Hello Nonprofit Leaders and Supporters,
February is Black History Month – a time when we especially call attention to, recognize, and celebrate the achievements of African Americans and the vital role they have played and continue to play in our country and state’s history. We join our nonprofit colleagues across Oregon in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity, marginalization, and racism to achieve full citizenship in American society. Also known as African American History Month, the recognition was spearheaded by noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Here in Oregon, we have several Black-led and Black-serving nonprofit organizations who do amazing work in our communities, and NAO is proud to count many of them as our members and part of our statewide network. We also have amazing Black nonprofit leaders and staff who are doing equally incredible work across the state to further causes and build community. I encourage you to learn more about Black History, and find ways to support the work of Black-led and Black-serving nonprofit organizations in the important work they are doing across the state.
I would also like to thank all our NAO members from across the state who participated in our Annual Meeting of membership held last week. Together with incoming President Rick Jung and outgoing President Brad Russell, I was proud to give an overview of our work in 2020 and our vision for 2021. As part of that event, the 2021 NAO Officers and Board of Directors was named. You can find a link to our Board here. We were very happy to have so many of you engaged and we appreciate the opportunity we had in 2020 to serve your needs in such a challenging year. We look forward to continued service to all of you this year!
Stay healthy and be safe,
|
|
Jim White
NAO Executive Director
|
|
NAO's 2021 Compensation & Benefits Survey - Coming Soon!
Based on the number of requests we received from so many nonprofit organizations, we are pleased to announce that NAO will be conducting a Compensation & Benefits Survey this year. We know that 2020 was a year like no other and acknowledge that 2021 may bring significant impacts as well on the work that nonprofits deliver. The use of this survey is key to evaluating your organization’s compensation and benefits strategy to help attract and retain the best talent. We invite all 501(c)(3) organizations to participate in this survey, which will be open next week until the rest of the month. We ask that one person per organization complete the survey. Sign up now to receive the survey next week.
|
|
At the Federal Level:
Budget Resolution and COVID Relief Legislation
It is believed that momentarily and after a long process of voting on a series of amendments, the Senate will pass their budget resolution to unlock their ability to write and pass a major COVID-relief bill with just 51 votes.
The budget resolution is not the COVID-relief bill that the Biden Administration has put forward called American Rescue Plan. It is just the shell that gives committees the ability to go on and write the COVID-relief bill and eventually pass it with just a simple majority.
Usually in the legislative process, lawmakers can use a series of procedural maneuvers to avoid voting on amendments. In a budget resolution, they are required to “dispose of” (vote on) the amendments before hold a final vote on a budget resolution. The practice involves votes on a series of amendments that can stretch for hours or even days. None of these amendments are binding. None of the amendments change the underlying bill. But, the amendment votes serve as a way for each party to force the other side on the record about controversial issues.
As debate on the budget resolution begins, the House Democratic theme (as heard in testimony and seen in social media tweets) is “A once-in-a-hundred-year crisis demands big, bold solutions.” The Senate is expected to debate the resolution through Friday night.
With all this political wrangling happening, it is still not too late for nonprofits to get their points across on issues important to their missions and communities. (See next item!)
New Nonprofit Letter Update:
As we mentioned last week, a national coalition of nonprofit organizations sent a letter to federal leaders urging Congress and the President to enact a package of solutions tailored to the needs and realities of nonprofits serving the public good. The letter highlights the unique role of charitable nonprofits in providing pandemic relief and economic recovery and urges President Biden and Congressional leadership to include provisions in the next COVID relief package that accomplish key components of our agenda to get government to help our communities recover and thrive.
Nonprofits from all subsectors and across the country are expressing their support by signing onto the letter to signal to Congress the groundswell of nonprofit support. NAO has signed on to the letter. As of February 1, 2,643 nonprofits from all 50 states have signed onto the new nonprofit letter. We encourage all of you who are committed to the wellbeing of nonprofits and the people we serve to sign your organizations onto the letter and to share it with your colleague organizations.
PPP forgiveness simplified for loans under $150,000
The SBA has released its simplified forgiveness form for PPP loans of $150,000 or less with revised Form 3508S. Applicants must fill out the required information on the form, but are not required to submit any supporting documentation with the application. The instructions indicate that employment documentation should be retained for four years and all other supporting documentation for three years. These instructions should be read carefully before submitting for forgiveness.
Despite the form release, the SBA has not finalized the full acceptance of simplified forgiveness applications through their portal. It is expected that the SBA will begin accepting forgiveness applications for loans $150,000 or less using the simplified process on March 5, 2021. We are in touch with our banking partners to learn more and as soon as we do, will provide you with any updates to the timeline or documentation requirements.
Democrats Name Members to Senate Committees
Senate Majority Leader Schumer announced Democratic committee assignments for the 117th Congress. While all of the assignments are important and interesting, we note that Senator Wyden has been named Chair of the Finance Committee. This puts the Senator in an extremely important and powerful position to help us advocate for important supports to our communities. Also of note: Senator Warren has been named to the Senate Finance Committee; Senators Lujan (NM) and Hickenlooper (CO) are new members of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; Senator Hickenlooper is joining the Small Business Committee; and Senator Heinrich (NM) will chair the Joint Economic Committee. See the full list of Democratic assignments.
|
|
Upcoming Online Sessions
Strengthening Nonprofit Teams and Maximizing Work From Home Using Brain-Science Basics, Wednesday, February 10, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: Anna Young, Principal at Anna Young Leadership Coaching will help us understand the basics of brain science, how we can use this to create support for our nonprofit teams, and look at techniques to support our brains while we are in the work-from-home mode. More details and registration information here.
