Will your organization join us now in asking California policymakers to enact emergency measures to protect nonprofits, so we can continue to serve our communities, protect public health, and support our employees?

In addition to making sure that nonprofit voices are heard at every level in Sacramento, we have drafted this sign-on letter that will go to Governor Gavin Newsom, State Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Senate Budget Committee Chair Holly Mitchell, and Assembly Budget Committee Chair Phil Ting. We are grateful that nonprofits are included in Senate Bill 89, enacted Tuesday, March 17. But we know more emergency measures are coming, and we want to be sure nonprofit policy concerns are addressed.  

You can sign your organization onto the letter here.
Deadline: Friday, March 20, at 6 PM Pacific time
Click here to read the letter.

Based on what we've heard from so many of you in the past few days, we request that:

• Government agencies continue to pay on contracts and grants if nonprofits are underperforming because of closures or suspension or reduction of services associated with the COVID-19 crisis.
• Contracting agencies institute an expedited approval process for budget modifications to allow nonprofits to move budget-line items to new priorities related to COVID-19 responses as needed.
• New and immediate emergency funds be made available to nonprofits to address increased costs associated with providing uninterrupted delivery of essential services through this crisis.
• Programs aimed at assisting employers, tenants, utility rate-payers, and service providers through this crisis be equally available and beneficial to nonprofit and for-profit entities.
• State agencies waive certain certification procedures to let nonprofits provide emergency and essential services as needed.

California's nonprofits are crucial to our economy and our communities

California nonprofits employ roughly 1.2 million people; one in every 14 jobs in the state is at a nonprofit. Our economic activity generates one-sixth of California’s Gross State Product, and government agencies partner closely with nonprofit organizations to provide essential services throughout the state. (Check out Causes Count – New Findings for more great information about the economic impact of California's Nonprofits.)

Nonprofits are in the forefront, not only of serving disadvantaged communities but of standing up for them and making their voices heard in policy arenas. The coronavirus crisis is already revealing in new ways the inequities and disparities in California, and these inequities make nonprofit work on the response to this pandemic even more essential.

The important work of California nonprofits must continue, whether you are responding directly to the coronavirus crisis or whether you are moving forward with advocacy, services, and programs in other issue areas. In a crisis, every nonprofit is a first responder, and we can't stop doing our "regular" crucial and urgent work. To continue our work, nonprofits need support and resources from the government; the government-nonprofit partnership has never been more critical than it is now.

By signing onto this letter, you are asking our state leaders to implement the above policies and to include nonprofits in emergency measures.

You can sign your organization onto the letter here.
Deadline: Friday, March 20, at 6 PM Pacific time.

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact Lucy Salcido Carter, Public Policy Director, or Jan Masaoka, CEO. You can find a list of COVID19 resources for nonprofits here.