Letter from the Executive Director Local Impact of Federal Spending Major Collaborators NPP Out Loud NPP

deral Spending Major Collaborators NPP Out Loud NPP Who We Are NPP Financial Summary About National Priorities Project
Environment,
A Bangor high school National Priorities Project collaborated with many organizations in 2009 including: NPP Writing in Media Media NPP Board List Volunteers Interns Expenses and Revenue A vital, engaged democracy demands more than transparent
“Democracy is not a spectator sport.“ teacher relayed the
Energy & Science 6%
the Blogosphere Highlights Mentions Dennis Bidwell Kat Allen Angela Bellas For the year ended December 31, 2009 with comparative totals for 2008 government: it requires a broad, well-informed public to shape
Transportation 3% Afghanistan Working Group Evangelical Lutheran Political Economy
The late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan’s words were never as true as they following about AlterNet Associated Press Radio 871 Eve Brown-Waite Lisa Baskin Zilin Cui
Income Security & Labor 2% Alliance for Nuclear Church in America Research Institute the priorities of its governing institutions.
Asia Times The Boston Globe Television 25 2009* 2008
were in 2009. The events of the last year—both the challenges and the promise education in Maine: International Affairs 4% Military Accountability Foreign Policy in Focus Presbyterian Church (USA) Rosa Alicia Clemente Jessica Berger Samantha Dana
Spending Common Dreams Christian Science Monitor Magazines 22 Peter Greenwald Mary Bombardier Jimmy Gagnon For 26 years, National Priorities Project (NPP) has made complex
—called us all to pay attention and engage with our government, on the “Maine’s fiscal year 2011 education American Friends Friends Committee on Priorities NH Revenue & Support
Health 5% 58% Countercurrents CNBC.com Blogs 1,431 (Treasurer, Outgoing Rachel Chandler-Worth Mollie Herman budgetary and policy information easily accessible to our constituents
local, state and national levels. Service Committee National Legislation/ The Progressive Caucus
budget looks pretty grim. In 2010, thanks Our Nation’s Checkbook Dollars and Sense CNN Total 2,349 Chair)
Chicopee High School Respina Jani Grants $394,800 $286,473 —individuals, organizations, elected officials and the media—with the
Housing & American Human Progressive Democrats
In 2009, National Priorities Project (NPP) constituents fought for a broadened to federal recovery funds and Title I Community 6% Development Project Greater New Haven The Huffington Post Democracy Now Jen Kern Students Donations 197,894 186,265
of America Website Xuanzi Jia goal of increasing civic engagement.
money, we’ve been able to hang on to The Backbone Campaign Peace Council Mother Jones The Nation Bakari Kitwana Kristen Chilingslee In-kind $13,945 27,399
definition of security, struggling to hang on to teachers for their children and Government 6% ProgressNow Colorado Statistics Yulia Lyalyutska

