News for Nonprofits November 2008
Share this pageNEWS FOR NONPROFITS connects nonprofits in the 11th Senate District of California with information and resources available from the State or other sources. Information provided is deemed relevant to the nonprofit sector and no endorsement is implied.
Contents
The 2007-2008 legislative season drew to a close in September. I am pleased that many of the bills I authored passed both houses in the Legislature and were signed by the Governor, including measures to: outlaw deceptive sweepstakes practices, take an unprecedented first step towards linking data about K-12 education with databases of dozens of state agencies, and protect childhood victims of sexual abuse. Please feel free to contact my office for more information about my bill package.
In the last edition of this newsletter, I updated you about other legislators’ bills that were moving their way through the process that may relate to your work. Here’s an update on what happened to the bills that made it to the Governor’s desk:
- Wine Donations: AB 1964 allows a nonprofit organization to store donated wine on their premises while they are waiting for a license to sell the wine at a later event.
Outcome: Signed into law
Donation Boxes: AB 2610 authorizes local jurisdictions to regulate donation boxes for used clothing and household goods.
Outcome: Vetoed
Eligibility: AB 2327 requires emergency responders to strive to ensure that victims receive the assistance they need and are eligible to receive without information documents that are not strictly necessary to determine eligibility under federal law.
Outcome: Signed into law
Liability: AB 2796 establishes that it is the intent of the Legislature to amend the California Emergency Services Act to encourage private and nonprofit organizations to join with government agencies to respond to catastrophic emergencies. The bill originally proposed to provide emergency liability immunity for nonprofits, but was amended down to an “intent bill” to enable continuing discussions on the issue.
Outcome: Signed into law
Fund Management and Dissolution: SB 1329 would update the prudent standard for management and investment of charitable funds and provides for the dissolution of a nonprofit by the Attorney General when the nonprofit cannot do it on its own.
Outcome: Signed into law
Excused Absences for Volunteering and Service: AB 2396 permits excused absences for K-12 students participating in civic engagement activities.
Outcome: Vetoed
Budget Update
As you know, the 2008-09 state budget was signed on September 23. As is the case with our national and world economies, California’s economy, too, has faced a steady decline. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), which provides nonpartisan fiscal and policy analysis for the California Legislature, estimates a combined shortfall of $27.8 billion in the remainder of the 2008-09 and 2009-10 fiscal years.
The Governor has called a Special Session in which lawmakers will consider tax increases and other measures to close the budget deficit. Without more revenues, there will undoubtedly be significant cuts to health, education and welfare. Additional revenue would require bipartisan support, which isn’t evident at this time. Leaders from both the Assembly and Senate continue to meet to try to find common ground. Legislators are also looking to the federal government for help.
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee recently named Mac Taylor to succeed Elizabeth Hill as the Legislative Analyst for California. For more information about the LAO or the current budget, go to www.lao.ca.gov.
"There Oughta Be a Law" Contest
Last month I kicked off my eighth annual “There Oughta Be a Law” contest where I invite Californians to submit ideas for new state legislation. Some of the best ideas I hear for new legislation come directly from folks in the community. The winner or winners will have their ideas introduced as legislation, and get to testify at a hearing on their bill in the State Capitol.
The real “prize,” however, is the satisfaction of knowing that your winning entry can affect the lives of 38 million Californians. Since the contest’s inception, fourteen such ideas have become law. You can enter the contest online at www.senatorsimitian.com/oughta or call my district offices at (650) 688-6384, (408) 277-9460 or (831) 425-0401 for an application. The deadline is Monday, December 1, 2008.
Regional Announcements
- The Filipino Mental Health Initiative (FMHI), formed in 2006 from the members of Kapwa Pilipino Advocacy Group (KAPAG), has published the 2008 FMHI Resource Guide which updates the original KAPAG directory that came out in 2000. Printed in English and Tagalog, it provides access to mental health and related resources in San Mateo County for the Filipino community and community providers. The FMHI partnership includes San Mateo County Health Department’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, Asian American Recovery Services, Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center (PBRC), and Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse, among others. Contact PBRC at (650) 992-9110 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for a printed copy, or download the PDF from the FMHI/CIP web site.
- Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the fourth largest community foundation in the nation, has identified a new set of grantmaking strategies that will respond to some of the most pressing challenges facing people in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, the areas the community foundation serves. They are economic security; immigrant integration (strengthening legal services and bridging the cultural gap); education (closing the middle school achievement gap); regional planning (land use and transportation planning) and a community opportunity fund focused on safety-net issues. The community foundation has issued requests for proposals in all of these areas. To learn more about each of these areas or how to apply for a grant, visit the Silicon Valley Community Foundation website.
- Build an earned income opportunity ... analyze a new market ... create a strategic plan ... determine expansion options ... evaluate alternatives in the face of budget cuts. For 22 years, the Stanford Alumni Consulting Team (ACT) has provided pro bono consulting to help Bay Area nonprofits tackle management challenges like these. ACT consultants are Stanford Graduate School of Business alumni who contribute their skills and experience to community organizations. ACT launches pro bono consulting teams twice a year. For more information about working with ACT, see www.stanfordact.org. The next deadline to apply for an ACT consulting team is January 15, 2009.
- A new three-hour free online course, “Capturing Experience,” to help nonprofits engage people 50+ in service opportunities is available from Temple University’s Center for Intergenerational Learning. Registration is not required for Module 1 (People 50+: One Size Doesn’t Fit All) but is needed for access to the other three modules (Module 2, Getting Out of the Box; Module 3, Getting Them in the Door; and Module 4, Unleashing the Talents of People 50+). By 2020, more than 36% of Americans will be 50 or over, while 17% will be 65 or older. The 78 million baby boomers now coming of age and those that preceded them are the best educated and most affluent group of older adults in American history. Visit the Temple CIL website for the free course.
- The Office of Women’s Policy recently released a first of its kind report, “Breaking Cycles, Rebuilding Lives,” which profiles incarcerated women in the Santa Clara County jail system. It underscores a need for programs and services to support women’s transition back into the community. To access an electronic copy of the report, visit the OWP Website or contact (408) 299-5135.
- The State of California provides financial support for child care for low-income families that meet Federal Poverty Income guidelines and other criteria. The Community Child Care Council in each county administers the Subsidized Child Care program. (The state’s final budget for 2008/2009 reduces the number of child-care and preschool “slots” available, however.) One requirement for eligibility is that each adult must work at least 20 hours a week, or work at least 10 hours a week and participate in an approved training program at least 10 hours a week. Co-payments for child care typically range from $5 to $25 each week, with only one co-payment required regardless of the number of children in care. For more information, call CCIS in Santa Clara County, (408) 487-0747, or in San Mateo County, (650) 655-6770. The Santa Cruz County Parents Association (SCCPA), (831) 688-2151, administers this and other child-care programs.
- A new web site, GreatNonprofits.org, has been created as a means of public visibility for Bay Area nonprofits. It was launched by the Center for Excellence in Nonprofits (CEN) in collaboration with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Thrive (the Alliance of Nonprofits for San Mateo County), the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (VCN) and the Morgan Family Foundation. Authentic reviews from clients are posted as an introduction to your agency and a means of encouraging more donors and volunteers. In partnership with Guidestar, reviews will also appear on your organization’s page on Guidestar. For more information, visit the web site or contact Shari Ilsen at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
- As a benchmark for comparison, Opportunity Knocks has issued the 2008 Nonprofit Retention and Vacancy Report based on a survey of 425 nonprofits. The nonprofit sector is made up of some 1.5 million organizations and agencies, with close to 10 million paid workers or 7.5% of the total U.S. workforce. It accounts for 8.3% of wages and salaries paid in the U.S. Some of the areas examined: Why do nonprofits experience turnover? What are some ways to deal with it? The report can be viewed on the Opportunity Knocks website.
- The community-based San Mateo County Tobacco Education Coalition seeks to improve and protect the health and well-being of county residents through coordinated community planning to minimize the use of tobacco products. Current focus is on reducing young people’s access to tobacco, advocating for smoke-free outdoor areas and events, helping smokers who would like to quit, and combating the influence of smoking in films on youth. Interested in joining the efforts of the volunteer organizations, individuals and community groups in the Coalition? Call (650) 573-3777 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to find out when the next quarterly meeting will be held in San Mateo.