Thousands want to help California fight coronavirus. Newsom wants money to manage them

Tens of thousands of people and some of California’s biggest companies have reached out to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office to volunteer their help for the state’s fight to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

The trouble is, Newsom’s office doesn’t have a structure to manage everyone who wants to contribute, according to a recent budget request from his administration.

Now, he’s proposing to expand a new volunteer-coordinating program launched last year and charging it with getting a better handle on the outbreak. He’s asking lawmakers to spend an extra $13 million on the office — a request that stands out in a state budget that’s facing a $54.3 billion deficit.

The pitch builds on California Volunteers, an office that aims to nurture organizations that rely on volunteer service. It received $20 million in one-time funding last year to expand AmeriCorps programming in the state. Newsom wants to reach 10,000 AmeriCorps members — more than double the current number.

According to the governor’s office, those volunteers and scores of others who’ve signed up to help are key to California’s immediate COVID-19 response and the state’s long-term recovery.

“This is a time to call on all Californians who can help us build a whole community response framework to address the challenges created by this unfolding pandemic,” the budget request reads. “Californians are asking to be engaged; are searching for ways to serve their communities. During these uncertain times, it is these individuals who can help California recover.”

But some — including an organization that represents 10,000 California nonprofits — have faulted the state’s approach.

When California Volunteers rolled out #CaliforniansForAll — a recruitment initiative that has garnered 38,000 signups since its inception — the California Association of Nonprofits blasted the state office for not heeding its recruitment advice, which included relying on existing networks.

The state is still neglecting bigger issues concerning funding and relief, CalNonprofits Public Policy Director Lucy Carter said.

In a March letter with nearly 1,200 nonprofit signatories — closely followed by a parallel letter from a bipartisan group of Assembly members — the organization detailed key nonprofit asks: guaranteed contract payments, streamlined approval of budget changes, emergency funding and certification waivers.

These requests have gone largely unmet. CalNonprofits was hoping for an executive order to act on the letter. It hasn’t come.

The organization declined to comment on the new budget request but noted that California Volunteers did not reach out while forming its proposal.

“If nonprofits are to be on the receiving end of volunteer services, it seems that the state association of nonprofits should be involved,” Carter said. CalNonprofits remains focused on “other things that we think are more pressing,” she added.

California Volunteers said that it is “not typical to consult a specific organization when formulating the budget proposal” but that the office based its request on the experiences and needs of community partners.

Those partners include over 70 nonprofits that have reached out to California Volunteers requesting COVID-19 recruitment assistance, according to a statement.

“We’ve worked hand in hand with [California Volunteers] to help increase blood donations during a drastic shortage [and] worked together to staff California’s food banks with sufficient volunteers during COVID-19,” said Luke Beckman of the American Red Cross Pacific Division.

The Red Cross is one of many organizations working to address a 70 percent drop in food bank volunteers that Newsom reported in late April. At the onset of the outbreak, California Volunteers redirected staff and partnered with the California National Guard and state and local conservation corps to support food banks.

As California National Guard phases out of food bank operations starting May 29, California Volunteers will rely more heavily on #CaliforniansForAll recruits, who have focused primarily on food banks so far.

Looking further ahead, California Volunteers wants to overhaul its entire operation, starting with $2.9 million in emergency services funding.

The proposal includes a promotional campaign, a volunteer database and regional coordination offices to connect community organizations to one another and to local governments.

The vast majority of funds — $10.1 million — are earmarked for AmeriCorps. California Volunteers wants to maintain last year’s member expansion as well as an existing cost-sharing program that lowers the barrier to entry for participating organizations.

The budget “request reflects the state’s priority to respond to COVID-19 and help communities recover from this ongoing crisis,” California Volunteers said in a statement.

This story was originally published June 4, 2020 at 6:15 AM.