Budget of the U.S. Gov’t, FY 2011

Brave New Foundation Homelessness Marathon The Nation National Public Radio Michael Klare Court Cline NPP is a unique, dynamic bridge between budget and policy decisions
to create good jobs for their neighbors. They supported the first steps in most of our teachers. Next year, local Food 1% Rebuild and Renew The NPP website had Michael Marelli Other 1,875 3,850
Education 4% Bread for the World Institute for Policy Studies America Now OurFuture Newshour with Jim Lehrer more than one million Stephanie Luce Frances Crowe made in Washington, D.C. and thousands of towns and cities across
healthcare and climate change reform while addressing a financial and housing communities will still be dealing with huge 5% Veterans’ Danna Niedzweicki Interest 3,184 6,152
Benefits Budget Priorities Jobs for America Now Right to the City Salon NOW with Bill Moyers unique web visitors in Paul Kawika Martin Lori Divine-Hudson the United States. We offer clear information about how government
crisis that threatened our nation. People responded to the surge in the state shortfalls plus the federal stimulus funds will end. Susan Salinas
Working Group Jobs with Justice TomDispatch Pacifica Radio 2009. Miriam Pemberton TOTAL REVENUE AND SUPPORT $611,698 $510,139
Rural Organizing Project Bill Dwight Susana Sanchez spending works, and how it affects state and local communities.
Afghanistan war and to the sweet promise of nuclear arms reduction. They We’ll either have to raise taxes, cut programs or both. These cuts will come at Campaign for Legacy of Equality, truthout TIME Magazine Lorna Peterson
Seventh Generation Fund Margi Gregory Edise Schmitz Expenses
worked for food security, energy independence, an end to racial disparities, the same time as more and more of our kids are qualifying for increased services America’s Future Leadership and Organizing for Indian Development USA Today Vijay Prashad Nancy Grossman Mark Soukup
an adequate social safety net for our families and reflection on the way our because of the financial trouble their families are facing. For example, our “free Center for American Massnonprofit.org Sunlight Foundation The Washington Post Bill Strickland Pam Hannah Program $466,735 $523,308
Progress Long Truong
nation relates with the world. and reduced lunch” numbers are the highest they’ve ever been. Our schools Media Education True Majority Sue Thrasher Ann Hennessey Administration 84,337 60,278
Center for Arms Control Foundation Carlos Ventura
will be called on to University of Massachusetts Leah Wise Carolyn Herrick Development 118,739 108,436
People organized because they know that our government only works if and Nonproliferation MoveOn.org Center for Public Policy
N P P D ATA B A S E do more, not less, Lawrence Wittner Laurie Herrick Foundation Funders
everyone participates, if all voices shape our nation’s debate. And they Citizens for Global The National Council and Administration TOTAL EXPENSES 669,811 692,022
www.nationalpriorities.org/nppdatabase_tool but with a lot less Solutions and the United Cate Woolner Tom Herrick Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
of Churches United for Peace (Vice Chair,
turned to National Priorities Project in greater numbers than ever before for Nations Association, Ann Levinger Colombe Foundation
resources. We’re The Nation and Justice incoming Chair) CHANGE IN NET ASSETS (58,113) (181,883)
information about federal spending and its local impact because they NPP TRADEOFFS
on a collision
NE CT Chapters
Coalition on Human Needs
Network U.S. Action We are facing one of the biggest crises of George Levinger Community Foundation
of Western Massachusetts
wanted to strengthen their convictions as well as their arguments. www.nationalpriorities.org/tradeoffs New America Foundation Women’s Action NPP Staff List Jim Levey NET ASSETS, beginning of the year $485,782 $667,665
course, for sure.” Code Pink Educational Foundation
Because of you and your commitment to NPP, we responded with federal Colonias Development
New Hampshire
Citizens Alliance
for New Directions
Women’s International
our generation. To respond strategically Juan Carlos Aguilar
Barb Chalfonte
Arky Markham
Erin McNally
of America
NET ASSETS, end of the year $472,669 $485,782
National Priorities Project
budget analysis and tools critical to closing the gap between the people’s When our teacher turned to NPP to learn more about the state and local Council Nathan Cummings
Northwest Federation of League for Peace and Jo Comerford Stuart Mieher CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 243 King Street, Suite 109
priorities and our federal budget. impact of federal spending, he found: Connect U.S.
Community Organizations Freedom we will need to both understand the roots Kristine Elinevsky Hannah Morehouse
Foundation
New Hampshire Beginning of the year $356,368 $411,420 Northampton, Massachusetts 01060
DataCenter Women’s Legislative Lobby
On behalf of the Board and staff of National Priorities Project, I invite you to Our Federal Priorities Database with data on 27 state-level, education-related OMB Watch Chris Hellman Sara Nolan de Aguilar Charitable Foundation
Ecumenical Advocacy Days End of the year $298,255 $356,368 413.584.9556
take a moment to reflect with us on the events of 2009 and on NPP’s impact, federal programs or grants coming into Maine and 26 indicators tracking everything Emergency Campaign
One Wisconsin Now Working America of the problems and arm ourselves with Mary Orisich Doug Renick Rockefeller Brothers Fund
www.nationalpriorities.org
Peace Action Sara Lockard Silvia Diana Riddle Rockefeller Family Fund
all the way from the grassroots to national organizing campaigns. from school drop out rates to student/teacher ratios. for America’s Priorities *Unaudited figures www.facebook.com/nationalpriorities
Barbara Jordan also said, “If
you’re going to play the game NPP’s annual analysis of the President’s Budget with a five-year, across-budget
the data that we can use to organize and Brendan Smith Rachel Simpson Select Equity Group
Foundation
Complete audited statements available upon request.
www.twitter.com/natpriorities
Greg Speeter Michele Spring-Moore
properly you’d better know every rule.“ spending comparison and a three-year state level impact overview for programs Gordon Tripp Solidago Foundation
Join us in 2010 as NPP’s federal budget research, networking and capacity like Title I. stand up to address it. NPP gives us both. NPP gratefully acknowl-
edges the service of staff Paki Wieland Stewart R. Mott
A group of unemployed residents from the Rochester, members that departed Charitable Trust
building help make the federal budget “rules“ visible, so that everyone can play. Our annual Tax Day analysis which examines how the federal government spent
the organization in 2009: Wellspring Fund of the In my experience, no matter what issue one focuses on, one thing is painfully clear: the world is
Michigan area meet with Congressman Gary Peters (MI)
With all best wishes for the days ahead, our 2009 federal income tax dollars. —Abraham T. Mwaura, Project Coordinator Jillian Hanson, Daniel Peace Development Fund
using NPP data to advocate for continued funding for McLeod, Diana Riddle, upside down. There is enough for everyone and yet people are in need. They are hungry, homeless,
NPP’s Trade Off tool that quantifies the opportunity costs of federal spending Warehouse Workers for Justice NPP is grateful for the
unemployment and jobs stimulus. Suzanne Smith, and
decisions, with a focus on education related trade-offs, including numbers of (featured in Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story) support of many, many
Beth Spong.
Jo Comerford teachers and Head Start slots.
generous individual jobless, anxious. They are without good schools, affordable health care, reliable childcare, a living
Our Nation’s Checkbook members meet with Congresswoman donors.
Executive Director

