Rasmuson Foundation

Happy Friday! The next nonprofit in our Passion to Purpose series is Anchorage re:MADE! Founded by mother-daughter duo Jenny and Patti, re:MADE repurposes resources and supports local entrepreneurs, artists, and volunteers.

Up next in our Passion to Purpose video series is the Korean American Community of Anchorage, Inc.! Since 1974, they have been serving their community through a variety of programming, including an academy for seniors and cultural events.

As we approach Philanthropy Day, we are reminded of our incredible partners across Alaska. Thank you for your dedication and allowing us to be part of your work. In this month's letter from Gretchen, our president and CEO, she celebrates the power of giving and our partnerships and shares more about the Foundation's true "love language." Read more on https://lnkd.in/gHzPYVP9

This month, we’re highlighting partners like you who are making a difference in the community in so many different ways. Introducing new our series: Passion to Purpose??. We hope you enjoy it! First up is the Alaska Zoo, its origins and work in nurturing orphaned animals.

In this month's letter from our CEO Gretchen Guess, she talks about the new Community Support (up to $250,000) and Legacy grants (exceeding $250,000), formerly known as Tier 2. She shares how the Louden Tribe and the Hoonah Indian Association used their Tier 2 grants, at the Community Support funding level, to confront systemic issues facing their communities. In 2023, the Louden Tribe received a $130,000 grant to upgrade the local pool and activity center and the Hoonah Indian Association received a $250,000 grant to build a greenhouse and commercial kitchen.

Our program officers Samona and Jimael had a wonderful time in meeting with partners Kotzebue! Thank you to Alaska Commission on Aging, Northwest Arctic Heritage Center, Aqqaluk Trust, Boys & Girls Club of Kotzebue, Nikaitchuat Ilisagviat, Nunakins Child Care, Maniilaq Association, Native Village of Kotzebue, and the City of Kotzebue for spending time with our team members and sharing your work.

Reflecting on our Grantmakers Tour of Alaska, we are so grateful for our partnerships across the state. To be invited into communities and have our conversations and activities led by members of each allowed us and our traveling partners to gain a deeper understanding of the real and unique needs Alaskans face. This was a year of firsts for us. It was the first year that we began and ended in the Golden Heart City of Fairbanks, a hospitable base camp that shined for its positive energy, community camaraderie, and innovation. It was a first for us to have a tour partner with the University of Alaska Foundation, which showcased why it’s important to prioritize and invest in Arctic leadership from Alaska. We spotted musk oxen, toured Norton Sound Health Corporation, visited the Port Of Nome, and met with The Voice of the Arctic I?upiat, KAWERAK INC, and Ilisagvik College, we jumped in the Arctic Ocean and were welcomed back to Fairbanks for an evening spent with new and old friends representing the organizations from Alaska’s Interior that are continuing the tradition of helping other Alaskans. Thank you to the many community members who took the time to host and educate us, the grantmakers who traveled with us to Nome and Utqiagvik to learn more about life in Alaska, and to the University of Alaska for their continued effort to develop Alaska's future leaders.

Connecting in Action: As members of the Choose Anchorage Talent working group, we were joined in our office today by business, labor, government agency, and nonprofit leaders to explore ways to better coordinate efforts to support service members transitioning from the military to the Anchorage workforce. Thank you, Anchorage Economic Development Corporation and Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, among many others, for leading these conversations and bringing the community together.?

With the excitement of core grant programs reopening this year, we're reminded of the impact of so many organizations around the state. While often celebrated for providing big financial investments, we’re humbled by the work of our partners, who make big impacts with small changes. Special thank you to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Seldovia Public Library, and Alaska SPCA for sharing their stories with us.

“The letters of the Yup’ik language, they relate to something in our culture, like you won’t see a coloring book that has fry bread in it... And so it’s images from a part of who we are as Alaska Natives.” — Nikki Corbett Check out NPR's story on how artists Nikki Corbett of Bethel and Katie O’Connor of Nome teamed up to create the first Yup'ik alphabet coloring book. Nikki and Katie received a 2023 Individual Artist Award as the artist collective Katurte, which means "to come together" in Yup’ik.