California Auditors Criticize Gavin Newsom’s ‘Belonging Campaign’: A Closer Look at the Controversy

California auditors have criticized a segment of Governor Gavin Newsom’s initiative to allocate millions to a youth volunteer program. They argue that Newsom has not adequately justified the necessity of a “belonging campaign” amid a substantial budget shortfall.

During a notably emotional press conference last week, Newsom launched a recruitment campaign aiming to enlist 10,000 new participants in the California Service Corps. This statewide program engages volunteers in a variety of roles, such as student tutoring, disaster response, and environmental efforts.

“I apologize, this is quite embarrassing,” Newsom remarked, visibly moved as he wiped away tears. “We need to mute all the noise. Just listen to this—this is what matters.”

The initiative specifically seeks to engage more young men in community service, offering them career paths and social connections. Prior to the event, the governor stated that “too many boys feel isolated and lack direction,” portraying the initiative as part of a comprehensive strategy to tackle declining employment and deteriorating mental health among young men.

In his January State of the State address, Newsom highlighted statistics illustrating the challenges facing young men today.

However, a report from the California Legislative Analyst’s Office questions the validity of the infrastructure supporting these efforts. It scrutinizes the partnerships with external organizations, especially given the precarious state of the current budget.

“One out of seven men has no friends,” Newsom said, “and half of young men have not even asked a woman out on a date in person.” Newsom says “men are struggling, boys are struggling.”

Newsom is proposing a $5 million, one-time general fund to conduct an outreach campaign about state programs, and the goal is to help Californians develop an “improved sense of belonging.”

“Based on a lack of clarity around what problem the proposal is intending to address, why more outreach about state programs is needed, how funds would be used, or how success could be measured, we recommend the Legislature reject this proposal,” auditors wrote.

The LAO report examining California’s service programs found that the state has built out its own staffing and administrative structure to support volunteer initiatives, and it flagged concerns about oversight, coordination and long-term effectiveness.

Auditors specifically singled out a $5 million general fund for the “belonging campaign,” which would be overseen by the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement, a.k.a. GO-SERVE.

“Based on a lack of clarity around what problem the proposal is intending to address, why more outreach about state programs is needed, how funds would be used, or how success could be measured, we recommend the Legislature reject the proposed $5 million for GO-SERVE to conduct a belonging campaign,” officials wrote.

“In a year with limited available general fund, we recommend the Legislature set a particularly high bar for approving new discretionary spending,” the report continued. “Yet, even were the budget condition to improve, we do not believe the administration has provided sufficient justification for the Legislature to prioritize funding this proposal.”

GO-Serve was created as part of a reorganization of the Governor’s Office starting in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The governor’s proposed 2025-26 budget includes $225 million for GO-Serve, with $184 million coming from the state’s general fund.

The governors office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report panning Newsom’s “belonging campaign.”

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