Hello Nonprofit Leaders and Supporters,
Since the beginning of February, we join in celebrating Black History Month when we recognize the achievements and struggles of African Americans in Oregon and across America. We join our colleagues across the state in paying tribute to the generations of Black Oregonians who struggled with hardships, marginalization, and racism on a path to gain the same rights as white Americans. That struggle still continues today.
I am excited to learn from Zachary Stocks, Executive Director of Oregon Black Pioneers at our upcoming session on February 17th. Zachary will share how the provisional, territorial, and state governments of Oregon created legal and social barriers to exclude Blacks from society, how Oregonians reinforced white supremacy with violence and intimidation, and how that history has been misunderstood over the subsequent decades. We are deeply appreciative of Zachary for helping to educate us in Oregon’s racist past and hope that through learning, we can all work to build a better future. Please click through to join this important discussion.
In Oregon, we are lucky to have a cadre of amazing Black nonprofit leaders who are doing incredible work across the state to further causes and build community. NAO is proud to count many Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits as members of our network. I encourage you to find ways to support the work of Black-led and Black-serving nonprofit organizations in Oregon.
I also want to draw attention to the work of the Building Movement Project. They have been raising awareness for years of gaps in support for BIPoC leaders in the nonprofit sector and reporting on possible solutions. BMP has launched Supporting Nonprofit Capacity: A Survey to understand the challenges and capacity supports available to nonprofit leaders. Take the survey today to share your experience and inform the future of capacity building support for nonprofit leaders like you! You could win a $100 gift card for your participation.
Stay healthy and be safe,
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Jim White
NAO Executive Director
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NAO is excited to be adding two full-time, regular, exempt positions. NAO is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to hiring staff that represent the communities we serve. We offer a generous benefits package that includes: health, dental, paid vacation and personal leave time, and participation in a 403(b)-retirement plan with an employer match.
Director of Public Policy
Are you skilled at organizing or training coalitions of nonprofits to engage in the public policy process at local, state, or national level? We are looking to hire a new position, Director of Public Policy! When filled, this role will work with the Executive Director to lead four key components of NAO’s work: Public Policy Planning and Development, Network Development, Public Policy Education and Public Policy Communications. This position is the driving force behind NAO’s Public Policy work ensuring that the “voice” of the nonprofit sector is heard by policy makers and considered in lawmaking, regulations changes and public funding considerations. Starting salary is $80,000. Learn more here.
Nonprofit Education Specialist
Are you a nonprofit professional with experience in curriculum development and delivering high-impact experiential education? If you answered yes, you might be the ideal candidate to become a Nonprofit Education Specialist! This role plays a critical part in helping NAO to meet our mission by providing top-notch training to today's and tomorrow's nonprofit leaders. This position is based out of NAO’s office in Portland and requires some travel to provide on-site training mostly in the Portland Metropolitan area and occasionally in rural communities in Oregon. Starting salary is $60,000. Learn more here.
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Have you heard? NAO has officially opened early bird registration for our virtual 2022 Oregon Nonprofit Leaders Conference – prices begin at just $99!
This year’s conference theme and session topics revolve around using crisis as a catalyst – for change, for good, for growth. On April 12, we’ll open up with a keynote conversation featuring Akaya Windwood, recognized internationally for transformative advising, alongside a Southern Oregon nonprofit leader doing innovative work locally and inspiring change well beyond. Conference attendees will then participate in three breakout sessions with topics ranging from accessibility in fundraising to coming together during a crisis.
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Register before March 15 for the best price possible.
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Oregon Nonprofit Workforce Report
What has been coined as “The Great Resignation” by Anthony Klotz, a professor at Texas A&M University, predicted a wave of employee quits throughout the country, in all sectors. Oregon’s nonprofits have been feeling this shift in the labor market acutely. As of January 19, 2022, Oregon has more open jobs than unemployed residents seeking work. There has been a lot of analysis of what has led to workers quitting their jobs en masse, but one of the major takeaways is clear – this is an excellent time to be seeking employment and a terrible time to be trying to hire employees.
As part of a national survey conducted in November 2021, the National Council of Nonprofits released The Scope and Impact of Nonprofit Workforce Shortages, a study of the data collected. In Oregon, the Nonprofit Association of Oregon acted as promotional partner to ensure the state had a robust response to the survey. The report and analysis is now available here.
The survey focused on the current workforce shortage affecting the nonprofit sector. Among nonprofits responding to the question “What is your nonprofit’s current job vacancy rate?,” one in three nonprofits shared job vacancy rates of between 10% and 19% and a troubling 43% responded that they had job openings for over 20% of their positions. In order for nonprofits to be able to hire staff as well as retain employees, we all need to be looking towards addressing the concerns prospective and current employees have including adopting equity in their policies, paying competitive wages for the required work, recognizing the role burnout plays in their workplace, and having effective leadership that has the appropriate management skills to lead a team and run an organization.
