Highest In The State: One In Every Four Copper Valley People Works For A Nonprofit

 COUNTRY JOURNAL REPORT 

NONPROFITS ARE MAJOR EMPLOYERS 

IN THE COPPER RIVER VALLEY 

34% Of Wages Produced By Nonprofits 

Copper Valley Ties Bethel For Percentage

Of People Working For Nonprofits 

A Quarter Of All Copper Valley Workers 

Are Employed By A Nonprofit 

Over A Third of Local Income Is From Working In A Nonprofit 

The percentage of people working for nonprofits in the Copper River Valley is very close to being the highest in the state. Figures for the valley show that there are at least 60 nonprofit organizations in Copper River Country. 

The latest figures, taken in 2023, show 26% of people here worked for a nonprofit in the Copper Valley. Their wages made up 34% of total wages for the region — or a third of all household income.

The figures are published by the Foraker Group on its website. 

The Foraker Group is a support and information system for Alaska nonprofits. It publishes charts showing how various communities' interactions with nonprofits – as a source of employment – stack up.

Laurie Wolf, CEO of the Foraker Group explained in a Journal March 10th, 2025 interview, that "every Alaskan is touched by a nonprofit, no matter how you go about your day. For some people, it's by the very nature of turning on your lights."

She explained, "Nonprofits fill a gap government can't or won't. Nonprofits serve a purpose." Nonprofits provide vital services that are not available through other means – for example medical care.

Some Copper Valley residents might be surprised to learn that the Copper Valley is so heavily dependent on nonprofits for wages. Only Bethel (with 28% of total worker percentiles) is fractionally higher. 

SAMPLING OF OTHER COMMUNITIES IN ALASKA 

Other places show a much lower percentage of nonprofit participation. That's because they have a government. Fairbanks has only one in a hundred people working for nonprofits. The Kenai Peninsula has 12% nonprofit employment. Juneau has 9%. The Chugach Census Area, which includes Valdez and Cordova, has a 9% percentile rate of nonprofit workers. 

The Foraker Group says that the number of nonprofits listed for the Copper Valley – sixty – is a minimum. People undoubtedly also use nonprofits from other surrounding communities, she said.

Laurie Wolf said she did not know how many local nonprofits in the Copper Valley were federally funded. "The state doesn't keep track." 

LOOKING BACK TO 1987

Although the exact names of all 60 nonprofits currently providing services in the Copper Valley are not readily available, in 1987 the Country Journal printed a list of the 32 nonprofits in the valley at the time. 

These names give a glimpse of the types of services – some now gone and some still here – that are considered to be "nonprofits."

The 1987 nonprofit services included the Copper Center Volunteer Fire Department, Copper Center Safe Water Corporation,  Copper River EMS, Copper Valley Community Library, Glennallen Community Chapel, Glennallen Volunteer Fire Department, Kenny Lake Community League, Slana Community Food Bank, CRNA, Wrangell Mt. TV & Radio Club, and others.