Hello Nonprofit Leaders and Supporters, |
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¡Feliz mes de la herencia hispana! Happy Hispanic Heritage month! The month-long period from September 15th to October 15th is designated as National Hispanic Heritage month (official government designation) and also known as Latinx Heritage Month. This time is set aside to honors the many enduring contributions of Latinx peoples to the U.S. I hope that you’ll check out the many Latinx-led and serving cultural organizations to find ways you can safely join in the celebrations and support for their work. Here are just a few to check out: Adelante Mujereos, CAPACES Leadership Institute, Oregon Latinx Leadership Network, Latino Network and Latino Community Association.
Next week, I am excited to be presenting an overview of opportunities and challenges at a one-day event produced by our friends at Columbia Bank. Take a look below and sign up for "Nonprofit Know How - Navigating a Constant State of Change." There is a great panel of speakers from across the state ready to impart wisdom and engage in discussion. I hope to see you there!
I also want to draw your attention to the Sage Summit that will be held virtually in lieu of the High Desert Conference and Eastern Oregon Nonprofit Conference that we would have been held in the fall this year. Thanks to the advisory committees in both regions for your suggestions and support in keeping communities safe by doing these events combined and virtually. We have a stimulating group of presenters to choose from with a keynote kicked off by Carol Cheney, the new(ish) CEO of The Collins Foundation. Carol related to me that she’s especially excited to be a part of the Sage Summit as she has deep roots in the high desert. She grew up outside Ione on an alfalfa and wheat farm and relishes the times she gets to hike out in the sea of sage. You can check out all the presenters and register here.
Now let’s all hope that the weather predictions are accurate and we get rain (and not lightening!) this weekend. Have a good one folks and keep up the great work you do!
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Jim White
NAO Executive Director
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On Wednesday, September 22 our friends at Columbia Bank will be hosting a virtual Nonprofit Symposium, Nonprofit Know How - Navigating a Constant State of Change. We're encouraging nonprofits from across the state to attend! Session discussions will range from COVID protocols, program deliveries, changes in office life, funder relationships and more, with keynote to be delivered by NAO's Jim White.
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Budget Reconciliation Update
Yesterday was the due date for House and Senate Committees to deliver their sections of the $3.5 trillion Budget Reconciliation Bill to their respective Budget Committees. Most, and perhaps all, of the House committees have met that deadline. Senate committees are not expected to markup legislation.
News reports indicate that fractures in the Democratic Caucus remain and that a true and final Budget Reconciliation Bill will not be made public and voted on until the Democrats all come together in agreement. Importantly, this may take days, weeks, or even months. For nonprofits this is both frustrating and means our advocacy efforts must continue because the legislative packages are still open for improvements. If you have not yet called or written to your Congressional representative and our Senators, please do so. Feel free to borrow language from the letter signed by over 130 Oregon nonprofits and sent last week to Senator Wyden.
Mayors across the US show support for Arts Organizations
Earlier this week, the U.S. Conference of Mayors sent a letter to congressional leaders expressing strong support for COVID-19 Relief for Arts and Cultural Institutions. The text of the letter tracks the previously discussed resolution adopted during the organization’s annual conference that tracks the Charitable Nonprofits Policy Priorities Letter supporting all nonprofits – not just those that are arts focused. Meaning, the Mayors are calling on Congress to enact our policy asks for extension of the Employee Retention Tax Credit, continuation and improvement of the Universal Charitable Deduction, and more.
Vaccination Updates
Last week, President Biden announced a multi-point strategy to combat COVID-19. Several parts may apply to certain kinds of nonprofits, depending on some specifics, such as their size, who they serve and the mechanism through which they receive funding.
- Vaccination Mandate and Testing Alternative for Larger Employers: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will issue “a rule that will require all employers (including nonprofits) with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require any workers who remain unvaccinated to produce a negative test result on at least a weekly basis before coming to work.” There are some open questions to be resolved, including: how to count employees (only full time or include part-time and volunteers), where to count (those in one location or total employees even if spread across multiple locations), and who is responsible for paying for the weekly testing?
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Vaccination Mandate for Government Contractors: A new Executive Order on Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors requires that, just like all federal executive branch workers must be vaccinated, all employees of contractors that do business with the federal government must be vaccinated. Importantly, this applies only to entities with federal contracts; Section 5(b) expressly exempts grants. The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force has until September 24 to provide definitions for such terms as contractor and subcontractor.
