The Power of Nonprofits at CalMatters IdeasFest

CalMatters hosted its inaugural IdeasFest at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento on June 5th and 6th, and attendees packed the room for a breakout session on “The Economic and Political Power of California’s Nonprofits Sector” presented by CalNonprofits.

Moderated by CalNonprofits CEO Geoff Green, the panel featured Chet Hewitt, President & CEO of the Sierra Health Foundation, and Senator Monique Limón, Chair of the Senate Select Committee on the Nonprofit Sector.

After sharing the history of how the Select Committees on the Nonprofit Sector came into being, Limón noted that, “nonprofits seeking policy solutions is relatively new. It’s going to take some time for the issues to gain broad understanding and get traction in the legislature.”

Hewlett offered some principles for stronger relationships between government and nonprofits, stressing the need for flexibility and trust. In the face of looming budget cuts, he urged nonprofits “to consider the potential damage to the sector as a whole and join together rather than just fight for their own issues or organization.”