Nonprofit Learning Cohort – Organizational Resilience, five Tuesday weekly interactive sessions – February 16 through March 16, 3 – 4:15 p.m. PT: Join a group of your peers for this series that will help you establish a more resilient organization through these challenging times. Corky McReynolds, Principal of LeadTeam Consulting will help you discover, assess, and apply tools to build or enhance resilience during change that results in a stronger and more sustainable organization. This series is most appropriate for Oregon-based 501(c)(3) staffed nonprofits statewide, but primarily in metro or metro-adjacent areas. More details and registration information here.
Transforming Your Development Program in 2021 – Fundraising in Times of Change, Thursday, February 18, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: In this session, Laurel McCombs, Senior Philanthropy Consultant at the Osborne Group, will look at practical and aspirational ways to approach your development planning and prioritization this year that will help you continue to adapt to uncertainty while addressing key challenges and opportunities that can lead to greater return on investment and, ultimately, greater impact. More details and registration information here.
Becoming a Great Board Member: Fundamentals of Nonprofit Board Governance, Wednesday, February 24, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: In this webinar, presented by Jenn Clemo, NAO’s Director of Nonprofit Leadership and Resources, you will learn about the nonprofit board of directors and gain an understanding of what it means to be an effective board member. Jenn will provide a thorough overview for new board members or those looking to refresh themselves on the fundamentals. More details and registration information here.
2021 Annual Nonprofit GAAP Update, Thursday, February 25, 10 – 11:30 a.m. PT: Gary McGee, CPA, Founder and Managing Partner of Gary McGee & Co. LLP will lead this annual nonprofit accounting and auditing update session. You’ll learn about new and proposed accounting and auditing standards, and how they will affect nonprofit organizations and their auditors. Topics will include Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) guidance specific to nonprofit entities, AICPA accounting and auditing activities, and a Single Audit update. More details and registration information here.
The Ultimate Grant Proposal Blueprint Course: Your Step-by-Step Roadmap and Built-It-Yourself Toolkit for Crafting an A+ Grant Proposal, March 1 through May 3: In this comprehensive, on-your-own-schedule video-based, course from GrantsMagic U, veteran grant writer, grant consultant, and grantmaker Maryn Boess pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to be successful in the grants world. She will share hundreds of tried-and-tested tools, strategies, how-to's and "insider's tips" to take you to your next level of grants success no matter where you're starting out. More details and registration information here.
Ambassador Training: Better Word-of-Mouth Marketing, Tuesday, March 2, 10 – 11:30 a.m. PT: Even in the era of social media, the most effective marketing strategy is word of mouth. Regardless of your role – board, staff or volunteer – you can represent your organization more effectively and encourage positive buzz. Join Andy Robinson, Principal of Andy Robinson Consulting, to learn how to engage potential supporters, develop compelling messages, and deliver them effectively. More details and registration information here.
Nonprofit Learning Cohort – Fundraising Through Uncertainty, five Monday weekly interactive sessions – March 1 through March 29, 12 – 1:15 p.m. PT: Join a group of your peers for this series with fundraising expert Laurel McCombs. Learn how to push forward through the ongoing uncertainty to not only achieve your fundraising goals for this year, but strengthen your development program for the future. This series is most appropriate for executive directors and development directors from small, rural-staffed organizations. More details and registration information here.
Bigger Impact Together - What Your Organization Can Do to Forge Stronger Collaboration Through Creative Partnerships and Mergers, Wednesday, March 3, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: Nonprofit leaders often question how to maximize effectiveness and find greater efficiency in support of their missions. Based on their recent experience merging the Center for Nonprofit Stewardship into NAO, Jim White, NAO’s Executive Director, and Jenn Clemo, now NAO’s Director of Nonprofit Leadership and Resources, will discuss principles of deep collaboration and partnerships that can lead two organizations to unify. More details and registration information here.
NAO’s 2021 Guiding More Good Virtual Conference, Saturday, March 13, 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. PT: Carrying on the Center for Nonprofit Stewardship’s tradition, the Guiding More Good Conference will be held virtually on Saturday, March 13, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. PT. We’ll be bringing you exciting expert speakers, practical resources, and virtual networking opportunities. This event will be especially applicable for smaller nonprofits, primarily those that are all-volunteer or with 1-2 staff members. More details and registration here.
Nonprofit Learning Cohort – Effective Board Management for Small Nonprofits, five Thursday weekly interactive sessions – March 18 through April 15, 11 – 12:15 p.m. PT: This five-part series builds on the lessons from the Becoming a Great Board Member webinar to include tools for effective board management. Join a cohort of nonprofit leaders to learn about board management best practices while gaining insight from each other’s challenges and solutions, and problem solving together. This cohort is for new and potential board members who want to understand the fundamentals of board service, seasoned board members looking to increase their board’s effectiveness, and staff and volunteers who support the board. More details and registration information here.
Nonprofit Learning Cohort – Creating a Strong Volunteer Program for Small, Rural Nonprofits, five Monday weekly interactive sessions – April 12 through May 10, Noon to 1:15 p.m. PT: Are you a small, rural nonprofit that utilizes volunteers but doesn’t have a robust system for recruitment and retention? Are you struggling to adapt your volunteer program to meet the challenges of the virtual world we’re living in? Join a group of your peers for this five-session interactive series that will help you create a strong volunteer program that provides a framework for organizational success and benchmarks for volunteer engagement and satisfaction. More details and registration information here.
|
|
Thank you to the following SUPPORTERS and SPONSORS who are supporting NAO’s online events and communications during these challenging times. Their support is vital in helping NAO to bring much-needed resources and information to Oregon’s nonprofits – thank you. |
|
FRIEND PLUS PARTNER SPONSORS |
|
FOLLOW NAO ON SOCIAL MEDIA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
