Alaska nonprofits – use your voice today. Let policy makers in Juneau know that your work to keep Alaskans safe, along with the safety net that Alaskans depend upon during this pandemic, are in jeopardy. Like all of our partners in the for-profit and government sectors, we are asking for stability to do our essential work to help people and communities. Remind Governor Dunleavy, your representatives, and your contacts around the state just how the current declaration is making good work happen in every corner of the Alaska. The Legislature and the Governor must work together to extend the emergency declaration. This declaration has been misunderstood by too many as having to do with mask mandates and school closures. The fact is that this emergency declaration has meant a path… Read more »

Today we join with our partners at the National Council of Nonprofits in urging you to sign a letter that will be submitted to President Biden and Congress. This letter urges policy makers to enact COVID relief legislation that highlights the unique role of nonprofits in providing pandemic relief and in long-term economic recovery. Specifically we are asking that the next COVID relief package includes four nonprofit public policy priorities: Provide nonprofit-specific grants, forgivable loans, and refundable tax credits for all nonprofits Strengthen charitable giving incentives by increasing and extending the above-the-line deduction while preserving the itemized charitable contribution deduction Provide 100% unemployment benefit reimbursement to nonprofits that self-insure these benefits, both retroactively to 2020 and extending through the first three quarters of 2021 Provide substantial financial aid to state and local… Read more »

If you missed the National Council of Nonprofits webinar What’s in the New COVID Relief Law for Nonprofits? You can find a recording of the presentation, the slides, and additional resources on their website. As several of the presenters mentioned, Congress is debating additional COVID relief and federal agencies and departments – particularly the Small Business Administration and Treasury Department – are in the process of answering questions and implementing the law enacted at the end of 2020. You can help the nonprofit advocacy efforts to secure additional legislative solutions and helpful guidance by completing the brief form: Let us know how COVID-19 is affecting your nonprofit…. Read more »

Urge our congressional delegation today to enact essential relief for charitable nonprofits before leaving Washington for the holidays. Congress is actively negotiating the next COVID-19 relief package. Senator Lisa Murkowski is a leader in the bipartisan effort to bring immediate relief to millions of Americans, local governments, businesses, and nonprofits.  Communities in all parts of Alaska are relying on nonprofits more than ever as COVID-19 cases rise in our state and across the nation. Join us TODAY. Let Senator Murkowski know you support her willingness to include nonprofits in the next relief bill. And join the national call to action — #Relief4Charities — to ensure every legislator knows the national nonprofit priorities…. Read more »

COVID-19 has changed nearly everything about the way Alaska nonprofits are meeting mission. We are innovating in how we deliver our programs and services – exploring new options for fundraising – changing the way we manage our human and financial resources – working differently to better leverage our partnerships – and so much more. However, the why of our work has not changed. The need for nonprofit advocacy also has not changed. In fact, during this pandemic it is more important than ever before. It is critical that nonprofits keep in touch with their local governments, state legislators, the Alaska executive branch, and our congressional delegation. We are all looking for new ways to engage with policy makers because of COVID. Since in-person meetings with elected officials and staff will… Read more »

Are you feeling it? Are you hearing it? Election anxiety – it’s a thing. It might look different across the country but we are not immune in our great state. The rising rates of COVID infection are only exacerbating our collective anxiety. Overlay a reckoning about the deep inequities experienced in our communities not just by the ravishes of COVID right now but by historical trauma, and we have the perfect storm for deep and real anxiety. What we also know is that the collision of COVID and the election has something else in common: it takes all of us to participate and believe in the greater good for change to occur. If your anxiety is being stoked and you are having trouble finding the right things to say –… Read more »

There is one week left to make sure ALL Alaskans are counted in the 2020 Census. We’re sure you’ve heard us say… there are roughly 3.2 billion reasons why the census matters to Alaska! This number represents the total federal dollars flowing into our state ($3.2B) based on census data. Nonprofits directly receive 18% of that money, and even more as indirect funding. That’s why it is critically important that we take an active role to make sure that an accurate census count takes place. We only get one chance every 10 years to get this right, so we need you to jump in and help make it happen for Alaska. Nonprofits play an important role in outreach. Community-based organizations like yours make a big difference in encouraging participation from… Read more »

The National Council of Nonprofits provided the following information on the executive order that was issued by the President on August 8. “The Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service has issued a three-page guidance implementing the Presidential Memorandum allowing employers to defer withholding and payment of the employee’s portion of the Social Security tax. Notice 2020-65, posted on August 31 on IRS.gov, makes relief available for employers and generally applies to wages paid starting Sept. 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020. The employee Social Security tax deferral may apply to payments of taxable wages to an employee that are less than $4,000 during a bi-weekly pay period, with each pay period considered separately. No deferral is available for any payment to an employee of taxable wages of $4,000 or… Read more »

The Census Bureau put out an official statement that 2020’s count will be cut short a month, ending on September 30. The devastating consequences on Alaska will be felt for at least a decade. The Alaska Congressional Delegation needs to keep hear from you. Please join us in encouraging them to take action. Senator Lisa Murkowski: https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/contact/email Senator Dan Sullivan: https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/contact/email Representative Don Young: https://donyoung.house.gov/contact/ Draft paragraphs to copy & paste: We are concerned by this week’s changes to the timeline of the Census. Alaska currently has the lowest Census self-response rate in the nation. If the count is cut short now, we will suffer the largest consequences of any state, which will be reflected by a loss of billions of dollars flowing into our economy over the next decade. Responding… Read more »

We know many of you have questions about the next federal relief packages.  Thanks to the National Council of Nonprofits for putting together this chart to document how nonprofits could be impacted in the various bills being proposed.  We are monitoring these options closely and will keep you informed as we continue to learn more…. Read more »