We did it! We passed the Nonprofit Modernization Act!
For over a year, Northwest Health Foundation has been organizing with our friends at Nonprofit Association of Oregon (NAO) and a Campaign Team of nonprofit leaders to introduce and pass SB606, the Oregon Nonprofit Modernization Act.
The intent behind the Oregon Nonprofit Modernization Act: help Oregon’s nonprofits retain staff and continue providing essential services that promote all Oregonian’s well-being. Oregon nonprofits are struggling to recruit and retain staff due to limited funds and high workloads, yet we rely on nonprofits to provide critical services to communities throughout Oregon.
Our proposed solution: improve how the state contracts with nonprofits. The Oregon Nonprofit Modernization Act bill included three parts:
Easy and simple changes to government contracting practices that can be implemented right away and have an immediate impact.
A Nonprofit Task Force to take a close look at streamlining and simplifying contracting, improving payment delivery, reducing burdensome reporting requirements and raising nonprofit wages to improve employee retention in the long-term.
A Workforce Retention Fund to help nonprofits retain employees in the short-term.
Legislation often changes through the session for a variety of reasons, and SB606 wasn’t an exception. Legislators removed the retention fund as a result of limited funds within the state government, and the immediate changes were also removed in order for the bill to cross the finish line. But, the amended bill passed and will establish a Nonprofit Task Force to “examine how the state’s granting and public procurement practices limit the wages of employees of nonprofit organizations and make recommendations to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services.” Full text of the bill can be found here.
Special shout out to:
Senator Wlnsvey Campos and her team for sponsoring the bill and championing the nonprofit sector throughout the entire session
The NPMA Campaign Team: Latino Network, Impact NW, Native American Youth and Family Center, United Way of the Columbia Willamette, EUVALCREE and Healthcare Coalition of Southern Oregon
Our co-convener Nonprofit Association of Oregon
All 178 endorsers who wrote emails, made phone calls and kept this issue at the top of legislators’ minds
Lead lobbyists from NW Public Affairs who bring knowledge, passion and determination to this work
What’s next? Stay tuned! We look forward to sharing with our network when the Nonprofit Task Force begins accepting applications.