Photo description: Rasmuson Foundation board of directors and family met with the Alaska Songbird Institute in Fairbanks during the June 2026 board meeting.

Rasmuson Foundation may be a little unusual among private family foundations when it comes to board meetings. Our board is made up of six family directors and six local community members who represent communities from all over the state; eleven out of twelve directors either currently live in or grew up in Alaska.

Our full board meets only twice a year, but when we do, we make the most of our time together. Meetings last for three to four days, and board directors spend 12 to 15 hours each day in meetings, in the community, or simply spending time together. It makes for long days, but they’re designed that way. Building trust takes time, and that trust makes all the difference when it’s time to make important decisions together as a board.

Each board meeting includes intentional time for our board directors to connect with each other, with our state’s communities, and with the Foundation’s mission: to empower Alaskans to help each other.

In the summer, we hold our board meetings outside of Anchorage, in different locations across the state. It’s an opportunity for the board to foster connections with local nonprofit and tribal organizations, invest in communities, and attend site visits. These site visits allow board directors to be in community with Alaskans doing the great work that makes our state better.

Even lunch has a purpose. At our twice-yearly board meetings, we invite Alaska experts to join us and spark conversations and learning about issues that matter to our state. This July, we spent time learning from experts on fish and the state of Alaska’s fisheries.

We also make time to celebrate our partners and their work. Those moments reflect our values just as much as the meetings themselves. They strengthen the directors’ connection to the people and places we serve, making the work in the boardroom even more meaningful.

And then there’s dominoes.

A tradition started by the family board directors, dominoes has become the unofficial way to end almost every day. New directors learn the game, and before long, they’re gathered around the table laughing and playing well into the evening.

We don’t see these moments as extras. Because our board meets only twice a year, dominoes, shared meals, and casual conversations are an important part of how we build relationships.

Those relationships carry into the boardroom. The trust built during site visits makes difficult conversations easier. The stories shared over dinner spark new perspectives. Even a game of dominoes helps directors better understand one another.

In the end, all of it helps create deeper conversations, stronger decisions, and a board that’s better equipped to serve Alaska.