March 18, 2021

The Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) released this important message on how their community is processing and reacting to the senseless murders of eight people around Atlanta – six of them Asian women. We stand with them in their grief and in their heartbreak and rage at these senseless acts. The rise of intimidation and violence on Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities in Oregon and across the US can neither be ignored nor tolerated. These murders bring into tragic focus the ongoing escalation of anti-Asian hate and it demands all of us, as leaders in the nonprofit sector to both condemn the violence itself, but also the rhetoric that leads to this violence. We must interrupt this rhetoric whenever it arises: in board rooms, in our communities and in our political leaders.  

Today, we are releasing NAO’s latest podcast episode – Rebuilding Oregon’s Santiam Canyon Community – featuring Deana Freres. With the help of a longtime friend and the extraordinary community of Santiam Canyon, Deana was able to establish the Santiam Canyon Wildfire Relief Fund (SCWRF) which raised over $3 million (in less than six months) to help fill the needs of those affected by the Lionshead and Beachie Creek wildfires last fall. In this episode, Deana details the impacts that wildfires had on their community, how the SCWRF started, how the funds are being distributed, and offers tangible actions we can all take when faced with devastating events. Click here to begin listening!

In related news, Mercy Corps Northwest developed and released a toolkit of resources on Monday. The Community-Based Organization Disaster Response Preparedness Toolkit is designed to aid CBOs in their preparation for the possibilities of future disasters. Every year, our communities will face disasters, including wildfires like those that impacted so many communities last fall, but also winter storms, floods, earthquakes, or even pandemics. Nonprofits and CBOs that do not have disaster response as part of their primary mission face new challenges during disasters as they learn to pivot their programs in order to respond to the needs of their communities and deal with their own business continuity. NAO joins with Mercy Corps Northwest in the belief that an effective pivot requires organizations to think about things they would need to do at the organizational, program, and individual level. Specifically, this toolkit addresses things to consider when creating a business plan, pivoting programs, and leading an organization during a disaster response. NAO is proud to partner with Mercy Corps Northwest on the dissemination of this disaster response and preparedness toolkit and we hope you all find it useful. 

The Oregon Community Fund, Ford Family Foundation and Meyer Memorial Trust held a Town Hall on March 9 to learn about the Wildfire Community Recovery Fund set-up at the Governor’s request in response to the 2020 wildfires. If you missed the event, a recording is available. 

Information about the Community Rebuilding Fund is available here. They are asking nonprofits to please help promote this survey as well to understand the needs of our fire-impacted communities. 

To date, the Community Rebuilding Fund has raised $6.5 million and have a goal of $10 million. Please consider making a donation today.

Starting March 29, adults age 45-64 with certain underlying health conditions, pregnant people age 16 and older, and certain workers in Oregon are eligible for vaccines to help protect against COVID-19. By May 1^st, everyone who lives in Oregon over the age of 16 will be eligible for a vaccine. See the complete list of who’s eligible and when.

Nonprofit employers like all of us can help save lives by letting our employees know when, where, and how they can get vaccinated. An employer toolkit will be available at https://govstatus.egov.com/or-oha-covid-resources next week, with everything you need to share information and answer questions about the vaccines. There will also be a webinar held Monday, March 22^nd from noon – 1 p.m. PT to explain what is in the toolkit and provide information about the vaccine program, including timelines and eligibility. Register here.

In the meantime, healthaction.org also has excellent resources.

NAO is joining with the Oregon Food Bank and a number of other nonprofits across the state to send testimony to the Oregon legislature today to elected leaders to commit to support effective, efficient democratic processes. The triple threat of the pandemic, wildfires and economic recession has had devastating consequences in every corner of our state. Policymakers at all levels should be focused on addressing these challenges and responding to the essential needs of Oregonians — healthcare, housing, food security, jobs and more. Our legislative processes should be responsive to these needs, moving toward meaningful solutions as quickly as possible. 

Yet this is not what we are observing today in the Oregon State Legislature. Instead, we see an increasing use of stall tactics — from forcing lengthy, out-loud readings of legislation on the floor, to outright boycotts of floor sessions. These delays of much-needed action are unacceptable and do not in any way serve the interests of the “people's business.”  

We call on our elected officials to commit today to support effective, efficient democratic processes — and to focus the 2021 legislative session on addressing the critical needs of our communities.  

The bipartisan H.R. 1799, the PPP Extension Act passed the House on Tuesday night now goes to the Senate. Democratic and Republican leaders started “hotlining” the bill yesterday, meaning they are checking to see if any Senator objects to the bill, or whether it could pass by “unanimous consent.” That, of course, would be ideal. But we understand that Democratic Leader Schumer has told colleagues that he’ll bring the bill to the Senate floor next week for debate and a vote. Still not clear that it will pass, but they are taking the steps we need them to take to extend the date for the latest round of PPP out into May.

