Nonprofits deserve to have access to effective technology just like any other business. We’re recommending a few organizations that provide affordable and discounted deals on both software and hardware.

In addition to having your PPP loan converted into grants, there are other ways your organization can receive funding to wade through COVID-19 and our renewed awareness of racial injustice. Take a look at these grant opportunities with deadlines that are either coming up soon or are being offered on a rolling basis.

Reporting work hours have recently taken on new importance now that many nonprofit employees are working from home. The new overtime rules in Washington State also require all employees, including those who are salaried, to track their hours.

As our country deals with COVID-19, shutdowns, the economic downturn, and racial injustice, people are feeling energized to give back to their communities in any way they can. Sometimes this means working on tasks remotely. In other cases, volunteers can be engaged in-person with adequate provisions for social distancing, screening, and cleaning.

Lawmakers are making it easier to convert Payment Protect Program (PPP) loans into grants. Learn how this can be done and how 501 Commons can assist you in applying for loan forgiveness.

While nonprofits try their best to promote a community-centric approach to achieving their missions, this approach can often neglect another important audience – their employees. Organizations that want to cultivate more loyal and productive employees can do so by offering a service that many of us don’t often think about: Financial education.

Starting in 2020, Washington will be the fifth state to require employers to provide paid family and medical leave (PFML) benefits.

The need to belong is considered an innate feeling among all human beings across all cultures. That also applies to the workplace! Employees who feel like they belong to a larger cause will be more engaged, better connected to the mission, and feel valued.

The fall weather shift is a reminder to determine your public policy agenda and talk to your board about their role in advocacy. Get your staff and board members in contact with legislators before they head back to Olympia in January.

If knowledge is power, then our Data Solutions team can help transform you into a superhero!

Exciting news for nonprofit professionals, executives, board members, interns, students, and volunteers in the Pacific Northwest!

Want the opportunity to talk through common challenges with sympathetic peers? Join us for the next Executive Director Forum on Friday, Oct. 5 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Pacific Tower (Suite #810).

Working on your 2019 budget? Consider the benefits of outsourcing important back office functions to 501 Commons!

In early August, 75+ people attended a workshop with Toren Lewis from the Alliance for Justice on the rules governing nonprofits being engaged in advocacy. The big takeaway was simple: Nonprofits and board members can and should advocate for the causes that matter most to them.

While it may seem like well-funded special interest groups are drowning out citizens in the public policy advocacy space, nonprofits shouldn’t feel like they’re voiceless. With proper strategy and allies, creating lasting change at the local, state, and national levels is possible.