Fair and Accountable

States contract with nonprofits for human services ranging from afterschool programs to job training. Yet contracting procedures often don’t meet the needs of government, the service providers, or the public. 

With Wallace support, the Chicago-based Donors Forum, representing grantmakers and nonprofits, led an effort to change this public policy picture in Illinois. The result—six principles for contracting, covering everything from effectiveness of services to timeliness of reimbursement—may offer guidance for other states, too.