Almost everyone is glad that last fall’s election is history – I know I am. We should give thanks for recycling efforts. Otherwise, the shear waste of paper on political ads would have been a tragedy. I recently heard that the only people thankful for the last election, other than the winners, were the firms that produced ads and the printers and commercial broadcasters that shared them with us. They had a banner year! I have served in an executive role in nonprofits for over 30 years. When I started my career, I learned that my public position on all things political was better left neutral. The lesson: the public does not differentiate my views from my organization’s position. Charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofits are forbidden to participate in electioneering or endorsing… Read more »

According to a long-term study on nonprofit executive retention, the role of the chief professional officer in nonprofits is becoming less and less attractive. While most executives report that the parts of their job that focus on mission-related activities remains very fulfilling, the rest of their duties are less than satisfactory. An alarming number of executives report that they plan to quit their jobs in less than three years. During a period when a leadership deficit is inevitable because Baby Boom executives are reaching retirement age, efforts to identify how to better support nonprofit leadership should be an emphasis for boards and funders. Read more of Dennis’s thoughts here…. Read more »

In his monthly article for the Foraker newsletter, Dennis explains how his family developed a personal philanthropy plan — and how it’s not hard to do. He asserts that “sharing one’s abundance, giving, is required to be fully human.” Read his letter here…. Read more »

“As Alaskans we sometimes can’t find the words to describe what we experience – like the pastels in an Alaskan sunset, standing in a stream with a Coho on the line, the color blue in a glacier, or seeing the wisdom on the face of an Alaskan Native elder. We may need to add another to that list – how we felt when we left the last Foraker Leadership Summit.” Click here to read Dennis’s reflections on the summit…. Read more »

I recently returned from the Independent Sector’s annual conference. The message Foraker has communicated about the eventual changes to expect in our sector was reinforced by many of the presenters at the conference. All agree that this is not a time for complacency. The old notion, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” will inevitably be the downfall of all that adhere to keeping things the way they were. The world we live in is forever changed. For some this is a somber, even pessimistic message. For others it’s a message of hope. What I learned at the conference may provide a clearer understanding of why these changes are not to be feared. Actually, many are exciting. As we describe in the Foraker Nonprofit Sustainability Model©, nonprofits must stay true… Read more »

It has come to our attention that The Foraker Group is advocating nonprofit mergers (after all, Alaska is like a small town and people talk). We understand how people may have that impression. We have been saying that the nonprofit sector in Alaska and around the country may not be sustainable in its current form. Many nonprofit leaders have predicted an inevitable shift in how our sector does business. And today, there are many indicators that change has begun. Read more here…. Read more »

Recently we conducted focus groups with Partners to learn how to improve services. As in prior research, we learned that they appreciate what we do – at least those who participated in the process do. One surprising finding was that while those Partners value what we do, they did not know many of the services we provide. This article is aimed at refreshing your knowledge on the range of services we now offer. From the beginning, Foraker focused its capacity building activities in three areas – back room support we call “shared services,” training for boards and staff we call “educational opportunities,” and various consulting services we call “organizational development.” Then two years ago, we embraced our role as the state’s nonprofit association. These four core areas define what Foraker… Read more »

Development, or fund development, is the term used today by nonprofits for the fundraising function. In prior newsletters we have written articles on raising money – most have been on the process of how to raise funds in a sustainable fashion. Sustainable fund development occurs when prospects are engaged and cultivated over time then asked to provide financial support – first given opportunities to connect to the nonprofit’s mission and then asked to give. When their generosity is reinforced, it creates sustainable revenue for a charity. This is important since charitable giving provides one way to secure unrestricted funding, the kind of funding all nonprofits need to thrive. Unrestricted cash is one of the cornerstones of the Foraker Nonprofit Sustainability Model©. (Another way is through mission related, earned revenue.) Today… Read more »

Outcomes – Impact – Output – Measures – PROOF??? Funders ask for measurable results. Some nonprofits even want to evaluate impact for themselves, seeking to improve what they do. Regardless of motivation, many nonprofits, even those that have taken the steps to evaluate their work, struggle with evaluation. Even nonprofits with capacity can have this challenge. For example, the United Way of Anchorage has been dedicated to this goal since Michele Brown took over as CEO. They have truly moved the dial and its service partners’ ability to articulate and measure results. My opinion is they are farther along than most United Ways. They have established buy-in for their process not only from many of our local funders but also their nonprofit partners. But truth be told, they probably wish… Read more »

In January 2011, The Foraker Group completed its first decade of service. At its founding, we had a five-year vision, a business plan and an amazing set of circumstances that opened many doors for success. Today, we are part of the National Council of Nonprofits and one of that organization’s largest state nonprofit associations. We also are recognized as one of the largest and most comprehensive nonprofit management assistance organizations in the nation. Nonprofit leaders and funders throughout the country are asking for our counsel. This recognition is gratifying and it’s possible because we have not strayed from our original vision and we’ve enjoyed the expert guidance provided by a large number of people through the years. This is their story. The founding environment and process The original vision for… Read more »