Last week the Rasmuson Foundation board of directors met in Anchorage and made no changes to the grantmaking projections that were announced in the beginning of the year. This is good news.

This means that we will again offer sabbaticals to nonprofit and tribal executives. The deadline is October 1, and anyone can nominate a deserving person.

It also means that schools and communities will be given the chance to engage artists and performers through the Arts Education Fund, and that other Arts Initiative programs, including grants to artists, will continue.

Organizations weighing capital campaigns or strategic changes will continue to receive technical support through the Pre-Development Program at the Foraker Group to help them make more informed decisions about capacity and sustainability.

And through the Tier 1 program, communities all over the state will benefit from grants of up to $25,000 for capital items like computers, furniture, equipment and more.

 

In a nutshell, Rasmuson Foundation still expects to pay out nearly $22 million in grant payments and award a similar amount of new Tier 1 grants in 2009 as it did in 2008. As was expected, the Foundation board did not make any new Tier 2 awards over $25,000 last week – choosing instead a conservative path that prioritizes meeting existing obligations to grantees.

While the landscape today has changed for nearly everyone, opportunities to partner with Rasmuson Foundation are still available. We look forward to hearing from you.