctions against CDC rules that require vaccinations for all applicable staff of employers receiving payments under Medicaid and Medicare programs. Litigation in this case also continues, but the vaccination mandate is no longer blocked. We encourage Alaska nonprofit employers to continue examining their vaccination and testing policies to determine what is in the best interest of their staff and the people they serve…. Read more »

On November 4, 2021, OSHA released Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) regarding vaccine mandates for employers with 100 or more employees. Since last week’s release, the ETS has been challenged. Although a federal appeals court issued an order to stop the ETS, we encourage nonprofits with 100 or more employees to prepare to implement the ETS by its first deadline on January 4, 2022. The National Council of Nonprofits prepared a summary intended to answer most questions and provide assistance to nonprofit employers seeking to determine whether their organization is covered by the mandate and if so, to comply with the standard…. Read more »

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is directing significant funds to Alaska. There may be an opportunity for your nonprofit to apply for federal funds. In this video, Foraker’s Rachel Morse will walk you through how to find details about the funds in order to determine if your organization is eligible. You can contact Rachel directly at rmorse@forakergroup.org for specific questions on ARPA funds. We also encourage you to sign up for the Alaska ARPA email alerts and updates to stay in the know. As a reminder, one of the funding opportunities currently available is through a partnership with the State of Alaska and The Alaska Community Foundation. The ARPA Nonprofit Recovery Fund will have two rounds of applications – the first round is due November 19…. Read more »

Our approach every day at Foraker is to focus on strengths – strengths of the people, the places, and the missions we serve. Fault, blame, and shame have no place in our work as they rarely, if ever lead to resolution or learning. Instead, they only serve to polarize and shut people down from learning the very thing they set out seeking. It is, then, with a heavy heart that we are listening, watching, and reading the blatant anti-Semitism, racism, anti-LGBTQ, anti-science rhetoric happening in Anchorage. We recognize or perhaps just hope that this is a fringe set of voices designed to drown out the vast majority of people who are too upset, distracted, or eliminated from the conversation to hear their voices in what should be a civil public… Read more »