The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) is a research institution established in 1994 to advocate for California state-level policies regarding education, healthcare, criminal justice, and the environment. The group was established in 1994 through a $70 million endowment from William Redington Hewlett of the Hewlett-Packard (HP) company and was co-founded by Hewlett alongside Roger W. Heyns, and Arjay Miller. ^{1  2}

Background

The Public Policy Institute of California is a research institution established in 1994 to advocate for state-level policies regarding education, healthcare, criminal justice, and the environment. ³

The group was established through a $70 million endowment from William Redington Hewlett of the Hewlett-Packard company. The organization was co-founded by former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley Roger W. Heyns and former president of Ford Motor Company and former dean of Stanford Business School Arjay Miller. ^{3 2} Miller worked as the chair of PPIC’s board of directors until 2006. In 2000, Miller and his wife donated to PPIC to create the Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Public Policy. ⁴

The organization is based in San Francisco, California, with a subsidiary Sacramento Center located across the street from the California State Capitol. ³

Activities

The Public Policy Institute of California produces research reports with the goal of effecting political change at the state level. It communicates its research discoveries to relevant politicians and administrators with the goal of lobbying for its desired outcome of “equity,” a left-of-center concept derived in part from critical race theory. ³

The PPIC often uses non-empirical, left-leaning biases to steer the direction of its research reports. For example, in its study on California’s temporary removal of bail during the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers noted the rearrest rates increased during this time, yet attributed this not to the absence of bail nor to any other criminal justice policies at the time (which were not mentioned) but “the disruptive nature of the pandemic.” ⁵

PPIC employs a large staff of research experts across disciplines, including “economics, education, criminal justice, demography, political science, sociology,” and environmentalism. It also maintains fellowship programs and a summer internship program. ³

The PPIC has described its “central audiences” as “California’s elected officials at the local, state, and federal level.” It has also said it aims to keep the California members in the media, leaders in business, and leaders in the nonprofit sector informed on policy. ⁶

Financials

In 2023, the Public Policy Institute of California reported a revenue of $19,371,773, expenses of $23,558,820, and net assets of $334,477,186. ⁷

In 2023, PPIC reported receiving $1,747,069 in government grants. ⁸

Leadership

Tani Cantil-Sakauye is the president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). Prior to working at the PPIC, Cantil-Sakauye served as the 28th Chief Justice of California between 2011 and 2022, while also serving as chair of the state’s Judicial Council. Beforehand she worked in several roles within state-level appellate and trial courts, was a deputy district attorney for the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and worked as a deputy legal affairs secretary and later deputy legislative secretary in the office of then-California governor George Deukmejian (R). ⁹

Chet Hewitt is the board chair for PPIC, joining its board in 2016 and later becoming chair in 2021. He is also the president and CEO of the Sierra Health Foundation and the Sierra Health Foundation Center for Health Program Management. Prior to this, he worked at the Social Services Agency for Almeda County in the state of California, was an associate director for the Rockefeller Foundation, and is a member of the National Academy of Public Administration as of 2021. ¹⁰

Also included on the PPIC board is Leon Panetta, the former United States Secretary of Defense and former head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the Obama administration. In 1997, Panetta and his wife Sylvia started the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, a nonprofit research center that aims to inspire people to work in public service. He was serving as the chairman of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy as of February 2025. ^{11 12}

After serving in the U.S. Army, Panetta began his political career as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Tom Kuchel, was appointed to the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1969 (in which capacity he helped enforce equal education laws), and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976. In 1993, Panetta was made the Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in the Clinton administration and later was appointed Chief of Staff. ¹¹

1. “About PPIC.” Public Policy Institute of California, Accessed February 12, 2025. https://www.ppic.org/about-ppic/
2.  Hiltzik, Michael A. “High-Tech Pioneer William Hewlett Dies.” LA Times, January 13, 2001. Accessed February 23, 2025. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-13-mn-11937-story.html.
3. “About PPIC.” Public Policy Institute of California. Accessed February 23, 2025. https://www.ppic.org/about-ppic/
4. “In Memoriam: Arjay Miller.” Public Policy Institute of California. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://www.ppic.org/blog/memoriam-arjay-miller/.
5. Premkumar, Deepak; Skelton, Andrew; Lofstrom, Magnus; Cremin, Sean. “What Happened When California Suspended Bail during COVID?” Public Policy Institute of California, November 2024. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.ppic.org/publication/what-happened-when-california-suspended-bail-during-covid/.
6.  “About PPIC.” Public Policy Institute of California, July 3, 2017. Accessed February 23, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20170703204713/https://www.ppic.org/about-ppic/.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Public Policy Institute of California. 2023. Part I, lines 12, 18, 22.
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Public Policy Institute of California. 2023. Part VII – Statement of Revenue, line e.
9. “Tani Cantil-Sakauye.” Public Policy Institute of California, Accessed February 12, 2025. https://www.ppic.org/person/tani-cantil-sakauye/.
10. “Chet Hewitt.” Public Policy Institute of California, Accessed February 12, 2025. https://www.ppic.org/person/chet-hewitt/
11. “Leon E. Panetta.” Public Policy Institute of California. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.ppic.org/person/leon-e-panetta/.
12. “Board of Directors.” Panetta Institute. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.panettainstitute.org/about-us/board-of-directors/.