Connecticut’s New Governor Creates Cabinet Position for Nonprofits

Connecticut’s new Democratic governor, Dan Malloy, has created a cabinet-level position to advocate for nonprofit social-service providers as lawmakers work to address a problem shared by many other states—a looming budget deficit.

“I have been clear that getting our fiscal house in order will require a shared sacrifice on all our parts, but I’ve been equally clear that I will not cut the safety net,” he said in a statement announcing the office.

Mr. Malloy appointed Deborah Heinrich, a Democratic state representative, to supervise a new Community Nonprofit Human Services Cabinet.

Liza Andrews, public policy director at the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits, says her group has been pushing for such a unit to guard the interests of nonprofits that receive contracts from the state to offer health and human services. Such contracts often do not provide enough money to meet the growing costs and rising demand for services, she says.

A separate group created by the legislature, a Commission on Nonprofit Health and Human Services, is also exploring ways to improve the relationship between the state and nonprofit providers and is required to issue a report by April 1.

In a preliminary report, the commission proposed a variety of measures to ease red-tape burdens and speed up payments to the state’s nonprofits. The report also highlighted some cases where salaries of nonprofit employees lagged significantly behind those of state workers in similar positions.

The governor has not yet announced who will serve in the new Community Nonprofit Human Services Cabinet. The nonprofit association has recommended that it include representatives of charities, the legislature, and the administration.