Campaign for 20%

Advisory Circle

In April 2023, Washington State’s legislature approved a budget that includes a proviso for a working group, led by the Department of Commerce, that will review the impact of government contracts on human service agencies. The working group will also propose revisions to the Washington State code in order to improve the contracting process for human service organizations.

While human service organizations will be represented in the working group, the Campaign for 20% acknowledges “human services” includes a wide range of types and sizes of organizations. Washington State benefits from the services of small organizations whose missions focus on specific, vulnerable populations as well as large, multi-service agencies. Human service organizations exist across the State.

The proviso language used to form the working group specified that the group should be a minimum of 12 people, including state and local government representatives. Even if the group reaches 20 in size, the number of human service organization representatives who can participate will be finite. At the same time, we recognize the vital importance of inclusion of the diverse voices that make up our sector in a working group that is poised to have such significant influence over our business models and future sustainability.

The Campaign for 20% Advisory Circle (the “Advisory Circle”) creates a mechanism for bringing a broader and more diverse set of voices to the working group by serving in an advisory capacity to working group appointees. The Advisory Circle is a deliberate expansion of the current Steering Committee to encompass and embrace the range of services, geographies, staff and budget sizes, and leadership of human service organizations in our State. This group will be welcoming of all perspectives and diverse viewpoints, working toward consensus to give solid feedback to the members of the group who have been appointed to the working group.

If you are interested in becoming a part of the Advisory Circle, please review the requirements below. If you remain interested, please:

Campaign for 20% Advisory Circle Purpose and Responsibilities

The purposes of the Advisory Circle are to:

1. serve as a peer advisor to the human service leaders who are appointed to the working group, providing a sounding board and communication channel relative to contract reform for those individuals;
2. communicate with and solicit input from nonprofits across the State to keep them informed about what is happening;
3. educate the sector so that they understand the positive impact the changes will have on the sustainability of the sector;
4. ensure that diverse voices are heard and represented; and
5. advise the Campaign for 20% and related organizations about how to prepare the nonprofit community for the changes anticipated upon passage of contract-reform.

Member Qualifications

All representatives on the Campaign for 20% Advisory Circle will have:

• a commitment to ensuring that human service organizations will be paid the full cost of delivering the services for which we are contacted, including sufficient overhead to invest in innovation and reserves;
• a commitment to remaining personally involved in the State-wide campaign;
• a commitment to focusing efforts exclusively on contract reform and a 2025 bill with a zero fiscal note;
• experience with human service sector practices in government contracting and accounting;
• direct experience with at least one government contract for human services;
• the ability to illustrate the adverse impact of the current contracting system on their organization or sector;
• a sense of humor; and
• a willingness to leave your personal, agency, or association agenda at the door and work on behalf of the group as a whole.

Campaign for 20% Advisory Circle Membership

The Advisory Circle will be made up of CEOs, Executive Directors, or senior leadership team members appointed by the CEO or Executive Director. Members may appoint an alternate to stand in for them or accompany them to meetings.

Membership will include leadership from organizations serving different populations and needs, organizations of different sizes, and organizations from different geographies across the State. In addition, the Advisory Circle will include individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Ideally, the Advisory Circle will be made up of large and small organizations across the range of human services in Washington State. Human services is defined as:

All programs or facilities operated to assist individuals or families in achieving and maintaining basic self-sufficiency, including physical health, mental health, education, welfare, food and nutrition, housing. and support. Contracts for services covered under this bill include, but are not limited to: adoption and foster care services; advocacy and case management services; school readiness programs; ECEAP programs; family resource centers; child and adult day care; community-based services; community organization services; counseling, guidance and appraisal services; day treatment services; early childhood education; employment, compensatory education, adult education and training; energy payment assistance; eviction-prevention services; family planning services; health services; home care, management and maintenance services; housing services; human resource development services; income assistance; information and referral services; legal aid and related services; mental health services; intellectual disability services; nutrition services; parole supervision; protective services; residential treatment services; services to children, youth, families, and the aging; services to people living with disabilities, including persons who are blind or visually impaired, persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, persons with developmental disabilities, persons with disabilities, the non-English-speaking and the poor; services to refugees and immigrants; services to people living with co-occurring disorders; social development services; special education services; special transportation services; substance use disorder services; and planning, management and evaluation of activities related to the services listed in this section.