Hello Nonprofit Leaders and Supporters, | |
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I hope you all had a successful Giving Tuesday and that your year-end fundraising efforts are fruitful. I know this is a busy time for nonprofit organizations, so I also hope you are taking the time to get some rest and relaxation in as well.
We have several exciting members only events coming up, including a sneak peek of the Nonprofit Modernization Act on December 13 and our Annual Meeting of the Membership on January 26. Following the Annual Meeting on January 26, we are co-presenting a virtual conference in partnership with the Masters of Nonprofit Leadership program at Pacific University, which will be free and open to members only. Stay tuned to our social media and to your inbox for more information on this conference in the coming weeks. If you aren’t an NAO member yet, this is a great time to join in order to attend these free events as well as take advantage of all of NAO’s member benefits.
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Stay healthy and be safe,
Jim White
NAO Executive Director
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Paid Leave Oregon – Changes to Determining Employer Size
A Temporary Administrative Order (TAO) has been released by the Oregon Secretary of State changing the way Paid Leave Oregon will count employees to determine employer size. These temporary rules went into effect on November 22nd and will remain until the Permanent Administrative Rules are updated.
Before this TAO was released, an employer’s size was calculated by averaging the employee count over four quarters. The new order states an employer’s size will be determined by the employer’s average number of employees on the 12th day of each month for the previous 12 months. While replacement employees hired to temporarily replace employees out on Paid Leave Oregon are not included, the employee count does still include the total number of employees in and outside of Oregon.
The definition of large and small employer did not change. Nonprofit and corporate employers with 25 or more employees will still be considered “large” and will be required to pay the employer contribution. Those employers with less than 25 employees will still be considered small and will not be required to pay the employer contribution.
For more information and FAQs about Paid Leave Oregon, we have these useful resources on our website here.
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New Faces
With the General Election behind us, the gubernatorial transition from Governor Brown to Governor-Elect Kotek has begun. The top priority of this transition will be completing the 2023-25 Governor’s Recommended Budget before the 2023 legislative session. We’ll be watching for what budget priorities Governor-Elect Kotek will prioritize. Of note are the Oregon Department of Human Services budget request for nonprofit capacity building and the Department of Administrative budget request to develop an equity program in public procurements.
The new Governor may also be appointing new agency directors. Pat Allen, Oregon Health Authority’s director, has already submitted his resignation for January 9, the day of the gubernatorial inauguration. Behavioral Health Director Steve Allen, not related to Pat Allen, is also stepping down.
The Legislature will have a new Senate President for the first time in decades as Salem Democrat Peter Courtney is retiring at the end of the year. Senate Democrats nominated Lake Oswego Senator Rob Wagner as their choice for Senate President. They also elected Beaverton Senator Kate Lieber as Senate Majority Leader. Bend Senator Tim Knopp remains the Senate Republican leader. Things to watch for in the next month will be new the chair and committee assignments for 2023 session.
For the first time, the Legislature will have five legislators that are Vietnamese Americans. They will be all members of the House of Representatives from districts in the Portland Metro area. At least one of them has a background in nonprofits. Before the 2022 election, there was only one Vietnamese American legislator.
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Mileage for Volunteers
This week NAO signed onto a national letter with the National Council of Nonprofits, Independent Sector and Meals on Wheels USA (to name a few) to the U.S. Senate urging the body to take action on the charitable volunteer mileage rate. The push for mileage parity is based on both immediate and long-term challenges.
Congress has not adjusted the charitable mileage rate since it was fixed in law at 14 cents per mile in 1997. In that time, the business mileage rate has doubled, and the price of gasoline has tripled. Further, now that itemized deductions are only taken by higher-income individuals, fewer than 10 percent of taxpayers can take advantage of this very-small tax incentive. Compounding this unfairness, the IRS and some states actually impose income taxes on volunteer drivers who receive expense reimbursements from nonprofits in excess of 14 cents/mile. For too long, current law both insults and injures volunteer drivers who give back to their communities through charitable nonprofits.
