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Human Services Chamber urges faster philanthropic payouts and earlier contracting to help nonprofits deliver services
Summary
Leaders of the Hamilton County Human Services Chamber told the new committee the nonprofit sector supports 24,000 workers and urged the city and funders to speed grants and improve contracting transparency; they offered the chamber as a partner in early policy review.
Dimity Orled, executive director of Pro Seniors and a representative of the Hamilton County Human Services Chamber, and Jordan Bankston, founder and CEO of Forever Kings, briefed the committee on the chamber’s role as a bridge between nonprofits, funders and government.
Bankston said the chamber represents more than 120 member agencies and emphasized the economic scale of the nonprofit sector in the region. "We need dollars released fast," Bankston said, arguing that delays in philanthropic and grant processes prevent nonprofits from hiring and delivering programs on schedule. He cited an employment footprint of about 24,000 people and an estimated workforce economic impact of $751,000,000.
Orled described the chamber’s committee structure and advocacy work and said the chamber wants to be engaged earlier in policy development and procurement so nonprofits can participate effectively. Chamber leaders called for clearer, equitable contracting and RFP processes and offered member committees as venues for city staff to hear operational feedback from service providers.
On accessibility, the chamber told the committee that the city — through CABA — has selected a vendor to conduct an accessibility survey of city processes and events; Orled said that work is underway and will offer guidance on elevating participation for people with disabilities.
Council members asked whether chamber meetings are open to the public; Orled said meetings are membership based but guests can be invited and the chamber will share committee schedules and chair contacts so council members and outside nonprofits can attend or join virtually. The chamber also said it will share information on annual meetings and committee calendars.
The chamber asked the committee to prioritize earlier funding disbursement and to consider nonprofit workforce capacity when timing city grants and contracts. Committee members expressed appreciation and said staff will coordinate follow-ups and invitations for specific chamber committees to present at future meetings.
