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Senate bill would fund single nonprofit navigator in Department of Commerce
Summary
Sen. Cheryl Kagan proposed creating a single nonprofit navigator position in the Maryland Department of Commerce to help the state’s 40,000+ nonprofit organizations find grants, payments and agency contacts; bill supporters said the post would be low-cost and provide parity with an existing small-business navigator.
Sen. Cheryl Kagan on Thursday asked the Senate Finance Committee to create a single nonprofit navigator position in the Maryland Department of Commerce to help nonprofits find grants, resolve payment delays and identify the correct state contacts.
Kagan said the state’s nonprofit sector employs roughly 13–14% of the workforce and that a single “GPS” navigator could save time for organizations that lack staff capacity. “For the 40,000 plus nonprofits in the state of Maryland … one person can provide support and assistance,” Kagan said.
Henry Bogdan, policy director of Maryland Nonprofits, said his association fields many calls from groups seeking the right agency contact and that the position would create “a more efficient line of communication.” Richard Reinhart of Percy Public Affairs said nonprofits across the state — from the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad to local YMCAs — rely on state and federal pass-through funds and need help identifying eligibility for particular programs.
Kagan told the committee the fiscal note for the position was under $100,000 annually and said she drafted an amendment to make the bill an emergency measure so the Commerce Department could hire within the fiscal year. She also said the Commerce Department already operates a small‑business navigator and that the nonprofit post would be modeled on that office.
Committee members asked how the navigator would be publicized and how the office would interact with existing comptroller and agency processes for prompt payment. Kagan said Commerce would post the contact on its website and that Maryland Nonprofits and legislators would help spread the word. Senator Reedy asked who would find or identify the navigator; Kagan said Commerce would do outreach and the department had agreed to the concept in principle.
No formal action was recorded during the hearing. The bill closed after supporters finished testimony and committee members questioned the witnesses.
The proposal remains a legislative request at the committee stage; the committee did not take a vote during this hearing.
