The California Budget & Policy Center: From Community Impact to System-Wide Change

Thriving communities depend not only on dedicated nonprofits and community leaders, but also on public policies that expand opportunity. From housing and healthcare to education and economic security, those policies shape the conditions that help families succeed. For more than 30 years, the California Budget & Policy Center has worked to ensure those policies create greater opportunity for all Californians.

A nonpartisan research and policy organization, the Budget Center provides policymakers, advocates, and community organizations with the data and analysis needed to address California’s most pressing challenges. Working alongside state leaders and coalition partners, it develops evidence-based policy solutions that strengthen economic security and improve outcomes for Californians who have historically been left out of the state’s prosperity.

Its impact can be seen across the state. The Budget Center helped establish the California Earned Income Tax Credit and has continued expanding the program so more working families—including seniors, young adults, independent contractors, and undocumented Californians—can benefit. The organization also advances policies that improve access to affordable childcare, healthcare, housing, and other supports that help families achieve long-term stability.

Through the Budget Academy, the Center helps Californians better understand the state budget and legislative process. By demystifying how public budgets work, the Academy equips advocates, community leaders, and residents with the knowledge to participate more effectively in decisions that shape their communities.

California Budget & Policy Center Executive Director, Chris Hoerne (pictured right)

Sobrato Philanthropies has partnered with the Budget Center since 2018 to advance educational equity for multilingual learners. Today, that partnership has expanded to include economic mobility, reflecting a shared commitment to creating lasting change through both community investment and public policy.

This evolution closely aligns with Sobrato Philanthropies’ Thriving Communities strategy and our growing investment in policy and advocacy. While SP invests in organizations that strengthen communities locally, it also recognizes that lasting, statewide impact requires policies that remove systemic barriers and scale proven solutions. The Budget Center’s ability to translate research into practical policy solutions makes it a key partner in advancing that vision.