California is in the throes of budget and economic problems not seen since the Great Depression. Stakeholders have been hotly debating options for water policy reforms that will affect generations of Californians, and poor educational outcomes have left the state vulnerable to future workforce skills gaps that will have dire consequences for economic growth. PPIC has made significant contributions to these policy debates, and we believe there has never been a moment in the institute’s history when our mission of informing and improving public policy has been more salient and important. At the same time, we face resource constraints that limit our efforts to respond to increasingly urgent calls for our expertise.

PPIC was established with a generous endowment from William R. Hewlett, but he and cofounders Roger Heyns and Arjay Miller always recognized the need for the institute to develop a diverse resource base. These visionary Californians anticipated that fluctuations in the economy and overdependence on foundations with shifting priorities would jeopardize PPIC’s ability to respond quickly to crises in the state. That time has arrived and we are reaching out to our audiences throughout the state for support that will allow us to maintain research and outreach programs that are timely, relevant, and accessible.

Unrestricted gifts in action

Recently, amid California’s severe budget crisis and the national economic meltdown, California’s bipartisan leadership called on PPIC to establish a task force that would inform and aid the policy process. Within a matter of weeks, we convened a meeting of the California Economic Recovery Task Force (CERTF)—a diverse and distinguished group comprised of Republicans and Democrats, business and labor, and representatives from the state’s major regions. The group’s recommendations have since been presented to the governor, the bipartisan tax commission, and legislative leaders and committees in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. PPIC’s work on the CERTF not only reflects our growing reputation throughout the state, but also shows that we can respond effectively to an important call for action.

Our rapid response and related engagement activities were made possible with discretionary, unrestricted funding. With your help, we can ensure that the next time PPIC faces a similar call for action, we are prepared to lead the way. I am pleased to announce that PPIC is launching an unrestricted gifts program this fall with the introduction of donor circles and new opportunities to support our work as featured on our website. By supporting PPIC with a tax-deductible gift, you will help us to continue to provide essential information and frame policy debates to shape a better future for California. And you will be investing in an independent and nonpartisan source of information in this deeply partisan era.

Thank you,