P.S. Save the date for NPP’s Fall Party Gala—Sunday October 3, 2010. Our
keynote speaker will be the Honorable Donna Edwards, Congresswoman,
4th District, Maryland.
Progressive Democrats of America have held 287 Brown Bag
Lunch Vigils using NPP data to advocate with Congress for
“Healthcare Not Warfare.”
Allyson Schwartz (PA). This is a campaign to shift federal wage. Most Americans—most humans—know this is wrong. National Priorities Project’s federal
spending priorities towards meeting the needs of people in
the United States. A collaborative effort between FCNL, NPP budget information tells this truth: It doesn't have to be this way.
and other groups, advocates are working in key states and congressional
districts to change the way this country allocates its financial resources. —Jen Kern, Minimum Wage Campaign Coordinator, National Employment Law Project, Washington, DC
 Our budget problem is not that we spend too much, but that we
“If I took one trillion dollars I would spend No other organization focuses as clearly and
it on important things like education, creatively as NPP does on the gap between spend far too much in areas where we shouldn’t, and far too little
26.5¢

Photos on this panel by Matthew Weinstein

health care and the environment. We need
to focus on education because our school
systems lack enough books, art supplies,
musical equipment … If we had a better
education system, fewer people would
make the wrong decisions. I remember one
what we say as a country we value, and Where Did Your 2009 in other places, which could do so much to improve the quality
where our money actually goes. And no Tax Dollars Go?
of the lives of all Americans. National Priorities Project has
other organization provides citizens with
consistently been one of the few organizations to draw
tools to do their own analysis, revealing 20.1¢
attention to this point. Providing vital advocacy as we shift away
how federal spending affects their own
A sign designed by Fort Green, Brooklyn residents
(pictured below) using data from NPP and its www.costofwar.com website. communities, and to use this analysis to from grossly excessive military spending and into categories

year our school ran out of paper and isn’t advocate for change. Without such that will be far more productive for our quality of life is a

that ironic because Holyoke’s the Paper City. informed citizen action, special interest 13.6¢ great asset, and one that I believe will become increasingly
How does that happen?” business as usual will prevail.
—Sophia Velasquez, 9th Grade, Holyoke,
important as we deal with a budget crisis that will only be
This mural in Sunset Park, Brooklyn was sponsored by the Groundswell Massachusetts
9.8¢

Military
Community Mural Project. A group of young women painted a mural —Miriam Pemberton, Research Fellow
resolved sensibly if the country pays attention to NPP’s advice.

5.4¢
that was their response to military recruiters in their schools and neigh- Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC
borhoods. The mural’s lower sections have data provided by National 8.5¢ —Congressman Barney Frank, Fourth Congressional District of Massachusetts
Priorities Project on the war, women and the military.
(Photo by David Gonzalez/The New York Times)
7.2¢
For 25 years the National Priorities Project has insightfully and
2009

Northampton, MA 01060
accurately brought the realities of federal spending priorities

Non-Military
3.5¢ 3.7¢ annual

243 King Street

(panel right) U.S. spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will reach
2.5¢

8.2¢
$1 trillion in 2010. The If I Had a Trillion Dollars curriculum was developed
2.0¢ into the forefront of discussions both within the halls of Congress

by writing, calling or visiting

education-related spending

You can have a say in this

www.nationalpriorities.org
report

with your congressperson.

1.3¢ 1.3¢

Suite 109
and piloted with a small group of youth from the Holyoke, Massachusetts

science-related spending

military-related spending
environment, energy and
The President requested

health-related spending
$860 billion for

$737 billion for

the following spending
Upward Bound program. To help young people both understand and respond

$83 billion for

$79 billion for

to this milestone, NPP in partnership with the American Friends Service and across the nation. Its work has greatly assisted those of us

To learn more, visit

Committee launched the youth video campaign. Asking what they would
do for their communities with $1 trillion, youth are building capacity to
n al n nt s’ d
g&
t th y who are working to reorient our federal budget priorities to

Federal
tio tio o ity en t
ionirs me ce anits Fo es al ar

Budget
sinnity
understand federal spending through the curriculum, participation in our
ta t uc
a n n r
te f urbor nm er ebt He lit
or na fa o
vir cie
u c r t Mi

Facts
sp Ed VeBene Hommu e
e S & La ve In n D

in FY11:
Data for Democracy webinars, and tools and materials from NPP’s website.
er Af Eny & S Go
an Int Co om o
reflect our Nation’s values and the true needs of our people.”
(pictured) If I Had a Trillion Dollars program participants: David Arriago,
Tr g In c
er
left; Jailah Hernandez, right; Sophia Velasquez, middle.
En —The Honorable Barbara Lee, Ninth Congressional District of California