Hello Nonprofit Leaders and Supporters,
Happy April everyone! I hope that the month is starting off well for you and your nonprofits. With the sun shining and vaccines flowing (sort of), it just feels like there’s more cause for hope and optimism across our state. I know that a big part of that hope is born through the talented and skilled workers and volunteers at your nonprofits. Our sector has kept so many of our communities afloat and they still are working to bring support, care, beauty and hope in towns and communities across the state.
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I was out running the other morning and was greeted by these two, clucking their way across the frosted grass. They looked so content! It was certainly worth my time to stop, breathe the cold air and watch as they went about their chicken business in the early morning light. The calmness and in-the-moment presence of these two had a wonderful effect on me and was a good endorphin rush for the rest of my run.
Now, I’m not going to even try to do a hard-right turn segue and draw a parallel between chickens and nonprofits. (I’d be happy to hear from any of you that can!) I just wanted to share this photo and my observation (epiphany?) that we’re all lucky to be alive, entering into another spring and coming out of the darkest days of our COVID experience. Yes, we have a lot of work to do in our state to address injustice, (re)build relationships and create greater equity for all Oregonians. And it is also good sometimes to just stop, breathe and watch chickens in the grass… real or metaphorical. I hope that you may get a similar opportunity soon.
With deep admiration for all you do,
Jim White
NAO Executive Director
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Oregon Nonprofit News
Navigating Through the COVID Era – a Survey for Nonprofit Executives
We are partnering with our friends at Public Interest Management Group (PIMG) who we have worked with in the past to bring you real-time data and trends in the nonprofit sector. Through April, they are conducting a survey to collect data on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted you, your team, and your organization. We invite all senior managers of nonprofits to take this 10-minute survey to help illuminate the impacts of the crisis on your organizations. Your responses are confidential. We will be reporting the findings of the Oregon-specific data as compared to national data in a future update. The information will also inform approaches to supporting the nonprofit sector in the year ahead.
The deadline to complete this survey is April 16, 2021. Take survey.
In related news, Scott Schaffer, the Principal at PIMG will be conducting a webinar with us on April 15th on Nonprofit Financial Strategy for 2021. I highly encourage you to sign up for this special two-hour webinar. For those who want to go deeper into this topic in the company of peers, please also look for the learning cohort Scott is facilitating at the end of April and into May. Details on how to register can be found in the events section below.
2021 Oregon Nonprofit Leaders Virtual Conference – Registration closes April 7
The Oregon Nonprofit Leaders Virtual Conference on Monday, April 12 will bring nonprofit leaders together for sessions on current, relevant and inspiring topics facing nonprofits today. Drawing nationally and regionally respected speakers, the 2021 ONLC agenda highlights include sessions on reflective representation and equity, fundraising through uncertainty, and adapting in times of crisis. Join nonprofit leaders from across the state for a full-day of immersive learning, leadership development, and inspiration for as low as $69. Register by Wednesday, April 7. Participants will have access to all recorded conference material on-demand until early June. More details and registration here.
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At the State Level
The Oregon Legislative leadership has released the 2021-23 Co-Chair Budget Framework. The budget framework highlights their values for a state budget that will respond to the needs facing Oregonians during the ongoing recovery from the pandemic recession and devastating wildfires. It is used to guide the creation of the next State of Oregon biennial budget for 2021-23. Of note is that the Legislature is required by the Oregon constitution to balance the budget. Also, it is important to recognize that there is a forecasted gap between costs and available revenues in the next biennium even prior to implementing new programs and services.
The recently passed American Rescue Plan Act is anticipated to send $2.6 billion in federal fiscal recovery funds to cover state program and service costs. The Co-chairs budget framework relies on those funds not only to protect current programs and services from reductions but also to increase expenditures by $780 million for critical new programs and services. It is still assumed that program areas will achieve 1% reductions in costs from the current service level to help cover other priorities including the impact of additional costs from the State School Fund and Ballot Measure 110, and other projected costs.
The Co-chairs intend to reserve 20% ($520 million) of the $2.6 billion ARPA funds in recognition that the federal law assumes use of these funds through 2024. The reserve will help cover the continuing 2023-25 costs of new programs and services initially financed with ARPA funds in 2021-23.
