Government contracts are a crucial revenue stream for large swaths of the nonprofit sector. In many organizations, employee wages and other compensation factors are based on the terms of government contracts. So there’s a close connection between government contracting practices and nonprofit workforce issues. In this episode, Rusty talks with Jennifer Geiling from the NYC Mayor’s Office about the City’s efforts to create a more equitable, accessible, transparent, and standard process for nonprofits who deliver services to New Yorkers on behalf of the City government.

The reforms they’ve made recently include: a base-lined 25% advance on Human Services contracts and an Indirect Cost Rate Funding initiative to make sure that more money is allocated to the overall costs nonprofits have beyond specific service-related items.

Other topics discussed: 

• A Nonprofit Resiliency Committee that has brought together government and nonprofit representatives during the Administration and through the pandemic. 
• “PASSPort” a centralized, digital procurement and sourcing portal for nonprofits, and Citywide contractors, working with agencies across the City government. 
• The City’s “Cost Manual,” a new tool that defines nonprofit direct and indirect costs in human services government contracts.
• The City’s work to support nonprofits during the pandemic and the Covid-19 Human Service Recovery Task Force

Resources Mentioned: 

Mayor’s Office of Contract Services

Hankering for More

Lessons from NYC: Procurement during the pandemic

New York City government website for Nonprofits

PASSport NYC’s Digital Contracting Portal

New York Human Services Council

Contact Jennifer:  jennifer.geiling@mocs.nyc.gov

Jennifer’s Bio: 

Jennifer (“Guy-Ling”) Geiling is a Deputy Director at the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, leading policy reform, digital procurement, public-private partnerships and communication efforts.  Jennifer’s work is focused on leveling the playing field for City contractors by making it easier for companies and nonprofit organizations to do business with the City. Jennifer began her career as a corporate lawyer, is a nonprofit founder (the organization is called Hankering for More), and has served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.  She is a member of the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance Open Contracting Task Force, a World Economic Forum initiative to develop an international model for transparent and accessible contracting. Jennifer holds a Master of Public Administration from NYU Wagner and a Juris Doctor from George Washington University School of Law. 

**This episode was recorded Summer ’21 before Mayoral Election was over