The urgency for action relates to the fact that volunteers have not returned to charitable organizations in pre-pandemic numbers due in part to very high gas prices. The lack of sufficient numbers of volunteers means nonprofits cannot keep up with current demand for services, much less cope with the steadily rising demand for support. This is a particularly egregious challenge in rural areas where driving distances are farther, and the pool of available volunteers is smaller.
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NAO's Upcoming Learning and Convening Opportunities | |
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NAO Webinars
Creating Gender Inclusive Teams: Understanding Pronouns to Create Inclusion
December 7, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. | Presenter: Kaig Lightner, Quantum Gender
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 highlighting the use of pronouns, gender-neutral language and the appropriate ways to show respect to people of all gender identities/expressions. Some allies have begun including pronouns in their company email signature to show solidarity in addition to online profiles. Still, it is more complex and nuanced than just these simple acts to create safe and inclusive spaces. This workshop uses practical examples and personal stories from the presenter's experience as a queer, transgender coach and youth soccer club leader. More details and registration here.
Making Board Service Palatable
December 7, 12 – 1 p.m. | Presenter: Kari Anderson, Incite! Consulting
As a generation of board members exits their volunteer roles, it’s time to get serious about rethinking board service. There are scores of young professionals who have the skills and energy that your nonprofit needs. Are you creating an inviting space for them at your board table? Spend an hour with Kari Anderson with Incite! Consulting. This former nonprofit executive will share critical insight from the “under age 50” perspectives and ideas to make your board roles both doable and exciting. More details and registration here.
Creating and Respecting Boundaries at Work
December 8, 12 – 1 p.m. | Presenter: Anna Young, Principal, Anna Young Consulting
How do we co-create and maintain healthy work boundaries with our teams? In this webinar led by Anna Young, we will look at some of the latest findings and best practices around this topic, access tools to make the conversations easier, and share lessons learned from within our community. We will explore different approaches and expectations around setting boundaries at work including: how our understanding of work boundaries has shifted over the past few years with COVID and remote work; a neuroscience-grounded understanding of why setting boundaries is hard for so many of us; understanding how responsibility and accountability play out between team members and managers; and more! More details and registration here.
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(Members Only Webinar)
Nonprofit Modernization Act “Sneak Peek”
December 13, 1 – 2 p.m. | Presenters: Felicita Monteblanco, Northwest Health Foundation and Phillip Kennedy-Wong, NAO
Many community-based organizations vital to our community's health, justice and support have significant contracts and grants with government entities. With the pandemic and restriction racial justice movement and wildfires, the number of organizations working with the government has grown considerably. For years, NAO has been tracking the growing frustration nonprofits feel with unnecessarily complex processes, delayed reimbursements, low administrative rates, and artificially suppressed wages for nonprofit staff through government programs.
The Nonprofit Modernization Act is a legislative path to systemically fix underpayment, reduce administrative burden and raise wages in community-based nonprofits that contract or receive grants from the government. Together with the Northwest Health Foundation, NAO has assembled a campaign team of individuals who have real-life experience in managing, tracking and negotiating government service contracts. Join us for this free hour-long member-only webinar for an opportunity to hear more about the proposed Nonprofit Modernization Act and give crucial feedback on the plan. This session will be interactive, so please come with your ideas and stories about your experiences working with the government.
This webinar is free and available to NAO members only. Members can register by logging into the Members Only Area. Not a member? Join today!
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Umatilla County: Functional Forecasting - Taking Control of Cash Flow
December 13, 2 – 4 p.m. | Facilitator: Jenn Clemo, NAO
Many organizations find themselves at the mercy of their finances, instead of the other way around. The best strategy to combat this trap? Managing your cash flow! In this 2-hour workshop, participants will do a deep dive to explore how cash flows in and out of an organization. Through hands-on activities, templates, and break-out conversations, we’ll build the skills and confidence that nonprofit leaders need to better manage precious financial resources. More details and registration here.
