"Executive Alliance infuses the voices of our leaders and our values into community dialogues. It marshals our community's resources and allows nonprofits to rally behind the same banner, speaking with one voice. This past year Executive Alliance has taken important strides toward ensuring that the outstanding leaders of this sector can offer their talents to creating a brighter future for our communities and the people within them."

Greg Vigdor, President, Washington Health Foundation,   

Executive Alliance Past Board Chair 2004-2005

 

Executive Alliance

Accomplishments for 2006-2007

 

Voice and Position

 

Developed relationships with media contacts, resulting in numerous message placements, letters to the editor, background interviews and radio and tv appearances.

Hosted a focus group of Executive Directors for the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Prosperity Partnership recognized by the National Alliance for Regional Stewardship for including “initiatives to ensure a well-educated and adaptable work force, build an effective transportation system, cultivate a strong civic and non-profit community, and preserve and improve the environment."

Nonprofit Partners for Prosperity

  • Taxes:  Washington State Tax Reform:  Involvement in the Prosperity Partnership’s B&O Tax Reform committee, presentation and panel on Tax Reform:  The Leadership Role of the Nonprofit Sector, intensive tax education seminar
  • Affordable Workforce Housing:  Housing stakeholder meetings at the PSRC, collaboration with the Housing Development Consortium and PSRC on focus groups with for-profit, government and nonprofit employers, Rita Ryder to co-chair Prosperity Partnership’s Regional Housing Strategy Working Group.
  • Boards and Commissions:  Survey and extensive research on which boards and commissions to target.
 

Public Policy

Charitable Solicitations Act:  The 2007 Session of the Washington Legislature unanimously adopted changes to RCW 19.09  proposed by a Task Force that drafted legislation to improve the administration of the Charitable Solicitations Act while clarifying grey areas for nonprofits.  Executive Alliance met with Secretary of State Sam Reed and his staff, helped to convene a well-attended “town hall” meeting in Seattle (one of six across the state), and participated in the Task Force.

National Association of State Charities Officials (NASCO) Meeting on Charitable Solicitations: Put Barber co-led a discussion on how to improve registration and reporting reciprocity between states, which would ease requirements for organizations raising money in several states.

National Council of Nonprofit Associations and Independent Sector: Executive Alliance and Nancy Bell Evans Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy co-hosted a local preparatory meeting for the national Nonprofit Congress which collected colleagues’ thoughts about issues facing the field.  Put Barber attended the Nonprofit Congress in DC as a representative from our state.

Washington Congressional Delegation: Executive Alliance hosted a meeting with Washington Congressional Delegation staff from most of the offices early in 2007 to build relationships and improve communications.

Charitable Rollover: Executive Alliance joined many other organizations across the country in urging Congress to extend indefinitely the “charitable rollover” provisions that allow holders of IRAs to draw on these accounts to make contributions without adverse tax consequences.

Public Policy Committee: This part of Executive Alliance’s work was supported by an active group of members with an interest in public policy chaired by Josephine Tamayo Murray.

Nonprofits in Washington: Prepared (with support from Clark Nuber) a 2006 update to statistical information about the numbers and characteristics of nonprofit organizations in our state.

 

Leadership Effectiveness

EA Annual Meeting June 7, 2007
Click here for a copy of new Executive Director Melany Brown's keynote address

Coordinated the 13th Annual Washington Nonprofit Conference. The 2007 conference featured keynote speakers Ralph R. Smith, Senior Vice President, Annie E. Casey Foundation and Marja Brandon, Founding Head, Seattle Girls’ School. Over 400 participants attended a day of insight, education, practical learning and renewal.

 

The 2007 Executive Alliance Leadership Award is an honor presented to a person whose actions exemplify the mission of Executive Alliance.  The award for 2007 is presented to Janis Avery, Executive Director, Treehouse.

 

The 2007 Evergreen Award was presented at the 2007 Washington State Nonprofit Conference to Bridgeways, Master Builders Care Foundation, Washington Trails Association.

2006 Program Partnerships

  • Waldron Program Partnership: “Leader to Leader--In it for the ‘Long Haul’: Reflections on Nonprofit Careers”
  • Collins Group Program Partnership: Washington State Nonprofit Survey Results

Ongoing Programming including Executive Director’s Forum (in partnership with Executive Service Corps),Quarterly Membership Meetings, Peer Coaching Learning Circles and the Year in Review Input Group

Accomplishments for 2005-2006

 

Voice & Position of the Nonprofit Sector

  • Sent 4th Annual Delegation of Nonprofit leaders to Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce Leadership Conference, leading sessions on ‘Quality of Life and Social Capital’.

 

  • Development of Nonprofit Partners for Prosperity (NP3) focusing on Quality of Life and Social Capital through increasing nonprofit leadership on community boards and committees; collaboration on a plan to increase availability of affordable workforce housing; supporting a plan to increase the profile of arts and culture throughout the region; and planning educational sessions for nonprofit leaders on the state of Washington’s tax system.
  • Increased presence in and leadership of the Prosperity Partnership, with nonprofit sector leaders assigned to the Higher Education Steering Committee and the Tax Reform Committee.  Ongoing presence at Partnership Roundtable meetings, bringing nonprofit sector representation to this new approach to economic development for the Puget Sound region.
  • NP3 took a strong stance in opposition to Initiative 912, which sought to repeal the statewide gas tax, demonstrating the capacity of the sector to engage its broad constituency on issues critical to the larger community.
  • Panel participation in “Accountability and Transparency”, a seminar for the nonprofit sector hosted by Puget Sound Business Journal with a parallel column presenting the nonprofits’ perspective.

