AK: Not For Profit

In the state of Alaska, we have one nonprofit organization for every 77 people. No joke. So this week we take a look at Alaska’s Not-For-Profits, and find out why so many? Plus, plaintiffs from the Exxon Valdez case who are hoping for a profit — or at least a payback — and a Windy City report from the Chiditarod. All that and more this week on AK, heard statewide on local APRN stations statewide.


Last Resort Animal Shelter
Kathy and Dave Ingallinera’s no-kill facility for abused, neglected and homeless dogs is one of Alaska’s 6,000 nonprofit organizations. In Sitka, Melissa Marconi Wentzel paid a visit.

Alaska’s Not For Profits: The Ins and Outs
Did you know Alaska has one nonprofit organization for every 77 adults? AK host Rebecca Sheir speaks with Dennis McMillian, president of the Foraker Group — an organization dedicated to helping Alaska’s non-profits grow stronger — for some facts and figures on Alaska’s not-for-profit scene.

  • Break: “You Never Give Me Your Money” performed by George Benson from The Best

Exxon Payback
The United States Supreme Court has heard oral arguments in the case against ExxonMobil, the oil giant involved in the 1989 Prince William Sound oil spill. If Exxon loses, commercial fishermen and Alaska Native subsistence harvesters hurt by the spill will receive, if not a profit, then at least a sizeable payback… if time, inflation and the IRS don’t take their toll first. AK’s Ellen Lockyer has the story.

300 Villages
Sand Point
Savoonga

  • Calendar of Events (“Money for Nothing” performed by Johnny “Guitar” King from Pop Masters, Vol. 2: Johnny “Guitar” King – EP)

Chiditarod
Some cities — like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — are racing their own version of the Iditarod, and putting an urban spin on the traditional sled and dog team setup. They’re doing it in the name of charity… and fun. In Chicago, Ashley Gross brings us this report from the “Chiditarod.”

Mushing For a Cause
For mushers racing in the real Iditarod, it’s a little more than a fun, pre-spring pick-me-up; it’s a passion, one that takes grueling, hard work. And while many mushers say it can be a selfish pursuit, plenty of them are also racing for a charitable cause – like Bruce Linton, Cindy Gallea, Karen Ramstead and former racer Mike Williams. AK’s Jessica Cochran speaks with Mike Williams.

  • Break: “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” performed by Django Reinhardt from Memorial

The Tides and the Tempest
Juneau’s Glacier Valley Elementary School recently won the Kennedy Center’s Creative Ticket National School of Distinction Award, for doing an outstanding job of incorporating the arts in their curriculum. A key to earning that honor was a student production of The Tides and the Tempest, by local playwright and screenwriter Dave Hunsaker. AK’s Scott Burton attended a rehearsal.

Would You Like Fries With That?
Anchorage resident Sam Johnson has been performing her own charitable, nonprofit service for years: several times a week, for complete strangers, at the fast food drive through. (Music from Pay It Forward – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Thomas Newman)

Individual Philanthropy
When it comes to individuals giving to nonprofits, Alaska often ranks last in national surveys. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t givers among us. AK’s Rebecca Sheir speaks with a few, including Tlisa Northcutt and Krista Scully of the Alaska Women’s Giving Circle and Representative Bill Thomas, who’s sponsoring a bill that would enable PFD applicants to donate their check directly to charity.

Your Comments & Letters
A semi-regular segment featuring your two cents about the show. To send in your comments and letters, email us at ak@aprn.org (Music: “Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me” played by John Pizzarelli from One Night With You – The John Pizzarelli Collection)

  • Closing: “Love For Sale” performed by Stephane Grappelli from Parisian Thoroughfare
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