Northern California Grantmakers' Public Policy Committee was created in 2002 to help foundations build their capacity to advance their missions and leverage their resources by supporting public policy efforts. Its primary tasks are to:

• Educate the philanthropic community regarding the value, feasibility, and limits of engagement in the public policy decision-making process, including education regarding best practices in policy-related grantmaking.
• Facilitate collaboration on public policy issues among foundations, NGOs, and other organizations.
• Conduct research that supports the effectiveness of philanthropy in affecting public policy.

All of the Public Policy Committee's activities are based on a larger set of key values about the roles and responsibilities of philanthropy in our society. As tax-exempt entities, foundations and nonprofits have an obligation to serve the public good. The Committee believes that foundations and nonprofit organizations play a critical role in society and the welfare of its members. Particularly at a time when nonprofit agencies are increasingly asked to take on what had previously been governmental roles, foundations and their grantees should have an influential voice in public policy to ensure the best results for their constituents. Public policy formation reflects a democratic society's priorities—it responds to community voices and needs. The wider participation in this effort, the more responsive public policy will be to community needs. Thus, society is stronger when everyone participates in the public policy process.   Non-profit groups, whether the local PTA or the National Resources Defense Council, often play a unique role by facilitating the involvement of a diverse, varied group of citizens in decision making on issues that directly affect them and their communities. The Public Policy Committee believes that foundations can have significant impacts on public policy, both individually and through collaborations with public agencies, each other, and nonprofit organizations.

Northern California Grantmakers is an association of over 150 grantmaking organizations. In general, NCG does not make grants or provide direct assistance to grantseekers. If you wish to find out about the NCG loan funds and the smaller grants awarded from the Summer Youth Project, please visit the NCG Collaboratives. To find out more about AIDS Partnership California's funding opportunities, please visit AIDS Partnership California's homepage. To find out more about Social Venture Partners funding opportunities, please visit SVP's homepage.