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- Making space for wellness
- Yes, we have a labor shortage
- American Rescue Plan Act funding opportunities
- Government contracting reform
- How to find reliable information online
- We're redesigning our website!
- Seeking workshop proposals
- Welcome, policy fellows!
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"This is an extraordinary time full of vital, transformative movements that could not be foreseen. It’s also a nightmarish time. Full engagement requires the ability to perceive both."
Rebecca Solnit,
Hope in the Dark
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Letter from our Executive Director
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Dear Nonprofit Colleagues and Allies,
I'll be brief this month and just highlight a few important things from this issue:
Wellness matters! Please do the following: 1) Read the blogpost below and reflect on how to improve wellness for your staff, 2) Mark your calendar and register for Making Space for Nonprofit Wellness on January 11, and 3) Consider signing up to join a webinar on this Friday morning on Navigating Overwhelm and/or receive the recording. This last event is presented by the Kentucky Nonprofit Network as their community recovers from recent tornadoes, and they have kindly extended an invitation for others to join.
If you hold any government contracts, please take our government contracting survey. Between the funding coming to our state through the American Rescue Plan Act and the labor shortage threatening our ability to provide services, we know now is the time to advocate for #justpay and changes to how government contracts work. This information from you will help us set priorities for the coming legislative session.
Thank you for all the good work you have done in 2021. As we close out the year, I hope you are able to enjoy some rest and relaxation. See you in 2022!
Laura Pierce
Executive Director
Washington Nonprofits
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Learning Log: Making Space for Nonprofit Wellness
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As managers, many of us have come to understand that we must actively nurture and support staff wellness and mental health as part of workplace safety and health. We are now faced with dramatic evidence that by not directing attention to mental health, we are unlikely to retain engaged, productive staff teams and volunteers. In an October 2021 article, Mental Health in the Workplace, HelpGuide reported “recent estimates suggest mental health issues cost the global economy $1 trillion annually in lost productivity, absenteeism, and staff turnover.”
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With 2021 coming to a close, reflect on how you are making space for wellness in your life and within your organization. As you look towards the new year, we encourage you to commit to prioritizing mental health in your nonprofit. To support, our team prepared a blogpost focused on some things to think about, and we are hosting a convening on the topic on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 from 2 pm to 3:30 pm.
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Yes, We Have a Labor Shortage
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The National Council of Nonprofits has released results from a national survey focused on the nonprofit labor shortage, including more than 70 responses from Washington State. The results show that 42% of nonprofits had job openings for 20% or more of their positions. The labor shortage has led to a reduction of services for many. 26% of nonprofits have a waitlist more than a month long.
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The survey also focused on the different factors in recruiting and retaining staff. They found a multitude of reasons, but 79% identified salary competition and 23% identified the inability to find childcare.
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Nonprofits have also worked to utilize COVID-related relief. Of those surveyed, 79% utilized the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP), 25% have utilized the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in one way or another (and more ARPA funds will be made available through counties), and 15% utilized the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC).
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The full report covers these as well and many of the priorities nonprofits have identified to help address this ongoing labor shortage in our sector.
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Featured Funding Opportunity: COVID Assistance to Nonprofits in Pacific County
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Pacific County has recently announced that a portion of its federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding has been allocated to provide relief to nonprofits experiencing negative economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. The application period for these funds has opened, and awards will be distributed on a rolling basis until they are exhausted. To be eligible, nonprofit organizations must be:
- located in Pacific County,
- be able to demonstrate a negative economic impact due to COVID-19, and
- submit a signed Form W-9 with their application.
You can visit Pacific County’s website to read the press release and download the application.
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Not in Pacific County? There may still be an ARPA funding opportunity for you! Washington Nonprofits is tracking ARPA funding for nonprofits from private funding sources and government agencies across all levels of government.
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Is Your Rate Out of Date?
Do You Need Your Administrative Costs Covered?
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Many nonprofits receive revenue from government contracts, and there are problems with the way these contracts are administered. Let’s come together to change some of the rules and advocate for fair rate increases and contract terms.