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Vaccination Mandate for Health Care Workers: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will issue rules governing the President’s vaccination mandate for “workers in most health care settings that receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement, including but not limited to hospitals, dialysis facilities, ambulatory surgical settings, and home health agencies.” These rules will build on recent CMS rules for nursing facilities and “will apply to approximately 50,000 providers and cover a majority of health care workers across the country,” including “nursing home staff as well as staff in hospitals and … clinical staff, individuals providing services under arrangements, volunteers, and staff who are not involved in direct patient, resident, or client care.”
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Proof of Vaccination or Testing to Enter Large Entertainment Venues: “The President’s plan calls on entertainment venues like large concert halls, sports facilities and other venues where large groups of people gather to require that their patrons be vaccinated or show a negative test for entry.” The language of “calls on” rather than “mandates” or “requires” suggests it will be voluntary, but that may change. In Oregon, there is no requirement right now for patrons of a large venue to show proof of vaccination or a negative test, only to mask and keep social distancing. Several performing arts organizations in Oregon have already required proof of vaccination.
Vaccination of School Staff and Testing of School Staff and Students: The plan includes vaccination mandates for teachers and staff at federal programs – “Head Start and Early Head Start programs, teachers and child and youth program personnel at the Department of Defense, and teachers and staff at Bureau of Indian Education-operated schools.” More broadly, it “calls for Governors to require vaccinations for teachers and school staff,” and calls on “all schools to set up regular testing in their schools for students, teachers, and staff consistent with CDC guidance.” Again, use of the softer language of “calling” for certain actions suggests it seeks voluntary actions rather than a requirement.
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NAO's Upcoming Learning and Convening Opportunities |
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Registration for individual network sessions are open! Due to the continued rise of the Delta variant, all NAO networks will be virtual only through the end of the year. We will continue to prioritize the safety of our communities, monitor COVID-19 cases, and hospital capacities on a regular basis – we're hopeful that we can convene in person safely in 2022. Members can purchase our Member Pass for a deep discount and priority registration for up to 10 sessions. Member Pass sales are available now through October 31! Members and non-members can also purchase individual tickets to any sessions. |
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Leveraging Increased Awareness to Advance Organizational Equity and Inclusion
September 23, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Presenter: Cliff Jones, Capacity Building Partnerships
2020 offered new levels of awareness and challenge in advancing organizational equity and inclusion efforts. In his groundbreaking book, Theory U, Otto Scharmer invites us to embrace the process of ‘leading from the future as it emerges’ as we look at equity and inclusion through the lenses of: disparities illuminated by and related to COVID-19, the movement for Black Lives and racial justice, widening economic disparities, disparate impacts of substantial changing patterns in climate, and political and ideological polarization! More details and registration information here.
Strategic Fundraising in an Uncertain World
September 29, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Presenter: Ron Frey, Frey Resource Group
The last two years have shown that the world around us can be volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous and we know that constant change can completely upend your organization's fundraising efforts. This session is designed to give you hope as well as practical strategies to turn your fundraising campaigns into a positive force even during uncertain times. You’ll leave with tools to help you focus on the most strategic fundraising moves to make right now and build a powerful framework for long term success in donor development. More details and registration information here.
How Are Nonprofits Responding to Our New Reality Through HR?
September 30, 7:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. | Presenter: Mark Kajitani, IRCO
How are nonprofits moving forward using an HR lens to reimagine their success? This session will share four core strategies Oregon nonprofits are using to adjust to new business realities: Caring for Employees: Employee Assistance Plans; Staffing Crisis: Are you becoming the side-hustle; Workplaces Conflict: Pay Equity's Definition; Hybrid, Hoteling, and rethinking space. More details and registration information here.
The Art and Practice of Adaptive Leadership
October 13, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Presenter: Steve Patty, Ph.D., Dialogues In Action
The times we live in require leadership. One of the key characteristics of a leader is the ability to take a group of people to a place they would not have gone otherwise. This is much more than managing people. This is seeing the good potential in people and providing thoughtful, skillful, and courageous engagement that calls them forward and develops them in service to a virtuous cause. Adaptation, in an evolutionary sense, is about people developing new ways of facing the challenges and making the most of opportunities to thrive and help others thrive in a changing world. More details and registration information here.