Public Policy

 

  • Convened statewide nonprofit umbrella groups, professional advisors to nonprofits, and Executive Alliance members to respond to legislative proposals developed by Secretary of State Sam Reed.  After the 2006 proposals were withdrawn, EA continued work to expand the network and cooperate with the Secretary of State to develop new proposals for 2007 that can be widely supported by the sector.

  • Designed and conducted a survey documenting governance practices of Executive Alliance members and found a high level of compliance with the majority of recommendations for nonprofit action that were included in the Independent Sector ‘s report of the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector.
  • Monitored developments affecting nonprofits at both the state and federal levels and provided public policy updates throughout the year.

  • In cooperation with the Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the University of Washington, coordinated the Seattle Field Hearing as part of the stakeholder input process for Independent Sector’s Panel on the Nonprofit Sector.

 

Leadership Enhancement

 

  • 33 new organizations joined Executive Alliance, increasing the diversity of its representation and bringing total membership to 193.

 

  • The Evergreen Award was presented at the 2006 Washington State Nonprofit Conference to the YWCA of King and Snohomish Counties, Casey Family Program, Page Ahead and Executive Service Corps.

 

  • The 2006 Executive Alliance Leadership Award is an honor presented to a person whose actions exemplify the mission of Executive Alliance.  The award for 2006 will be presented to Jan Levy, Executive Director of Leadership Tomorrow. 

  • Coordinated the 12th Annual Washington State Nonprofit Conference For the past 11 years this conference has been the premier gathering of nonprofit leaders, supporters, and board members - converging for a day of insight, education, practical learning and renewal. The 2006 conference which sold out at 350 participants featured keynote speakers Brian Gallagher, United Way of America, Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly and Michael Lipsky of The Demos Center. Linda Nageoote, Executive Alliance Boared Chair gave the Nonprofits Year In Review address.
  • Proceeds from the 12th Annual Nonprofit Conference were given as scholarships to The Nonprofit Leadership Program at Seattle University and The Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington.

  • Program Partnership Presentations and Projects

    Waldron and Company: “Career and Mission Enhancement: Making the Match”

    Moss Adams: “Navigating the Da Vinci Code" of Financial Information”

    The Collins Group: “2005 Washington State Nonprofit Resources Survey”

    Ongoing Membership Meetings, Peer Coaching Learning Circles and Executive Directors Forums.

 


          

Accomplishments 2004-2005

 

Executive Alliance expanded its capacity to carry out its mission 


  • In October of 2004, The Evergreen State Society combined its resources with those of Executive Alliance. TESS' founder and ED Putnam Barber joined EA as a senior consultant; TESS' 175 members became interim members of EA, and EA took on many of the excellent programs previously carried out under TESS.
  • 40 new organizations joined Executive Alliance, increasing the breadth and diversity of its representation.
  • Statewide communications and collaborations continued with organizations supporting nonprofits' work in Tacoma , Vancouver , Spokane and Bellingham . 

Executive Alliance dramatically increased the visibility and involvement of nonprofit leaders in community planning and decision making

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  • EA took on a leadership role within the regional Prosperity Partnership, a four county collaborative effort to develop economic strategies. For more information about the Prosperity Partnership see www.prosperitypartnership.org .
  • 22% of the 1100 participants at a Sept Kick-off forum were representatives of the nonprofit sector.
  • EA director Robbie Rohr was appointed to the Project Management Team.
  • One of the founders of EA, Rita Ryder, was appointed to the Leadership Team along with Mark Emmert, Alan Mulally, Tomio Moriguchi, Brad Smith, Rick Bender, and John Landenburg.
  • EA members were appointed to the cluster groups and were active in the Partnership Roundtable.
  • A foundation initiative on the necessity of a robust nonprofit sector to the region's economic prosperity was developed, as one of 6 issues deemed essential to the region's prosperity. It is included in the Regional Economic Strategy for the Central Puget Sound Region to be approved by the region's Economic Development District Board.
  • EA sent its third annual delegation of nonprofit leaders to the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce Leadership Conference in Vancouver , B.C.
  • The 2004 Nonprofits in Washington 2000 Report online edition wasupdated to provide current data for use by foundations, policy makers, community planners and the media.

 

Executive Alliance took definitive steps to identify and begin to address critical public policy issues impacting the nonprofit sector


  • EA coordinated the development of a public policy platform of action steps necessary to maintain a robust nonprofit sector in the Puget Sound Region that will serve as a foundation for EA's growing public policy role.
  • Members and other nonprofit leaders were convened and informed about activities in Congress focusing on policies and regulations affecting nonprofits; data was collected on members' views for use by national advocacy groups.
  • Proactive steps around the Recommendations to Congress were formulated by the public policy committee.
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Executive Alliance expanded its role in promoting and providing leadership enhancement opportunities and recognition to leaders of the nonprofit sector

 

  • Executive Alliance took on coordination of the 11th Annual Washington State Nonprofit Leadership Conference, with Dr. Paul Light of New York University as keynote speaker. 350 community leaders participated as panelists, presenters and participants. For more information see www.nplconference.org .
  • EA continued its successful leadership enhancement activities through Best Minds Forums, Conversation and Civil Society Gatherings, Peer Coaching Circles, Membership Meetings and collaborations such as the Executive Director Forums, and co-sponsorship of the field meeting on the "Panel on the Nonprofit Sector" hosted by the Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy.
  • The 2005 Annual Executive Alliance Leadership Award was presented to Doreen Cato, Executive Director of First Place , at the Annual Meeting.
  • Evergreen Awards were presented at the Nonprofit Leadership Conference to BikeWorks; Domestic Abuse Women's Network; Healthy Aging Partnership; and Hopelink.
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