NAO has deep concerns with the concept that the Legislature would put away 20% of the ARPA funding at a time when a) Oregonians are hurting and need support now; and b) the Biden Administration is already committed to further funding packages including a new $2 trillion infrastructure package (see below) with additional concepts being floated even by Oregon’s Federal Congressional Delegation. The idea to hold back 20% of ARPA funds for a future possibility of need just doesn’t make sense right now. The quicker we can help communities recover, the less funding they will need in the future. NAO is working with a coalition of nonprofit organizations to review the budget-line proposals for funding in the Co-chairs budget and make immediate recommendations on alternations to this framework.
The framework states that the “Co-Chairs are committed to appropriate communication, transparency, and time for input from stakeholders and the public before final budget decisions are made. This document is intended to provide the framework for many discussions that must occur prior to developing the final budget. Several community hearings are being planned and will be scheduled soon to discuss the 2021-23 state budget.”
We encourage nonprofits to make their voices heard and advocate for a more robust investment of the funds made available through the ARPA and sent to Oregon for use in our communities. We will continue to keep you all posted as the hearings on the budget begins.
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At the Federal Level
PPP Loan Application Deadline Extended through May 31
On Tuesday, President Biden signed into law a bill (H.R. 1799) extending the deadline for nonprofits and businesses to apply for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans through May 31 and to allow the Small Business Administration (SBA) to continue to process loan applications through June 30. The previous deadline had been set for the end of March.
Infrastructure Plan Unveiling
President Biden unveiled his infrastructure plan yesterday. The American Jobs Plan calls for spending $2 trillion on transportation, water, housing, broadband, job training, and much more. It would be paid for with increases to corporate taxes. FACT SHEET: The American Jobs Plan, White House, Mar. 31, 2021. This article covers the high points: Biden Details $2 Trillion Plan to Rebuild Infrastructure and Reshape the Economy, Jim Tankersley, New York Times, Mar. 31, 2021. See also this article from the state-government perspective: White House Details $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan, Andrea Noble, Route Fifty, Mar. 31, 2021.
Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG) Program
Unemployment Insurance Update
Last Friday, the U.S. Labor Department issued an updated UIPL No. 18-20, Change 2 that fixes the error in the previous guidance that created the appearance that there was a 1-2 week gap between the 50% federal coverage and 75% federal coverage of unemployment costs for reimbursing employers enacted as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. However, this latest guidance suggests that states that followed the previous DOL guidance and covered 50% of the costs of reimbursing nonprofits COVID-related UI benefits need to amend their statutes to switch the 50% to 25%, lest the states will forfeit the additional 25% federal coverage. This creates further confusion for states and it is not yet clear how this will be implemented. We’ll bring further updates as this becomes clear.
Many Nonprofits Eligible for Employee Retention Tax Credit
This is just a reminder that one of the significant changes in the COVID-19 relief bill that Congress approved in December was the extension and expansion of the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC). The ERTC is a refundable tax credit (translation: nonprofits are eligible for it) that organizations can take if:
- They partially or fully shut down operations when pandemic restrictions went into place; or
- They had a decline in revenue. For 2020, nonprofits must have had a 50% drop in revenue for any quarter compared to the same quarter in the previous year. For 2021, nonprofits can access the ERTC if they had a 20% drop in revenue.
Nonprofits that receive a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan can now also claim ERTC as long as the credits are applied to payroll and operating expenses different from those covered by the PPP loan, and organizations can claim both through the extended December 31, 2021 deadline. Also, the ERTC is now a much larger tax credit, covering up to $7,000 per employee per quarter. The National Council of Nonprofits has this great analysis of ways the ERTC could help your nonprofit.
Census Bureau 2021 Data Training Series
NAO encourages you to consider attending the free webinars the U.S. Census Bureau are hosting this spring! Designed for the novice data user, the 2021 Data Summit Series will present a high-level overview of several data products and demonstrate how they can be used to assist organizations and businesses to identify data-driven solutions to challenges. Join these webinars to learn about how your responses to Census Bureau surveys are used to create publicly available data products, how to explore data tools on census.gov, and discover how you can utilize those tools to help transform your communities. Sessions are hosted on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT. Below are upcoming sessions we encourage you to register for (space is limited and expected to close once capacity is reached):
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April 22 – Statistics in Schools: Bringing Census Bureau data into the classroom through engaging resources and activities in several subjects.