Creating Gender Inclusive Spaces - Understanding Pronouns
October 14, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Presenter: Kaig Lightner Quantum Gender LLC
Personal pronouns are a common part of speech that many people in Western cultures pay little attention to, however, pronouns are a critical part of everyone’s identity. In the last decade a significant cultural shift has begun that has brought a spotlight on the use of pronouns, gender neutral language and the appropriate ways to show respect to people of all gender identities/expressions. This workshop uses practical examples and personal stories from the presenter’s own lived experience as a transgender person. More details and registration information here.
Compliance Concerns and Considerations for Federal Funds
October 21, 7:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. | Presenter: Lesley Bennett, CFO Selections
Many organizations received increased federal funding or received federal funding for the first time since the pandemic began. Does your organization have compliance measures in place to meet the requirements of these funds? What is a federal audit? This session will address these issues and answer your questions about federal funding compliance. More details and registration information here.
How to Manage the Opportunities and Challenges of Shifts in Funding
October 27, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Presenter: Lesley Bennett, CFO Selections
Since the beginning of the pandemic, many organizations have seen major shifts in funding. What are the common pitfalls of short-term changes in funding? What should organizations do to weather these shifts in funding? This session will focus on how to manage short-term shifts in funding without overextending their long-term capacity or missing the opportunity to build for the future. More details and registration information here.
These sessions are Member Pass eligible!
NAO Member Pass holders may register for events across all six of NAO’s networks. The unique discount code may be used for 10 registrations (per pass). Passes are shareable across your organization - Purchase now through October 31, 2021.
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Virtual Nonprofit Learning Cohorts
Effective Board Management for Small Nonprofits (Intensive)
September 22 to November 17, 11 – 12:15 p.m. | Facilitator: Jess Hampton, NAO
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 eight-week 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. Each session will include a facilitated training component as well as discussion-based peer learning opportunities. More details and registration information here.
Growing Future Leaders: Creating a Path and Thinking Ahead (Regular)
October 1 – 29, 12 – 1 p.m. | Facilitator: Jess Hampton, NAO
Join this cohort of peers to learn about nonprofit best practices while gaining insight from each other’s challenges and solutions, and problem solving together. This five-part series is geared for nonprofit staff and board members who are strategizing creative ways to strengthen succession and leadership planning among the changing landscape we find ourselves in. We know that our organizations are changing and adapting at a fast clip and these sessions will help to build understanding of ourselves, and how we work, and develop skills and tools that will respond to the need for more effective succession planning. More details and registration information here.
Building a Robust Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan (Regular)
October 3 to November 17, 11 – 12:15 p.m. | Facilitator: Gerardo Ochoa, Ed.M., Linfield University
Join a cohort of nonprofit practitioners to ideate, collaborate, and start an organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategic plan. Nonprofit leaders at every level are often tasked with creating and implementing DEI strategies. In this series, participants will design community-centered strategies for the community they serve. Cohort participants may choose to design their own organizational strategic plan or support the development of a peer’s strategic plan. More details and registration information here.
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Virtual Rural Convening Opportunities
Fall 2021 Learn at Lunch Series
Are you on a nonprofit board or staff member looking for practical training and tools to strengthen your organizational leadership skills? Join NAO for an opportunity to learn at one of our regional Learn at Lunch sessions. Each series is made up of four, one-hour sessions held each week over the lunch hour, in person. We'll provide bite-sized training in Board Management, Board Recruitment & Retention, Engaging Your Board in Fundraising and Finance Fundamentals. Sessions are provided a la carte, so you can join us for all of them – or what topic you think is most applicable to your work now.
Upcoming Learn at Lunches are available to nonprofit leaders in these regions: Linn and Benton Counties (Oct 12 - Nov 2); Douglas County (Oct 21 - Nov 11); and McMinnville (Nov 2 – 23). More details and registration information, click here.
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NAO Webinars
Board Bright: NAO's Quarterly Board Roles & Responsibilities Training
October 5, 3 – 4:30 p.m. | Presenter: Jess Hampton, NAO
In this 90-minute webinar, participants will learn about the fundamentals of nonprofit governance and gain an understanding of the board’s role in the management of the organization. This quarterly learning opportunity is designed for emerging and seasoned board members alike, and anyone else looking for a governance refresh! More details and registration information here.
Let’s Talk: Tips for Emerging Nonprofits
October 19, 11 – 12:00 p.m. | Hosted by: Rational Unicorn Legal Services
NAO is co-hosting a virtual panel discussion with our friends at Rational Unicorn Legal Services to talk about nonprofit law and compliance, programming, best practices, and tips for emerging nonprofits! Join us and ask them all real questions you might have about your nonprofit. More details and registration information here.
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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. |
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