Hello Nonprofit Leaders and Supporters,
We have some great news to share! Senator Wyden, one of our two Senators and the Chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, has publicly stated he is for the restoration of the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC). His public support helped pave the way for a bill in both the House and Senate to restore this important relief for nonprofits. In 2021, many nonprofits made use of the ERTC which is a refundable payroll tax credit that provides economic relief to organizations that were shut down or lost revenue during the pandemic. Unfortunately, in November 2021, Congress retroactively ended the ERTC on September 30, 2021. The early expiration of the ERTC created real budget problems for nonprofits that had planned to receive the tax credit for the fourth quarter of 2021. This is a topic that NAO has been working on with our colleague state associations and national partner since the ERTC was discontinued.
We were very happy to note that there was specific mention in several news articles of the letter that NAO worked with the National Council of Nonprofits to organize and many of you signed as being one of the factors in Wyden’s decision.
Thank you to all the nonprofits that signed on to the letter. This is the power of our nonprofit network advocating for good! NAO will be organizing a session coming soon on how to make use of the ERTC for your organization.
Also, please join me and a panel of nonprofit public policy experts next week for a dive into several of the important bills being considered in the Oregon legislature this session. The “Short Session” as it is called, is power-packed and intense this time around and there is a lot at stake for the communities we serve. Please click through to the registration (it’s free!) and be a part of our sector’s advocacy!
Stay healthy and be safe,
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Jim White
NAO Executive Director
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NAO is excited to be adding a full-time, regular, exempt position to steer NAO important public policy efforts. 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.
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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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Supporting Nonprofit Capacity: A Survey
We are working with the Building Movement Project (BMP) to launch a survey that aims to collect insights on the challenges and capacity supports available to nonprofit leaders as they pursue their organization’s mission. If you haven't done so already, please share your thoughts, experiences, challenges, and needs as a nonprofit
executive.
WHO: This survey is for nonprofit executives (like you!)
WHEN: The survey will close on March 4, 2022
WHY: Your insights will help us identify and increase the capacity supports available to nonprofit leaders
The survey should take about 15-20 minutes to complete, and all participants can choose to enter a raffle to win a $100 Visa gift card! If you have any questions or concerns about the survey, please feel free to reach out.
Letters of Inquiry Virtual Workshop
Are you looking to improve your grant writing skills? Our friends at Willamette Valley Development Officers and Grant Professionals Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington are offering a Letter of Inquiry workshop on March 3rd from 1 – 4 p.m. (PT). Don't miss out on this valuable workshop to gain practical experience in grant writing and receive feedback on letters of inquiry from volunteer professional grant writers, foundation partners, and other participants of this program. For more information, click here.
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Oregon Is Scheduled To Lift Indoor Mask Mandate
Oregon’s indoor mask mandate is set to be lifted no later than March 31, a move that was announced by the state Monday. But OHSU’s lead data scientist Peter Graven says it’s still important wear masks between now and then. Graven’s COVID-19 projections show that if the mask mandate were lifted today, hospitalizations would continue to rise. It is important to note that Oregon hospitals are still struggling to provide care for everyone who needs it. Today at 11:00 a.m., the Oregon Health Authority held a press conference that addressed the status of the pandemic in Oregon. You can watch that here.
Oregon Wildfire Recovery
Oregon will receive $262 million in wildfire recovery funding for federal forests. Senators Wyden and Merkley supported the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act of 2021, which passed in September with more than a billion dollars in funding for recovery efforts after wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters. Senator Merkley said the additional wildfire recovery funds announced Wednesday are a direct result of his work as chairman of an appropriations subcommittee that makes decisions on funding the Forest Service. You can read the statement from Senator Wyden here.
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Appropriations
On Wednesday, the lead negotiators for the House and Senate Appropriations Committees reached agreement on how much Congress will spend in discretionary spending for Fiscal Year 2022 which began on Oct. 1. The next step is for the 24 subcommittees in the two chambers to draft legislation that allocates the total amounts designated for spending within their jurisdictions. Whether they can get their work done in the next three weeks – before the next CR expires (see next item) – is yet to be determined. Another stopgap measure may be needed, but this first agreement on the “top-line spending number” is an important milestone.
On Tuesday, the House passed the new Continuing Resolution (H.R. 6617) that will keep federal government open until March 11. The vote was 272 to 162, with most senior Republicans joining all but one Democrat to pass the measure. One would hope that this bipartisan vote would signal no-drama passage in the Senate. We can hope!
The reason this matter to nonprofits is that funding levels for programs typically performed by charitable nonprofits are not the only concern in the congressional negotiations and machinations. Continuing Resolutions cannot include the billions of dollars of “congressionally directed spending” (commonly called “earmarks”) that many nonprofits have secured by lobbying their Representatives and Senators. Those can only ride on appropriations bills. Also, a likely Omnibus spending bill – a massive measure that includes all or most of the 12 appropriations bills – can serve as a vehicle for pandemic relief for nonprofits and others. Therefore, much of the nonprofit policy agenda is on hold as appropriators negotiate.
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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 (Free!)
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 free 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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NAO Webinar
Exploring Disability Justice and Increasing Accessibility
February 23, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Presenters: Kate Williams and Nicole Langpap, Disability Equity Center
Join Kate and Nicole from the Disability Equity Center (DEC) as they explain the basic principles of Disability Justice work and explore ways to increase your understanding of accessibility. This interactive training offers a safe and engaging space to learn in the community about ways to be a Disability affirming and more inclusive organization. Leave with some practical tools to increase universal access and better connect with the disability community. 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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