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Partnering with Nonprofits
Each year, the City of New York awards billions of dollars to nonprofit providers to deliver critical programs and services to over 3 million New Yorkers across the City. MOCS supports these nonprofit providers by building and managing digital platforms that make it easier for them, especially small community-based organizations, to participate in City contracting and receive timely payment. We design solutions with and for our nonprofit partners and lead Citywide initiatives that further sector-wide goals.
MOCS also partners with the Mayor’s Office of Nonprofit Services, sitting on the Nonprofit Advisory Council and coordinating among Chief Nonprofit Officers.
Key Initiatives
PASSPort
PASSPort, the City's Procurement and Sourcing Solution Portal, is digitizing the contract registration process—a long-standing goal of the health and human services (HHS) sector. PASSPort is saving providers time and effort by digitizing VENDEX disclosures, streamlining the HHS Prequalification, and centralizing all contracting activity.
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Investment
The City is investing $741 million in the nonprofit human services workforce across three fiscal years, beginning July 1, 2024 (Fiscal Year 2025). Building on the Workforce Enhancement Initiative, this COLA investment is a significant step towards delivering better pay parity for our nonprofit partners.
Watch Mayor Adams' March 14, 2024 announcement
Read the June 4, 2024 announcement
Read the June 21, 2024 announcement
Review the COLA FAQ
Supporting Nonprofit Cash Flow
Providers with contracts under the HHS Cost Manual are eligible for advances upon contract registration and budget approval. For FY26, the City directed agencies to issue 50% advances to providers with eligible HHS contracts at the start of the fiscal year. Recoupment for these increased advances begins no sooner than the second quarter of the fiscal year. Providers who are not eligible for the 50% advance remain eligible for at least 25% standard advances, for which recoupment begins no sooner than the third quarter of the fiscal year. Agencies are advised to set the number of recoupment payments to the months of advance and not require a single payment.
Returnable Grant Fund
MOCS manages the Returnable Grant Fund (RGF) in partnership with the Fund for the City of New York (FCNY), which provides interest-free bridge loans to eligible human services providers. Exciting reforms have streamlined the RGF application process and expanded access loans.
Human Services Timely Registration Initiative
Each year, MOCS manages a cross-collaborative effort to ensure the timely registration of Human Service Plan actions for the coming fiscal year. This initiative sets milestones, timelines, and a regular reporting structure to hold agencies accountable for the on-time submission of July 1st contracts. For FY26, 900+ actions valued at over $4 billion (88% of planned actions) were submitted by July 1, 2025, ensuring service continuity and facilitating record advances.
City Council Discretionary Grant Pilot
Launched in partnership with City Council and several City Agencies, the pilot replaced the traditional contract process with direct grant agreements for approximately 100 eligible nonprofits, allowing them to receive 100% upfront payment within four months of award allocation. MOCS looks forward to coordinating with our City partners on pilot expansion efforts.
Multiyear City Council Discretionary Award Contracts
Many nonprofits begin their business relationship with the City through the City Council Discretionary Award process. MOCS partners with City Council to manage procedural requirements and make contracts available in PASSPort. The multiyear reform now allows organizations to enter one three-year contract per City agency, eliminating months of contracting in the outyears.
Learn more about discretionary funding
Track your organization's discretionary awards
Human Services Disclosure Reform
Understanding that “one size does not fit all,” MOCS introduced a series of changes to the human services disclosure process to alleviate the administrative burden that smaller nonprofits may face. The comprehensive reform includes a new, simple Discretionary Prequalification Application, 30-day extension option for required financial documents, and additional questions to the existing HHS Prequalification that help prevent conflicts of interest.
See the March 2025 HS Disclosure Reform flyer
Review the Related Party Transaction and Conflict of Interest Policy
Review the Human Services Disclosure Reform Frequently Asked Questions
Allowance Clause
In furtherance of the recommendations of "A Better Contract for New York - A Joint Task Force to Get Nonprofits Paid on Time," the City will be including an allowance clause to HHS contracts. An allowance clause eliminates the administrative burden of processing amendments for anticipated budgetary increases such as COLAs, changes in indirect cost rates, and other funding increases.
Workforce Enhancement Initiative
The Fiscal Year 2023 Budget included a $60 million baselined enhancement for human service and legal service providers to support their workforce. The City was able to leverage an additional $8 million in federal and state matching funds to further meet the sector’s financial needs, amounting to a total of $68 million.
Read the June 30, 2022 announcement
Read the October 31, 2022 announcement
HHS Cost Manual and Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) Funding Initiative
New York City is the first major city to establish an indirect cost rate funding initiative to pay nonprofits' indirect cost rates. The HHS Cost Manual standardizes cost allocation practices and rate calculations for HHS contracts. MOCS co-leads this initiative with the Mayor's Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
HHS Invoice Review Policy
Through collaborative efforts between nonprofits, City agencies, MOCS and OMB, the City designed and adopted policies to standardize practice, create predictability and support business continuity. These policies leverage PASSPort technology to streamline efforts and centralize information and processes.
Standard Health and Human Service Invoice Review Policy
Equipment Purchase Inventory Report Template
Standard Invoice Review Policy Technical Assistance Webinar 12/18/2020
HHS Subcontractor Policy
The subcontractor policy eliminates written approvals and duplicative data requests by leveraging the City’s technology platforms. At the request of providers, the City offers a subcontractor agreement template that may be used when subcontracting on human services contracts.
Review the HHS subcontractor policy
Review the subcontract agreement
Learn more about subcontractor management in PASSPort
Previous Initiatives
Procurement Technology Innovation
The legacy HHS Accelerator technology platform, managed by MOCS, was designed exclusively for the HHS sector to make it easier to do business with the City. HHS Accelerator streamlined and enhanced the management of financial processes for providers delivering direct services to clients and communities.
COVID-19 HHS Team
In response to COVID-19, MOCS was a principal member of a centralized HHS Team, along with the Mayor's Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Together, we designed and implemented contracting, budgeting and financial policies to provide organizations with flexibility, business stability and cash flow during the shifting and dynamic environment.
Nonprofit Resiliency Committee
MOCS was a partner in the Mayor's Nonprofit Resiliency Committee (NRC), which gave the HHS nonprofit community a direct voice in designing the City of New York's business practices, policies, and technology solutions.