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Photo by Daniel Parkhurst, Director of Policy & Communications from the Seattle snow at Gasworks Park.
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Dear Nonprofit Colleagues,
Yet another month of navigating change, enduring continuing uncertainty, witnessing tragedy. Whatever you are feeling, it's normal. Most of us are experiencing a mix of grief, loss, outrage, frustration, exhaustion, and depression. These are intermixed with hope, gratitude, joy, and awe.
Many of us may be in positions where we are expected not only to ride our own roller coaster, but to help others--family members, friends, co-workers, and clients – as they also struggle emotionally. You are not alone. Seek support if you need it – this is a difficult time and it may be time to put on your oxygen mask.
Wishing you wellness,
Laura
Laura Pierce
Executive Director,
Washington Nonprofits
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Your need to follow new developments related to the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in Washington State will vary depending on the type of nonprofit you work or volunteer at. If you provide direct services to a vulnerable population such as elders, people with disabilities, or people experiencing homelessness, you are undoubtedly concerned for the people you serve as well as your organization’s staff and volunteers who are providing those services. If your public services have been disrupted and/or your staff are all working from home in relative safety, you are probably interested more as an individual and part of a team that you care about, but your need to be vaccinated may be lower. Or, perhaps you are an activist? I am grateful for the many advocates who are working tirelessly to speak up regarding the needs of people at higher risk of illness or death and communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Here are some general things to know and ways you can get involved if this work aligns with your mission. You can learn more by joining us for a nonprofit community forum hosted by Washington Nonprofits on Thursday, March 4: COVID-19 & Nonprofits: Vaccines.
There are many issues related to vaccine access, such as:
- You may want to know and/or influence who is prioritized to receive vaccines, locations and how appointments are scheduled. Updated information on eligibility and vaccine locations is available from the Washington State Department of Health. If your community is facing access difficulties or is disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, you can consider joining the COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Collaborative, a state effort to incorporate community voice into decision-making.
- Nonprofits have a role to play in sharing reliable, accurate information about vaccine safety. In the coming weeks, Washington Nonprofits and others will be sharing out strategies and tools for messaging communities regarding vaccines as they become available from partners. Funding is available to nonprofits who are doing community outreach to highly impacted populations, but all of us can help with this effort.
- You may be in the thick of it, providing vaccines. If so, thank you! And even if you aren’t a healthcare provider, you can consider if your site is well-suited to partner in hosting a pop-up vaccination clinic. This might make sense if you are trusted by and able to rally a vulnerable population. If you are interested in this option, contact your county health department to explore it. We hear that 100% of costs associated with hosting a vaccination clinic will be reimbursed by the CDC, but you may need to ask about this to ensure you that your partner will value your outreach work and help you receive this funding.
- You may just be wondering how the rollout of vaccines might affect workplace safety or when non-essential staff can return to the office. What policies will your organization need to have in place? Can you require your staff to be vaccinated? Good questions! We have invited several experts to join us for COVID-19 & Nonprofits: Vaccines on March 4. There will be time or Q&A as well as sharing by a nonprofit that is doing community outreach.
There have been some important community discussions happening about ethics. We are learning all the ways that privileged people are finding to “jump the line” and get their vaccines before they qualify according to state guidelines. It was particularly concerning to hear that several nonprofit hospitals in the Seattle area sent a special invitation to major donors to get vaccinated. This action and others like it have been condemned by the professional fundraising community.
Meanwhile, some of us may not fully comprehend the toll this disease is taking on Black, Indigenous, Pacific Islander and Latinx communities in Washington. These communities are dramatically more likely to be essential workers, to live in crowded conditions, to contract COVID-19 and to die from it (statistics here). While the primary barrier to these communities being vaccinated are access issues and vaccine availability, it is also understandable that some folks are hesitant to be vaccinated given the racist history of US medicine.
We are all learning together, and at Washington Nonprofits we will continue to share our learnings with the nonprofit community. If you have questions or relevant information not mentioned here, please reach out to let us know.
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Scholarship Application is LIVE
Thanks to partnerships with our sponsors and funders, we are able to offer a limited number of scholarships for the 2021 Washington State Nonprofit Conference. The application takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Recipients pay only $25 (a $175 discount) to attend the main conference from May 17 through 21. Scholarships do not include Deep Dive sessions.
