California Partnership is a statewide coalition of community-based groups, organizing and advocating for the programs and policies that reduce and end poverty. We are spear-heading exciting campaigns to develop electoral power in low-income communities, give a voice to local communities in creating a more just state budget and building a movement for healthcare for everyone.

California Partnership has member organizations across the state and is organized into five chapters:  the San Francisco Bay Area, Fresno, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego. We have additional members in other parts of the state including San Jose, the Central Coast and other portions of the Central Valley.

California Partnership is a special project of Center for Community Change.

California Partnership is governed by a Coordinating Committee of member organizations from around the state that represent the chapters and at-large membership. This ensures that our priorities and programs are a reflection of the needs of the membership. Click here to see our coordinating committee. California is experiencing its worst budget crisis in its history.  A combination of cumbersome budget and tax policies along with the economic recession has contributed to this disaster.  Our current economic crisis has shown us that no matter how much we imagine ourselves to be “on our own,” we are in fact deeply connected to one another.

Budget education and advocacy, coupled with leadership development, is the core of the work of the California Partnership. Our goal is for low-income families and individuals to have a greater voice in the issues that directly affect their lives, and to work toward a budget that works for all Californians.  In 2009 alone, CAP organized successful media actions to highlight the proposed cuts to state social services in more than five communities, has held five community forums on the budget crisis across the state, and organized more than 50 visits to elected officials so that low-income people could describe in their own words the impact of the proposed cuts.

Health care continues to be one of the most critical issues facing California Partnership’s member groups and the communities in which they work. In the last two years, CAP has ramped up its activity for health care reform.  CAP is one of the state lead organizations in Health Care for America Now, a national movement uniting consumers, labor and community organizations for health care reform.  In the summer of 2008, CAP took on a lead role in the national health care reform campaign, Health Care for America Now, and organized a successful launch of the campaign in July, where Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi publicly signed on to the campaign with over 15 media outlets in attendance.  Since then, we have secured pledges to the campaign from 27 California members of Congress. With President Obama signing the new Health Care REform law, we have achieved an unprecedented victory. CAP has worked with the Health Rights Organizing Project (and serves on its executive committee) to protect and expand SCHIP.  At the state level, CAP was active in fighting state budget cuts and in advocating for major state health care reform.  CAP is on the steering committee for the Having Our Say Coalition. Using our health rights curriculum, CAP has trained low-income leaders to better understand the complexities of the health care system, to examine models for change and to increase their participation in civic life.

While each year the California Partnership focuses on specific legislative and budget objectives, we are also engaged in a long term process of strategically expanding our network and strengthening our member organizations. We therefore invest significant time and resources into education and training of our member organizations and into seeking additional partners in our work, especially in underserved areas of While each year the California Partnership focuses on specific legislative and budget objectives, we are also engaged in a long term process of strategically expanding our network and strengthening our member organizations. We therefore invest significant time and resources into education and training of our member organizations and into seeking additional partners in our work, especially in underserved areas of the state.