The Alaska Division of Insurance is working to stabilize and reduce health care coverage costs in the small group market – those employers with 50 or fewer employees, which includes many nonprofits. To develop a clear path forward, the division is surveying small businesses and nonprofit organizations to identify issues and barriers to affordable health care coverage. Foraker supports the state’s efforts, and we encourage you to participate in this survey to help them develop realistic, effective options for improving affordability in Alaska’s small group health insurance market. The deadline to participate is June 30…. Read more »

Are you an Alaska nonprofit or tribal leader? Do you want to enhance your management skills and explore new techniques to effectively lead your organization? The Foraker Certificate in Nonprofit Management program features courses developed to apply classroom teachings to your workplace, case studies directly related to issues facing Alaska nonprofits, and a network of fellow professionals to last a lifetime. Learn the essentials in each of the key areas of nonprofit management: Strategic Planning & Direction Organizational Development Board Development Marketing & Communications Fundraising Public Policy Human Resources Volunteer Engagement Budget & Finance Business Planning Evaluation Apply today – the deadline to submit an application is June 1, 2018! … Read more »

We are proud to help the Nonprofit Finance Fund raise the voices of nonprofit leaders through the State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey. This survey – the biggest national sampling of our sector – collects data about the health and challenges of U.S. nonprofits into an accessible, evidence-based illustration of our ability to help the communities we all serve. It’s a powerful platform for nonprofits large and small, urban and rural, across sub-sectors and geographies. Its findings are widely used and cited by nonprofit leaders and boards, funders, advocates, policy advisors, media, researchers, and many others. In 2015, the NFF survey found that, despite the U.S. economic recovery, vulnerable communities were going without because nonprofits couldn’t meet increasing demand. Nonprofit leaders reported persistent worries about financial sustainability – fewer than half… Read more »

Have you seen the new Pick.Click.Give. communication toolkit? Use logos, shareable images, email signatures, postcard templates and more to promote your organization to your stakeholders and donors! You can find this great resource on the Pick.Click.Give website…. Read more »

The federal judge in Texas who temporarily enjoined the Obama Administration’s Overtime Final Rule late last year ruled this week that the Final Rule is invalid because the U.S. Department of Labor exceeded its authority in setting a high salary-level test that denied exempt status to executive, administrative, and professional employees without regard to their job duties. The judge interpreted the Fair Labor Standards Act as granting the Labor Department the authority to define and limit the white-collar exemptions based primarily on the duties they perform. Because the Overtime Final Rule would have revoked the exempt status of four million workers based solely on the increase in the salary level and without regard to the work they perform, the judge invalidated the rule. Today’s ruling in State of Nevada v. U.S…. Read more »

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register seeking comments from the public about how the white-collar regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act should be updated. The Obama Administration had sought to revise the same regulations in 2016, but that effort was blocked by a federal court late last year. Under current law, employees working in a “bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity” are not eligible for overtime pay. Federal regulations determine which employees fall within those categories. In most cases, employees will be considered exempt from overtime if (1) the employee is paid on a salary basis (“salary basis test”); (2) the employee receives at least a minimum specified salary amount (“salary level test”) which is currently set at $455/week; and (3)… Read more »

Alaska law requires charitable organizations to register with the Department of Law prior to soliciting contributions of money or property in Alaska. Register your organization here to make sure you are compliant. For other areas of legal compliance, use this checklist to help keep your organization on track…. Read more »

Recently we conducted a survey of the mood of the Alaska nonprofit sector. We wanted to measure what we had been hearing anecdotally. The mood survey is complete and we received a representative sample from organizations across the state and sector. What we learned didn’t surprise us – you are anxious. The more revealing answers lie in the details. Overall, board members have more anxiety than CEOs. This is interesting on several fronts: 1) There are more board members than CEOs so the anxiety has a multiplying effect. 2) Board members typically represent other sectors of our economy so they have a different perspective of how the economy is affecting the work. 3) CEOs are particularly adept at dealing with challenges and difficult situations – it almost comes with the… Read more »

On Thursday President Trump signed an executive order that could have a significant impact on the charitable nonprofit sector. Although the law has not changed and the executive order is somewhat confusing, it essentially instructs the IRS to look the other way when it finds that a nonprofit or religious organization violates 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. Recently the Foraker Governance Board issued a statement calling for support for nonprofit partisanship, and we stand with over 4,500 nonprofits across the country who submitted a similar call through a letter to Congress. We feel strongly that any attempt to repeal the Johnson Amendment is completely… Read more »

At our leadership summit earlier this month, we launched a new tool to help you assess the financial health of your organization — it’s our “Indicators of Financial Crisis.” We all know that a stressed organization operating with the best of intentions can still make ill-advised decisions – especially in the financial arena – and the results can be damaging. We also know that sometimes seeing a financial crisis is difficult. Our new tool will help you spot if you’re in crisis or coming close to one. Once you know, you’ll be able to take the steps to recover. After you take the assessment outlined in this tool and if you believe action is needed you have several options. You can tap the expertise on your board or another outside resource. You may… Read more »