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Upcoming Online Sessions
NAO offers practical, affordable learning and convening programs in a variety of formats, including conferences, resource round-ups, informational sessions and mini-workshops through webinars, and deeper-dive learning through virtual learning cohorts. We have added quite a few new session for April and May. Please scroll through and sign-up today!
Convening Opportunities
Curry County Virtual Nonprofit Resource Roundup – April 7, Noon – 1:45 p.m. PT: Join us for a unique opportunity for nonprofit staff, board members and volunteers of Curry County to connect with funders and learn about resources available to you through NAO. Each participant will have the opportunity to connect with each of our funders in small breakout groups, network with peers, and much more! This event is free and will include representatives from The Ford Family Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, Oregon Community Foundation, and the Coquille Tribal Community Fund. Space is limited. More details and registration information here.
Webinar Sessions
Bigger Impact Together - What Your Organization Can Do to Forge Stronger Collaboration Through Creative Partnerships and Mergers, Tuesday, April 6, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: Especially in challenging economic times, nonprofit leaders often question how to maximize effectiveness and find greater efficiency in support of their missions. Deepened collaboration, creative partnerships, and even mergers feel like urgent solutions. 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 the principles of deep collaboration and partnerships that can lead two organizations to unify. In this one-hour webinar, learn about the core success factors identified by Jim and Jenn, and discuss how your organization might benefit from a strategic unification. More details and registration information here.
Renewing Your Strategy and Readying Your Nonprofit for a Capital Campaign, April 13, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: Capital campaigns need to be about more than bricks and mortar. They need to be strategically positioned within a well-thought long-range plan as a top priority for achieving a community impact that is worthy of leadership-level philanthropic investment. This session will focus on how to develop and assess long-term vision goals, determine whether a capital campaign is appropriate and timely as a strategic initiative to meet vision goals and deliver a return on investment for donors. More details and registration information here.
Nonprofit Financial Strategy for 2021, Thursday, April 15, 10 – Noon PT: The current public health crisis and resulting economic realities have disrupted many nonprofits’ operations and funding sources, with longer-term impacts that remain unknown. In this two-hour webinar, Scott Schaffer, Principal of Public Interest Management Group will help nonprofit leaders visualize and chart a financial strategy to proactively address the short- and longer-term impacts of the crisis. At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will develop a conceptual framework to pave a pathway toward financial sustainability amid uncertainty. More details and registration information here.
The Future of Fundraising Events in 2021 and Beyond, Tuesday, April 27, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: The transition to virtual fundraising has been a year of learning. In this session, Samantha Swaim, Principal of Swaim Strategies will share the good, the bad, and the key strategic learnings. With every event we dive deeper into understanding what core elements are essential for fundraising events as well as what works uniquely in the virtual format. What can we learn from this time as we move into a post-pandemic world? If you have a virtual event coming up, we'll give you the key strategic elements you need in place to be successful. Set yourself up for a great virtual fundraising event and begin planning for the year ahead! More details and registration information here.
Hiding in Plain Sight: Creating Inclusion for the Visible & Invisible Members of the LGBTQ+ Community, Thursday, April 29, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: What does it mean to look LGBTQ+? Why are there some who are targets of homophobia more than others? What does it mean to pass as straight or cisgender? All of these questions often funnel down to one common answer - the ways in which someone expresses their gender - clothes, hairstyles, physical features all tell a visual story of every person. Exclusion thrives when dominant societal rules and norms are applied to those visual stories. In this 60-minute workshop, Kaig Lightner Founder and Gender Diversity Consultant from Quantum Gender LLC will take a deep dive into the assumptions that we all make as a result of our society's reliance on the gender binary system. More details and registration information here.
