Some days more than others, we need to remind ourselves that nonprofits are a hallmark of a healthy democracy and a thriving economy. Today is one of those days. In other countries nonprofits are referred to as non-governmental organizations to indicate their separate relationship from the government, since it is the IRS that deems the reality of our existence in this country, we are framed from a tax perspective. In either case, our role is essential in the depth and breadth of our services that the government either will not or cannot provide and inherently will fail in a market-driven economy. The rationale for our existence in a thriving economy is also long – just look around at how each of your communities operates. Ask yourself, who is doing the… Read more »

Major developments are underway in federal grantmaking! The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has announced significant revisions to the Uniform Guidance, promising big changes in how organizations access federal funds. For many nonprofits, this will mean easier application and reporting processes and more funding for indirect costs/overhead. Join a free webinar, Thursday, May 30 from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm Alaska time, as OMB officials Deidre Harrison and Steven P. Mackey discuss the latest revisions, implementation timelines, and real-life implications for charitable nonprofits. Register to save your spot…. Read more »

If you’re considering applying for federal funds or have general questions about federal funding resources, we’re offering individual appointments with Zoe Olson, our Federal Funding Navigator. In these sessions, Zoe can help you navigate technical application questions and connect you with resources for learning about federal grant opportunities and grant writing resources as well as general questions about reporting and compliance. Use our contact form to inquire about scheduling a 30 minute meeting. Please include a few sentences about your interest in federal grants…. Read more »

A vendor for the Municipality of Anchorage mistakenly sent out property tax invoices recently to nonprofits that are exempt from the tax. Organizations that received the notices are advised that new invoices are being prepared that will show no tax due. If you have questions, call the Assessor’s office at 907-343-6500…. 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 »

Alaska law requires charitable organizations to register with the Department of Law prior to soliciting donations in Alaska (including organizations participating Pick.Click.Give.). The deadline to register as a charitable organization or paid solicitor is September 1 of each year. To renew a registration, a charitable organization must file a registration form with the required attachments and pay a $40 filing fee…. Read more »

You may recall that in 2016 the Obama Administration proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) minimum salary thresholds for exempt positions.  These changes more than doubled the minimum threshold and impacted many of our nonprofits in the state.  At the eleventh hour, the proposed changes were enjoined by the U.S. District Court in Eastern Texas days before they went into effect.  It didn’t end there, but the changes were halted. Following new proposed changes and a public comment period earlier this year, the final rule was issued this week for changes that go into effect on January 1, 2020. Is there an increase to the minimum threshold for exempt employees? Yes.  This federal ruling increases the minimum weekly threshold to exempt positions from $455 ($23,660 per year)… Read more »

A message from Laurie Wolf, President and CEO Today, Governor Dunleavy used his line-item veto to cut over $400 million from the FY2020 state budget, adding to $280 million in cuts already made by the legislature. These cuts represent some of the largest we have seen to health and human services in our state’s history. And these figures do not take into account the loss of $22 million in matching federal funds. Let’s be clear, these cumulative cuts will have an impact on every Alaskan. As we have been saying for some time now, Alaska only truly works when we work together – nonprofits, business, and government. These cuts will mean the loss of essential services, and our most vulnerable will be the most harmed. More people will go without… Read more »