Oregon Legislature Begins
The Oregon Legislature has begun their 2022 session with the official opening on February 1st in Salem. There are many new faces and leadership changes as Oregon’s legislators take up a number of emergency bills in this short session scheduled to last only five weeks. Representative Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis) was voted in as Speaker of the House replacing Tina Kotek who resigned from the legislature to concentrate on her gubernatorial campaign. This is also Senate President Peter Courtney’s (D-Salem) final session as he announced his upcoming retirement last year.
Lawmakers are preparing to consider more than 250 bills and allocate between $1.5 and $2 billion in funding. One of the top priorities for Governor Brown is the passage of a $200 million package to support workforce investment package that targets the construction, health care, and manufacturing sectors. As we noted above, the nonprofit sector has been ravaged by workforce shortages. It should also be noted that before the pandemic hit in 2020, the nonprofit sector in Oregon employed more staff than the manufacturing sector in Oregon.
NAO is currently working through the list of house and senate bills scheduled to be heard to ensure that you have all the information you need on any that will impact the nonprofit sector in good or bad ways. Look for more updates as we conclude our scan or join me on February 16th for a Legislative look-see. See details below in our events section.
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As we reported in our last update, Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-MN) has drafted legislation in support of the nonprofit sector having a greater voice on the national level. The Nonprofit Sector Strength and Partnership Act (NSSPA) is an important step in getting the voices of our sector heard at a high enough level that it will matter and create systemic change. The NSSPA creates mechanisms that leverage the mission, knowledge, and impact of nonprofits to help government and the sector work together more effectively in pursuit of shared goals. Please take a moment to learn more about the NSSPA. We are proud to be a part of this work and thank our colleagues at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and Independent Sector for their leadership with Rep. McCollum’s office. Please sign on to this important piece of legislation!
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NAO's Upcoming Learning and Convening Opportunities
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Virtual Networks
Due to the increasing COVID-19 cases and rise of the Omicron variant, NAO will be holding all upcoming programming virtually. You can access the network sessions you have come to rely on from the comfort of your home. NAO will continue to watch the COVID-19 conditions and we hope to reconvene network sessions in-person as public health and safety protocols will allow. Stay tuned for more information.
Fundraising Event Solutions
February 15, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. | Presenter: Samantha Swaim, Swaim Strategies
As you prepare for upcoming spring events and launch planning for summer and fall events this session will be focused on solutions to keep things on track through the waves of COVID. We will provide you with some simple strategies to move forward and get out of the "wait and see" mindset. We will talk about national trends, hybrid formats and opportunities to increase your audience participation and grow your donor base. If you need help with your upcoming event, this is a session for you. More details and registration information here.
Legislative Look-See: Concepts and Bills that Oregon’s Nonprofits Need to Know About
February 16, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. | Presenter: Jim White, NAO
Policymakers are constantly making laws that impact nonprofits and the communities we serve in ways that are helpful. Sometimes, there are bills and concepts that have negative impacts as well. In this session we’ll hear from NAO’s Executive Director, Public Policy chair and esteemed panelists on: NAO’s 2022 Public Policy Agenda; bills before the Oregon legislature and what they mean for nonprofits; federal-level concepts and legislation; and actions we can take to advance the nonprofit sector’s public policy agenda. More details and registration information here.
Black Exclusion in Oregon
February 17, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. | Presenter: Zachary Stocks, Oregon Black Pioneers
Many know that Oregon is one of the whitest states in America, but fewer people are aware that this is by design. Zachary Stocks will reveal how the provisional, territorial, and state governments of Oregon created legal and social barriers to exclude Blacks from society, how Oregonians reinforced white supremacy with violence and intimidation, and how that history has been misunderstood over the subsequent decades. More details and registration information here.
2022 Annual Nonprofit GAAP and Form 990 Update
February 24, 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. | Presenter: Gary McGee, CPA, Gary McGee & Co. LLP
In this session, we will review the many accounting challenges affecting nonprofit organizations in the current environment, and will present information about new and proposed accounting standards and how they will impact nonprofit entities in the future. Topics include Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) guidance and projects specific to nonprofit organizations, other applicable FASB guidance that will affect nonprofits, and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants accounting and auditing activities. More details and registration information here.
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Nonprofit Learning Cohort
Getting Ready to Hire Your First Employee (Five weekly sessions)
Dates: February 22, March 1, 8, 15, and 22 | Facilitator: Christine Frazer, Christine Frazer HR Strategist
This five-session interactive series will help identify all the options you have when considering hiring your first employee. We’ll discuss the compliance, logistic, and practical decisions that need to be made from the moment you realize you need someone to the day they join your team. We’ll also talk through best practices and potential pitfalls. More details and registration information here.
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Virtual Convening
Oregon Nonprofit Leaders Conference
April 12, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Join us for a day of immersive capacity building, leadership development, and networking! Each year ONLC brings together over 350 nonprofit professionals, funders, and thought leaders to explore the challenges and opportunities of nonprofit management today. We are thrilled to feature nationally respected speakers while uplifting innovative and adaptive stories from Southern Oregon nonprofit leaders. This year’s theme and session topics revolve around using crisis as a catalyst – for change, for good, for growth. Early bird pricing ends March 14, so register early for the best price possible! More details and registration information here.
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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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