Making Time for Reflection, Especially When It Feels Impossible
December 14, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. | Presenter: Amy Varga, The Varga Group
When it comes to leadership, there’s a paradox: if you want to have a greater impact – faster – you have to slow down enough to reflect on where you’re going, what you’re doing, and how you’re showing up as a leader. In this highly interactive and engaging workshop, you will explore why reflection is essential to effective leadership, how to harness the power of thinking for yourself and your team, and how to make time for reflection when it feels impossible to pack one more thing in. More details and registration here.
Board Bright: Engaging Your Board in Fundraising
December 15, 3 – 4:30 p.m. | Presenter: Jenn Clemo, NAO
A well-prepared and passionate board is essential to successful fundraising. This 90-minute addition to the Board Bright series will provide strategies for setting your board up for fundraising success. Learn how to create fundraising expectations from the get-go, increase your board’s understanding of the organization’s revenue needs, find ways for everyone to play a role, and build board ambassadors for your cause. Free to NAO members! More details and registration information here.
Banking for Nonprofits in the Digital Age
January 11, 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. | Presenter: Chris Barron, Summit Bank
In this session, community banking expert Chris Barron will cover everything your nonprofit needs to know about banking in the digital age. From what tools are available to help you manage your day-to-day operation/cash flow, how to protect yourself and your organization from potential fraud, to general knowledge of how the industry has changed over the years. Whether your organization is just starting or you’re a seasoned nonprofit professional, there’s something for everyone in this session. More details and registration information here.
What Does Mindfulness Have To Do With Anti-Racism?
February 22, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. | Facilitators: Katharine Quince, Quince Consulting and Erica Briggs, NAO
Being a champion for justice and equity takes energy, compassion, and resilience. Mindfulness practices offer ways to build the inner strength needed to stay engaged in the work, grounded and connected. Informed by leaders and teachers such as Ruth King and Kristin Neff, this interactive workshop will explore how incorporating mindfulness into your personal and professional life can support you as a leader for equity and inclusion. You will be provided resources and instructions for easily accessible and trauma-informed practices and opportunities to engage in discussion and problem-solving with like-minded peers. More details and registration information here.
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NAO Workshops (In-person)
Effective Supervision – Springfield
December 5, 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Presenter: Cliff Jones, Capacity Building Partnerships
Employees are your organization’s most excellent resource. Effective support and direction for your staff and understanding of how to work across differences will help create an environment where people can fully contribute and advance your organization’s mission and goals. This workshop will explore essential elements of a supervisor’s role with a diversity, equity and inclusion lens. We will offer insight into the specific challenges of supervision in the nonprofit environment to help you identify concrete goals and changes you can implement with individual staff and teams. We will examine strategies to address unclear expectations between staff and supervisor, ambivalence about authority, low pay, and heavy workloads. Whether you have the title of supervisor or not, this workshop will help you develop the techniques to build staff ownership, encourage joint problem-solving, and support staff experience success and satisfaction in working together. More details and registration information here.
Clatsop County Nonprofit Resource Roundup
December 6, 12 – 2:30 p.m. | Facilitator: Sarah Spangler, NAO
NAO’s Nonprofit Resource Roundup is a learning and networking opportunity for nonprofit staff, board, and volunteers to connect, meet funders, and learn about valuable tools and resources. Resource Roundups are FREE but registration is required. We hope you’ll join us in Astoria! More details and registration information here.
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NAO Nonprofit Learning Cohort (Virtual)
Start the Year Right! – Supporting Team and Individual Well-Being in Purpose-Driven Organizations (5-Part Session)
January 19 – February 16, 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Facilitator: Anna Young, Anna Young Consulting
This five-session learning cohort is an invitation to start 2023 by revisioning and recalibrating organizational well-being at the individual and team levels. As leaders, how can we share best practices and learn together while creating a safe space to talk about what is and is not going well? We will spend our time together mapping the current level of stress and burnout in our organizations and diagnosing the underlying causes; differentiating between "gravity problems" (that are part of the context and can’t be solved) and actual problems so we can focus our energy on what will make a difference; understanding the relationship between equity and well-being to make sure organizational policies benefit all; naming and defining success; and learning about how individual well-being impacts team dynamics and vice versa. More details and registration information here.
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NAO Regional Networks (In-person*) | |
Thank you to the following FUNDERS 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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