The LA County Economic Resiliency Task Force Nonprofit & Philanthropy Workgroup
In 2023, the LA Country Economic Resiliency Task Force Nonprofit & Philanthropy Workgroup (The Taskforce) expressed support for a budget request that funded the centralized contracting and procurement office to the LA County Board of Supervisors. This office would focus on: 1) institutionalizing the work of Equity in County Contracting (ECC) Action Teams and the Taskforce, 2) improving Country contracting and procurement processes in consultation with the Executive Director of the Antiracism, Diversity, and Inclusion initiative, 3) establish more regular training of procurement staff, 4) develop recommendations to address barriers of equitable reimbursement and compensation of contractors, and 5) meet on a recurring bases with CBOs and stakeholders to streamline the County contracting and procurement process. While the ECC and Taskforce have achieved much success in the likes of technical assistance, streamlining invoices, increasing payment rates, or easier online navigation on County funding opportunities, there must be more institutionalized change that is documented in policy and protocol instead of depending on the capacity of individual County staff. When the nonprofit sector accounts for more than one in ten workers in the County of Los Angeles, it is important to recognize the significance of its role in the economy and region. Further engaging in the partnership between the nonprofit sector and the County will advance more inclusive and equitable county contracting, ensuring that people have access to resources they rely on nonprofits for, like key medical services, youth opportunities, or engagement with unhoused communities.
Why It Matters
Federal, state, and local governments partner with nonprofit organizations to provide services to communities and complete projects that benefit Californians. These government-nonprofit partnerships, when effective, provide nonprofits with the resources they need to meet government’s policy, services, and program goals, and provide the government with a strong, diverse supply chain of providers. The fact is that government and nonprofits are interdependent, and our successful partnership is critical for meeting Californians’ needs. To effectively collaborate, we rely on contracts, policies, and processes that lay out critical details governing our shared goals and working relationships that drive the results. We share the state’s interest in ensuring that such agreements result in efficiency, fairness, and most importantly: the best possible services for Californians. The philanthropic community has a crucial role to play in supporting this effort by encouraging government entities to make contracting processes more accessible and advocating for initiatives that ensure equity in contracting.