At U.S. Bank, we invest our time, resources and passion to build and support vibrant communities that allow every person to work toward their possible. U.S. Bank’s corporate giving and volunteer program is called Community Possible and it focuses our community investments on programs centered on Work, Home and Play. Community Possible is designed to embrace the diversity in our communities. Each organization may only receive one grant per year, and should only apply to one cycle. Please note the application deadlines – if a cycle is missed, eligibility for 2017 funding will not be likely.

​“We’re proud to help local organizations strengthen our communities and look forward to continuing to make Community Possible in 2017 and beyond,” said Kimbra Wellock, U.S. Bank community development manager for Washington and Idaho.

Nestled at the base of Palouse hills, and just inside the city limits of Moscow, Idaho sits the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute Nature Center.

The PCEI Nature Center and the home base for PCEI, is a 26.2-acre haven complete with a mile-long trail looping through the center, up a ridgeline, and down to an orchard. Fingering out from the main trail is a smattering of smaller trails that lead to wetlands, a bicycle pump track, an artist’s studio, and many spectacular views of Moscow and the Palouse region.

The heart of the PCEI Nature Center is the Nancy Taylor Pavilion, a covered area that allows for events and classes; the Waxwing, an education and restoration building; the Perrine House, a 1940s-era mail order cabin that serves as the main office for PCEI. We proudly feature a state-of-the-art, two-room solar powered, rasta block-constructed composting toilet named The Jim LaFortune Memorial Groover.

​PCEI has multiple examples of sustainable living: a sustaining parking lot, a straw bale covered bike shelter, 26 solar panels used to power the facilities as much as possible, rainwater collection, and three buildings feature a living roof.

Welcome to the first Legislative Watch of 2017! The Idaho Nonprofit Center will bring you a quick round up, every two weeks, of issues relevant to Idaho's nonprofit sector.

In This Issue

1. Charitable Deductions Proposal
2. The Johnson Amendment
3. Taking Action
4. State Overtime Final Rule Resources
5. Advocating for your Sector

February is known for its questionable weather patterns, President’s Day sales and last but not least, Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love. For a short month, we sure pack a lot in! 

I love February because it’s the month following our annual Board Retreat and a time when we are really digging into our work at the Idaho Nonprofit Center alongside our amazing board members.

In each nonprofit leadership role I’ve held I’ve always coordinated one annual retreat with my board of directors. It is important to me to convene the board as a group to set the right tone for the year. This is no small task for a statewide organization with board members in north and eastern Idaho, combined with old man winter you can only imagine what might happen!

During our board retreat this year we took the time to get to know each other and did a pretty cool team building activity that also told us a lot about how each of us like to work. If you’ve never done something like this with your board I highly recommend it.

​This year we also included our staff in the board retreat and having our team involved from start to finish was incredibly helpful for us all.