The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee held a hearing this afternoon entitled The Paycheck Protection Program: Performance, Impact, and Next Steps. The two Democratic witnesses, including the head of the Baltimore YMCA, testified to the need to extend the PPP application deadline. Most Senators spoke favorably of nonprofits and agreed that the PPP should be extended. Senator Duckworth (D-IL) put into the record the attached letter in support of PPP extension generated by Bryan Zarou of Forefront and signed by a dozen large Illinois nonprofits. Committee Ranking Member Senator Paul (R-KY), on the other hand, alleged fraud by one or more nonprofits, blamed money from Washington and governors who “shut down their economies” for the continuing pleas for more help. Paul seemed hostile to the PPP in general, but did not say whether he would oppose extending it. The prepared testimony of the witnesses is available on the Committee website.

Yesterday, the National Council of Nonprofits posted an updated version of the letter to SBA Administrator Guzman seeking immediate action on several critical and time-sensitive issues related to the PPP. NAO is supportive of these actions and changes.

The Department of Labor issued guidance on Tuesday (UI Program Letter No. 14-21). The guidance on reimbursing employers is on pages 7-8 and basically says “replace 50% with 75%” on DOL’s previous guidance. Note that the starting date for 75% federal coverage is April 10-11, depending on which day is the beginning of the week in various state laws. Our national colleagues are checking to see if there is not a gap in coverage, or if this is just how bureaucrats write things.

A week after introduction, Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representative Sanchez (D-CA) posted this news release explaining S. 740, the WORK NOW Act. The release provides quotes from several of the Senators sponsoring the bill regarding the importance of support to nonprofits in the law, including our own Senator Ron Wyden. 

“Nonprofits have been hit with a one-two punch: giving is down, while demand for services is at an all-time high with millions (of) Americans out of work, or working reduced hours, and struggling to put food on the table,” Wyden said. “Our bill would provide critical resources to overwhelmed nonprofits and help connect them with workers who are unemployed. It's critical that organizations like food banks have both the funding and manpower needed to serve their communities.”

The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced late yesterday that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will be automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021. This extension is for individuals only; it does not delay the due date for Form 990s for nonprofits nor tax filings for other business. Also, the federal tax filing deadline postponement to May 17, 2021, only applies to individual federal income returns and tax (including tax on self-employment income) payments otherwise due April 15, 2021, not state tax payments or deposits or payments of any other type of federal tax. House tax leaders expressed their strong support for the delay.

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.

2021 Oregon Nonprofit Leaders Virtual Conference, Monday, April 12, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. PT: Agenda highlights include sessions on reflective representation and equity, fundraising through uncertainty, and adapting in times of crisis. This conference features nationally and regionally respected keynote speakers, dynamic breakout sessions focused on more specific, locally relevant topics, and opportunities to network face-to-face (virtually) with funders from across our region. A full day of immersive learning, leadership development, and inspiration starts at just $59. Scholarships are available through March 24, and pricing increases March 29. More details and registration here.

Oregon Legislative Update - The Nonprofit Perspective, Wednesday, March 24, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: Join NAO’s Executive Director, Jim White for an update on the 2021 Oregon legislative session with a focus on the bills that NAO believes would have the most impact on nonprofits. With Oregon’s lawmakers nearly halfway through the regular session for 2021 and hundreds of bills already heard, join us for this 60-minute informational session to learn what should nonprofit leaders know, be aware of, and take action on. We will also hear from special guest, Chris Cobey of Voter Service Chair for League of Women Voters of Portland on the redistricting issue. How does redistricting fit into the legislature's work? Why is it important to your nonprofit? And how can you participate, both as an entity and individually, to affect the redistricting process?. This event will be free to NAO members. More details and registration information here.

Strategies for Creating Inclusive Work Environments, Tuesday, March 30, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: Inclusion is about acknowledging and valuing people’s differences so as to enrich or shift social planning, decision making, and quality of life for everyone. In an inclusive society, we all have a sense of belonging, acceptance, and recognition as valued and contributing members of society. How do we apply this to our work environments and programs? Join educator, DEI consultant and expert, Alexis James from Construct the Present for an interactive workshop to talk about putting inclusion into action! Come ready to work in virtual table groups to share your ideas and learn from others. More details and registration information here.

SAVE THE DATE! 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 coming soon!

Building Your Nonprofit Financial Strategy, 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.

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.

How to Build and Support Strong Teams, five Monday weekly interactive sessions – April 9 through May 7, 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. PT: This five-session interactive series will provide you with coaching tools and frameworks, while allowing you practice these with your peers, using real-life challenges that you are facing, working with an experienced executive and leadership coach. Presented by Anna Young, Principal, Anna Young Leadership Coaching, this cohort is designed to be applicable within the remote working environment as well as translate to a return to the workplace context. More details and registration information here.

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.

If you have any questions or difficulties registering, contact NAO's Training Program Coordinator at training@nonprofitoregon.org.