Rasmuson Foundation

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 Iñupiat, 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.

Wonderful to see the continued collaboration of advancing Arctic research. Did you know? One top of being a Program Officer of Strategy, our very own Deborah Vo is also a U.S. Arctic Research Commissioner.

Hello Alaska! We're excited to share our 2023 Annual Letter with you! As we refocus on our core grantmaking, we take a moment to reflect on and celebrate the incredible achievements we and our partners made in 2023. Check out a special message from our President & CEO, Gretchen Guess, and Board Chair Adam Gibbons and download the 2023 Annual Letter here: https://lnkd.in/gi_zeMTF This edition highlights stories from the Sitka Homeless Coalition , Jennifer Busch of Valley Transit, the Fairbanks Drama Association and Fairbanks Children's Theatre, Hoonah Indian Association, Nicolette Corbett (Sew Yup'ik) and Katie O'Connor of Katurte, and the Anchorage Community Land Trust.

“We all deserve a second chance, maybe even a third chance, or whatever — as many chances as we need." — Patricia Kohler The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness (ACEH) has officially moved 177 community members into housing! Read more about the Next Step housing initiative and meet some of the residents in the Anchorage Daily News article below. Special thanks to Emily Goodykoontz for writing.

Thank you to Bettisworth North Architects and Planners Inc. and Anchorage Chamber of Commerce for highlighting the great work of Alaska's nonprofits last night. We had so much fun seeing everyone, let's get back together soon💙! It was so good to see The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF), Alaska Trails, Anchorage Museum, Anchorage Park Foundation, Armed Services YMCA of Alaska, The August Fund, Bean's Cafe, Bird Treatment and Learning Center, Catholic Social Services Alaska, Challenge Alaska, Food Bank of Alaska, The Foraker Group, NORDIC SKIING ASSOCIATION OF ANCHORAGE INC, and Providence Alaska. Special shoutout to Girdie the crow, one of Bird TLC's ambassadors, for making last night extra special.