Washington Nonprofits is committed to creating a conference that represents Washington state's vibrant diversity including but not limited to: racial diversity, ethnic diversity, gender identity, socioeconomic and geographic status, sexual orientation, ability, citizenship status, language, religion, and national origin, among other identities.
Priority funding is given to:
- Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
- emerging leaders, and
- small and rural organizations.
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By Daniel Parkhurst (Director of Policy and Communications)
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As we enter February, Washington is well underway in our Legislative Session. We are moving forward with a possible budget that will help to protect nonprofits throughout our state, but we need your help to ensure that Nonprofit Voices are heard. If you can, we ask that support nonprofits in 2021 by engaging in our Nonprofit Voices campaign.
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Please help Legislators to understand the vital role nonprofit play to recovery of our communities and of our sector. This campaign has step-by-step guides for setting up a meeting with your legislator, sample scripts for your meeting, and best practices for engaging in meetings. If you have any questions or would like any help, please let us know!
These efforts are especially important as Congress continues to negotiate around additional COVID Relief. This relief will play a critical role in supporting Washington and our nonprofit sector by providing support to states directly, as well as numerous other supports nonprofits need to succeed. If you would like to learn more about the COVID Relief, we have been updating this post to make sure you have the latest available information.
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Each day, Washington Nonprofits' Administrative Assistant, Erika Bentley Holland, answers the questions you send to info@washingtonnonprofits.org. Here, she provides answers to some of your questions.
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Question:
We are holding an online silent auction, and have already amassed a number of wine/liquor donations. I was referencing this document to figure out what special licensing we need, if any, to be able to sell alcohol at our silent auction. Much of the information is specific to live, in-person events and restrictions on serving, but we will of course not be serving. Is there any information you can provide me about documentation/licensing we will need to sell alcohol?
Answer: This is a common concern for nonprofits, as we all try to transition our fundraisers to virtual platforms. Luckily, the good people at the WA State Liquor & Cannabis Board have responded by adjusting the rules. You can now engage in online silent auctions of alcohol if the following parameters are followed:
- The non-profit organization obtains a special occasion license from the WSLCB;
- Each online silent auction must not exceed one 7-day week in length;
- The alcohol to be auctioned must be located at the non-profit organization’s office or headquarters;
- The non-profit organization directly collects the money from the sale of alcohol;
- The winners of the online silent auction are announced during the licensed period – (through a moderator in real time, or electronic notifications); and
- Alcohol is picked up by the winners at the non-profit organization’s office or headquarters, or is shipped from this location directly to the winner’s address**. ID must be checked upon delivery or pick-up to ensure the customer is 21 or older.
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Got a question? Send it to info@washingtonnonprofits.org
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By Tom Lang (Director of eLearning) and Jennifer Chang (Director of Learning)
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 Washington Nonprofits would like to warmly welcome our newest team member, Alex Panagotacos, Director of Community Engagement!
Alex has worked in several different facets of the nonprofit world including direct service, volunteer management, grant writing, grant making, coalition coordination and community organizing. She holds a BA in Fine Art with an emphasis in Education from the University of San Francisco. Alex earned her Masters in Applied Arts & Sciences and Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
In her personal time, Alex enjoys birdwatching, playing soccer, and drawing. Alex lives in the woods near Spokane with her partner and their two dogs: Waffle and Jasper.
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Serve Washington invites you to share your volunteer stories and help inspire service across the state. These stories should highlight the individuals, organizations, and communities making an impact—from neighbors lending a hand, to the community activists and the AmeriCorps or Senior Corps who make a difference every day, especially in 2020.
Serve Washington will feature selected stories on social media during the month of April to coincide with National Volunteer Week.
Submit your stories by March 1.
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The Grouse - The Most Controversial Bird in the West
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The Washington Nonprofits staff team has a book club. We read and discuss equity-related books and articles. This month, we picked a podcast series that features a rural concern, the Sage Grouse. Sage Grouse habitat is threatened by ranching, fracking, and wildfires. Talking about these issues reminds us how complex it is to balance competing priorities.
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