Building Effective Budgets for Your Nonprofit Organization, Tuesday, May 4, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: Even in the best of times, developing an organizational budget is an important component of financial management. In times of uncertainty, periods of contraction or periods of expansion, a well-crafted budget can make all the difference between surviving or thriving. A budget is often a guide to help nonprofits plan for the future or evaluate its financial health. In this webinar we will explore specific budget building methodologies that work the best and how to achieve a collaborative, well-conceived, and impactful tool for the organization. This will be especially timely for organizations who have a June 30 FYE. More details and registration information here.
Different Ways to Present and Communicate Your Financial Statements, Wednesday, May 12, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: Financial statements help you understand the work of a nonprofit; they paint a story with numbers. Come join us to see different ways to present financial information to communicate your story and help users including the board, management, and funders understand the work and the financial picture of your organization. Presenter, Erin Zollenkopf, CEO, Susan Matlack Jones & Associates will be focusing on internal reporting and look at different ways to tell your story including the use of financial statements, management reports, graphs, and narratives. This session is geared for mid-large sized nonprofits that have dedicated finance staff and would be ideal for the person charged with presenting financial information to leadership teams, staff, and boards. More details and registration information here.
Breaking Down HR Law for Small Nonprofit Employers, Tuesday, May 18, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: This course breaks down HR laws into understandable and actionable items as it relates to nonprofit employers. The law is there to help, but it won’t if we’re afraid to learn. This hour will be all about asking and answering all those questions you’ve been too afraid to ask. FYI, “I didn’t know” isn’t a legal defense. Let’s take the mystery out of HR law. This course is perfect for employers with 1-25 employees. More details and registration information here.
Managing Staff in 2021 - How are Nonprofit Employers Innovating for Success?, Tuesday, May 25, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: This course covers key HR topics highlighted when needing to innovate for success. It is a pandemic carrying into 2021. We’ve had to learn how to manage remote employees, keep employees safe, possibly downsize, all while keeping a positive employee culture. We’ll talk about ways other nonprofits are innovating and breaking the barriers to continue to be successful. We want to hear your stories as well. This course is perfect for HR leaders responsible for figuring out operational and administrative staffing plans, policies, and procedures and targeted for employers with 1-25 employees. More details and registration information here.
QuickBooks Desktop Edition Made Easy for Nonprofits, May 25, 26, and 27, 11 – 1 p.m. PT: Gregg S. Bossen, CPA of QuickBooks Made Easy, is partnering with NAO to offer an updated three-part QuickBooks® training webinar for nonprofits. This webinar is for the Desktop edition of QuickBooks. Gregg will cover the basics of setting up and entering transactions specifically for nonprofits, an overview of the software updates included in the QuickBooks® 2021 Desktop Edition, as well as advanced topics covering a host of specific processes that will help you do more helpful and amazing things! Register for the three-part webinar here.
QuickBooks Online Edition Made Easy for Nonprofits, June 1, 2 and 3, 11 – 1 p.m. PT: Gregg S. Bossen, CPA of QuickBooks Made Easy, is partnering with NAO to offer an updated three-part QuickBooks® training webinar for nonprofits. This webinar is for the Online edition of QuickBooks. Gregg will cover the basics of setting up and entering transactions specifically for nonprofits, an overview of the software updates included in the QuickBooks® 2021 Online Edition, as well as advanced topics covering a host of specific processes that will help you do more helpful and amazing things! Register for the three-part webinar here.
Learning Cohorts
Creating a Strong Volunteer Program for Small, Rural Nonprofits, five Monday weekly interactive sessions – April 12 through May 10, Noon – 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.
Building a Robust Financial Strategy: Cohort Group for Nonprofit Executive Directors, five Thursday weekly interactive sessions – April 29 through May 27, 8 – 9:15 a.m. PT: Are you an executive director wrestling with the financial implications of a year of great uncertainty? Join a group of nonprofit executive directors in this interactive learning cohort that will help you determine how to formulate a financial strategy that works for your organization. Cohort participants learn how to define and gauge financial performance, address business model challenges, right-size your staff and programs, invest in the people who drive your organization’s success and enhance your financial leadership role. This cohort is geared toward organizations with annual operating budgets between $1 - $10 million, but all nonprofit executive directors and CEOs are welcome. 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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