Description
The Alaska Fund is a flexible endowment to meet the ever-changing needs of Alaska. While no one can predict what the future will hold, Alaskans can ensure that generations to come will have philanthropic resources to address emerging needs and opportunities. Now more than ever, nonprofits across the state need our support, and the Alaska Fund is an easy and efficient way to make a difference.
Gifts of all levels help this philanthropic endowment grow and enable it to reach more people across the state.
Grantmaking
On an annual basis, the ACF Board determines the distribution rate from the endowment. It is generally between 4% and 5% and has been around 4.5% for the past several years.
ACF has a Programs and Grants Committee that looks into the greatest needs around the state in determining how the Alaska Fund will be used. They may consult with advisory board members at local community foundation Affiliates for input. For the last several years, grants have been made to organizations that meet basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, and services for those in need and to teen suicide prevention efforts.
Recent examples of grantees
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- United Way of Anchorage for their emergency cold weather overflow shelter
- Rural Alaska Community Action Program for a program to house homeless families
- Fairbanks Community Food Bank
- Safe and Fear-Free Environment, a shelter in Dillingham for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault
- Mabel T Caverly Senior Center to support the emergency services program for seniors
- Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival for music therapy programs in Newtok and Martarvik
- Metlakatla Indian Community for intergenerational food preservation and sharing
- Women in Safe Homes (Ketchikan) for a youth peer education group
- Covenant House Alaska for youth developed suicide prevention posters
- Communities In Schools of Juneau for trauma-informed education training
- AURORA (Mat-Su Valley) for youth-focused equine-assisted psychotherapy sessions
Fee
The Alaska Community Foundation charges a .5% fee to administer the fund and carry out annual grantmaking. Beyond the fee, ACF does not use the Alaska Fund to cover operating expenses. People who want to leave a personal or family legacy can create a named Alaska Fund, e.g., the John and Jane Doe Alaska Fund. Grants from the named fund will be awarded in the same way as The Alaska Fund.