Do Something

Ask the city to pay vital nonprofit providers

Nonprofits deliver services like behavioral and public health on behalf of the City, and the City pays for those services. But delayed payments are straining the resources of these community-based organizations, especially small and minority-led non-profits, hampering their ability to provide essential services.

Find out who represents you on the City Council and reach out to let them know you want the City to efficiently pay for the essential services that nonprofit organizations are providing, and that the payment process should be clear, consistent, and transparent.

Here you can find instructions on how to sign up to comment on council meetings and how to speak at public hearings. You can review the agendas on the calendar here and watch meetings live here.

The official website for the Office of the Mayor provides basic information and a contact number, but you can also reach out using this form.

Connect WITH OUR SOCIAL ACTION TEAM



Want more of The Citizen?

Sign up for our newsletter

For a weekly dose of ideas, solutions and practical action steps, sign up for our newsletter:

* indicates required

/

( mm / dd )

(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=’EMAIL’;ftypes[0]=’email’;fnames[1]=’FNAME’;ftypes[1]=’text’;fnames[2]=’LNAME’;ftypes[2]=’text’;fnames[3]=’ADDRESS’;ftypes[3]=’address’;fnames[4]=’PHONE’;ftypes[4]=’phone’;fnames[5]=’BIRTHDAY’;ftypes[5]=’birthday’;}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);
And follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

Be a Better Philadelphia Citizen

Here's how

One of the founding tenets of The Philadelphia Citizen is to get people the resources they need to become better, more engaged citizens of their city.

We hope to do that in our Good Citizenship Toolkit, which includes a host of ways to get involved in Philadelphia — whether you want to contact your City Councilmember about supporting community-based organizations and nonprofit service providers, get those experiencing homelessness the goods they need, or simply go out to dinner somewhere where you know your money is going toward a greater good.

Find an issue that’s important to you in the list below, and get started on your journey of A-plus citizenship.

Vote and strengthen democracy

Stand up for marginalized communities

Create a cleaner, greener Philadelphia

Help our local youth and schools succeed

Support local businesses

Guest Commentary: Dear Philly, Please Pay Your Providers

The CEO of a health services nonprofit calls on Mayor Parker to ensure fast, reliable payment to organizations doing the hard work of keeping Philadelphians safe and healthy

Guest Commentary: Dear Philly, Please Pay Your Providers

The CEO of a health services nonprofit calls on Mayor Parker to ensure fast, reliable payment to organizations doing the hard work of keeping Philadelphians safe and healthy

Since taking office just a few months ago, Mayor Cherelle Parker has said the City needs partnerships to make Philadelphia a safer, cleaner and greener place to live. Unfortunately, many of those partners have learned over time that partnering with the City is a one-way ticket to financial hardship.

The Parker administration has shown a commitment to changing the way the City does business — but more can and must be done. Without a dramatic shift in how — and how quickly — the City finalizes contracts and reimburses partners for their work, Philadelphia could soon find itself without the crucial partners with the boots on the ground necessary to have an impact.

I serve as president and CEO of Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), the leading nonprofit provider of public health resources in Greater Philadelphia, and the largest and most comprehensive public health organization in the nation. The City regularly partners with nonprofits such as ours — and ones much smaller than ours — to deliver social services to individuals, families and communities.

Delayed payments are stressing community-based organizations almost to the point of breaking.

The strength of those partnerships is built on a simple setup: Nonprofits like PHMC deliver services on behalf of the City, and the City pays for those services. Failure on either side of that setup — service delivery or payment — results in people not getting the services they need.

What’s more, delayed payments are stressing community-based organizations almost to the point of breaking.

Many nonprofit providers play a crucial role in supporting the well-being of Philadelphians through behavioral and public health, including small nonprofits and minority-led entities that provide essential services but are the most disadvantaged by delayed payments. Right now, when the need for behavioral and public health demands have increased, we need to resolve these issues before they adversely affect nonprofit service providers and the services they deliver.

It’s small providers who are most affected by delayed payments. If organizations as big as PHMC are feeling the strain, it’s hard to imagine how smaller organizations manage.

Chicago addressed similar problems in 2021 by forming a multi-departmental “Prompt Payment Working Group” to analyze payment processes and develop recommendations to streamline and accelerate payments to city contractors.

Small nonprofits often operate on limited budgets, relying on a delicate balance of funding sources to sustain their operations and deliver services. When there are payment delays to these nonprofits, it creates a significant hardship. As a result, small nonprofits may be forced to reallocate funds from other essential areas or seek additional short-term financing, which can ultimately hinder their ability to fulfill their service commitments.

With delayed payments, small nonprofits may have to stop providing services or greatly limit their work, negatively impacting the well-being of Philadelphians who rely on these essential programs and resources. Ultimately, their long-term stability can be jeopardized.

The Parker administration has already taken helpful steps to drive toward efficiency. On Tax Day, the mayor signed her PHL Open for Business Executive Order, which removes regulatory burdens, accelerates approval timelines and further streamlines city permit and licensing processes.

But there’s more work needed if we are to avoid a coming crisis. Chicago addressed similar problems in 2021 by forming a multi-departmental “Prompt Payment Working Group” to analyze payment processes and develop recommendations to streamline and accelerate payments to city contractors. Their work can be a helpful roadmap.

By making payment processes clear, consistent and transparent, the City can help businesses and nonprofits plan and better manage their finances, while alternative forms of support, such as providing technical assistance or capacity-building resources, can help empower small nonprofits and strengthen their operational resilience.

If Philadelphia can recognize and support the unique needs of minority-led and small nonprofits, we can build a more equitable and inclusive environment for all nonprofits, to the ultimate benefit of all the communities we serve.


Michael Pearson is president and CEO of Public Health Management Corporation.

The Citizen welcomes guest commentary from community members who represent that it is their own work and their own opinion based on true facts that they know firsthand.

MORE GUEST COMMENTARY FROM CITIZENS LIKE YOU

Photo by Michael Jung.

The Philadelphia Citizen will only publish thoughtful, civil comments. If your post is offensive, not only will we not publish it, we'll laugh at you while hitting delete.

Be a Citizen Editor

Suggest a Story

Advertising Terms

We do not accept political ads, issue advocacy ads, ads containing expletives, ads featuring photos of children without documented right of use, ads paid for by PACs, and other content deemed to be partisan or misaligned with our mission. The Philadelphia Citizen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and all affiliate content will be nonpartisan in nature. Advertisements are approved fully at The Citizen's discretion. Advertisements and sponsorships have different tax-deductible eligibility. For questions or clarification on these conditions, please contact Director of Sales & Philanthropy Kristin Long at [email protected] or call (609)-602-0145.