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Washington Nonprofits wants to understand your experience with government contracts in Washington and what policy solutions we can move forward to support you and make nonprofit work easier. We have a short survey that will take less than 10 minutes to complete and will help us to work towards real reform of our government contracting in Washington.
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We have heard from so many nonprofits about problems related to contracting with federal, state, and local governments. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey and help us to understand how to make a difference for you!
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Nonprofit FAQ: How Do I Know I'm Getting Reliable Information?
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Q: I’m trying to submit my annual report, but this website is asking me to pay for a subscription. What’s going on?
A: We’ve all become more aware of the dangers of misinformation. Unfortunately, the nonprofit sector is not exempt from scams, rumors, and false statements. Some simple ways to judge a website's trustworthiness are:
- Check the URL
- Scroll past the ads in your search results
- Go to trusted sources first
We recommend our go-to websites on the blog.
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We're Redesigning Our Website!
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Are you a web developer or do you know an amazing web developer here in Washington? We want to hear from you!
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Washington Nonprofits is redesigning our website in 2022 and we currently have an open RFP. Please feel free to share that link or submit a proposal yourself. The deadline for submission is January 5, 2022. Vendors in Washington state are preferred. The linked RFP has the full details and submission guidelines.
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Seeking Workshop Proposals
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At the 2022 Washington State Nonprofit Conference, we will explore the theme “Discovering a New Way.” The COVID-19 pandemic continues to push us to discover new ways of being and new ways of serving our communities. The pandemic’s path remains uncertain. As nonprofit leaders, we should look ahead with openness to change as well as support and encouragement of each other to try new things.
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We invite you to put forward the topic and approach you feel nonprofits most need to connect with today. We are particularly interested in hearing voices from across Washington. If you are a consultant, we encourage to you include the voices of nonprofit staff or other practitioners in your presentation.
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Find details about the proposal process and our recording of "Ways to get involved with the Washington State Nonprofit Conference" on our website.
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Community Engagement: 2021 Status Report
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This is an exciting time as we recently launched our Slack Community. We are also in the process of reviewing applications for our first cohort of Equity Ambassadors. So how did we get here? Read on to learn how we partnered with racial equity strategy firm, Necessary Interruptions, and used a Design Thinking Approach to develop the Community Engagement program.
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Washington Nonprofits would like formally to welcome our two newest members of the team, Anna Kelsey and Davon Thomas! Anna and Davon will be helping to represent our nonprofit sector as our policy fellows.
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 Davon Thomas comes from Sacramento, CA where he most recently served as a California Senate Fellow for California State Senator, Dr. Richard Pan. There, he staffed education and social welfare policy and successfully carried a labor dispute bill. Previously, he attended University of California, Santa Cruz where he obtained his B.A in American History. During his time there, he served as Vice President of External Affairs and President of his student body focusing on campus safety, student wellness, and Title IX reform. Currently, he is obtaining his Masters in Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance. When he’s not fighting for equitable systems, you can find him on the phone with his grandma and mom, playing video games, feeding his cats, and watching ample amounts of TV & movies.
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 Anna Kelsey joined Washington Nonprofits as a Policy Fellow in November 2021. With nonprofit experience spanning direct service, development, finance, and operations, she is excited to support the work of Washington Nonprofits in strengthening government-nonprofit partnerships and advocating for public policy that enables nonprofits to carry out their missions. Alongside her work, she is passionate about organizational culture and how to create supportive and accessible workplaces. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Boston University and a Master of Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington. A true PNWer, she loves the outdoors and obsessing over her dog, Velma.
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Welcome, New & Renewing Members
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Welcome to all the organizations that joined or renewed as members of Washington Nonprofits in the last month:
From Aberdeen to Zillah, from animal protection to youth development, you all inspire us! The work you do is so important. Thank you for being part of the Washington Nonprofits community!
Not yet a member or has your membership expired? Join or renew today.
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Enjoy a 50-second video of a beautiful jellyfish with chill music from National Geographic on YouTube. It looks like a firework exploding in slow motion and has nothing to do with anything.
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