CalNonprofits proposes state Office of Nonprofit Empowerment to coordinate government partnerships

The California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits) proposed creating a permanent Office of Nonprofit Empowerment inside state government to centralize technical assistance, interagency coordination, and policy recommendations for nonprofit–government partnerships.

"We need better infrastructure within state government and nonprofits really need a voice in state government," Jeff Green, CEO of Cal Nonprofits, told the committee. He said a small, focused staff could provide a centralized point of contact for nonprofits, offer training on advanced payments and prompt payment practices, and develop policy recommendations to normalize best practices across agencies.

CalNonprofits proposed the office perform three core functions: serve as a single contact and technical-assistance hub; conduct policy research and provide recommendations on procurement, grant-making, and equitable reimbursement practices; and convene agencies to align contracts and training across programs. Green suggested a modest staff — "a small but mighty group" — could begin the work and that normalizing advanced payments and prompt reimbursements would expand access to state contracts for smaller and under-resourced organizations.

Committee members asked about cost and near-term steps. Witnesses and advocacy groups told the committee there are intermediate steps short of full statutory creation — pilot programs, agency modeling of advanced-pay practices, and targeted interagency sharing of successful practices — that could be pursued while legislative options are developed.

No formal action or vote was taken at the hearing.