Little Hoover Commission: institutionalize leadership and data to strengthen public-philanthropic partnerships
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Summary
The Commission’s report says California’s public-philanthropic partnerships have mobilized roughly $18 billion since 2019 and recommends making the governor’s senior advisor permanent, expanding partnership liaisons, creating a centralized legislative contact for philanthropy, and improving monitoring and evaluation.
The Little Hoover Commission urged state leaders to strengthen institutional supports and data systems for public-philanthropic partnerships, saying better structure would make these collaborations more sustainable and effective.
Crystal Beckham, a project manager for the Commission, told webinar participants that since 2019 California has engaged in more than 100 philanthropic partnerships involving nearly 30 state agencies and more than 250 philanthropic partners, with the state investing nearly $14,000,000,000 and philanthropy contributing about $4,000,000,000.
The Commission’s report, Strengthening Public Philanthropic Partnerships, highlights trust, transparent communication and aligned goals as the core features of successful partnerships. Beckham said philanthropy brings flexible, risk-tolerant resources that allow government to pilot ideas and prove concepts that can later justify permanent public funding, but cautioned partnerships cannot substitute for core government responsibilities or replace policy reforms.
To make partnerships more reliable, the report recommends four steps: (1) institutionalize leadership by making the governor’s senior advisor on public-philanthropic partnerships permanent; (2) expand partnership liaison positions across additional state agencies; (3) create a centralized point of contact for philanthropy within the Legislature to help funders know whom to approach; and (4) improve monitoring and evaluation through systematic statewide data collection and an improved annual impact reporting system.
Beckham said better data and clearer points of contact would support transparency and equity in partnerships and help scale initiatives that prove effective.
What’s next: the Commission told legislative staff on the call it stands ready to provide technical assistance to translate these recommendations into statutes or administrative changes and to testify in support of bills implementing the report’s proposals.
