Engaging funders in Budget and Tax Policy for nearly 20 years!

Public budgets are one of the most important policy instruments of our government. They are moral document that reflects our values and priorities through decisions on how to tax residents and businesses and spend these collective resources. These decisions impact what families have to spend on basic needs and invest in their future, define the size of the government and its role in the national economy, and affect the lives of all Americans.

EOF hosts an annual Budget and Tax Briefing to provide funders and philanthropic advisors with a unique opportunity to learn about and discuss why federal and state budget and tax work matters to national, state and local philanthropy.

2021 Virtual Budget and Tax Briefing

Due to the COVID pandemic, we shifted this year’s Budget Briefing to a no contact, high engagement virtual series of events that included four funder learning webinars on Thursdays in April.

Federal Policy, Budget and Revenue Outlook
April 8, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:15 PM ET
See recap, recording, and related resources here

Government services, structures and systems are an essential foundation for a healthy economy where opportunity and prosperity are broadly and equitably shared. The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism have exposed and deepened our current economy’s structural weaknesses and inequalities and spurred a new moment of national reckoning on racial justice. Join us to learn more about key provisions in the federal budget and recovery package, upcoming budget debates, and strategies to advance worker justice, social protections and an economy that works for all.

Marcia Egbert, Program Director, The George Gund Foundation (Moderator)
Dr. Michael McAfee, President and CEO, PolicyLink
Sharon Parrott, President, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

State Policy, Budget and Revenue Outlook
April 15, 2021 | 12:00 – 2:00PM ET
See recap, recording, and related resources here

The COVID-19 pandemic and recession triggered a state budget crisis and exposed and deepened our current economy’s structural weaknesses and inequalities. The American Rescue Plan’s $350 billion in aid to state and localities and stronger than anticipated revenue projections suggest the worst may be over, leaving some state policymakers proposing harmful tax cuts and austerity policies that will slow down the recovery and cause further harm to families and communities, with disproportionate impacts on immigrants, tribal nations, communities of color, and women. Now is the time to advance bold progressive revenue policies where everyone pays their fair share and communities can thrive. Join us to learn more about how states are responding and what’s at stake and in play in 2021.

This two-part program will share an overview of key policy and narrative battles and opportunities in the states and offer lessons learned and insights from proactive and defensive revenue campaigns in New Jersey, Washington and West Virginia.

Karina Jiménez Lewis, Associate Director, Policy Reform & Advocacy, The Annie E. Casey Foundation (Moderator)
Michael Leachman, Vice President, State Fiscal Policy, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Mariya Taher, Senior Project Manager, Topos Partnership
Brandon McKoy, President, New Jersey Policy Perspective
Kelly Allen, Executive Director, West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy
Misha Werschkul, Executive Director, Washington State Budget & Policy Center

Making the Case for Cash
April 22, 2021 | 1:00-2:00 PM ET
See recap, recording and related resources here

As millions of Americans continue to struggle to make ends meet, there has been increased national attention to and growing public support for cash transfers as an effective way to get money into the pockets of people hit hardest by the pandemic and economic crisis. Government and philanthropy are experimenting with a variety of approaches– universal basic income pilots, emergency stimulus, and tax credits — to explore how to ensure that families who need it the most have access to flexible resources. Join us to learn more about how government, philanthropy, and advocacy organizations are making the case for cash.

Nisha Patel, Powered by Shakti (Moderator)
Aisha Nyandoro, CEO, Springboard to Opportunities
George Jones, CEO, Bread for City

Meet our 2021 Law & Social Policy Legacy Award Winner — Centro de los Derechos del Migrante,Inc
April 29, 2021 | 1:00-1:30 PM ET
See recap and related resources here.

The Law & Social Policy Legacy Award was established in 2020 to recognize organizations defending and advocating for low-wage workers’ rights. A $10,000 award will be given by EOF with support from Public Welfare Foundation annually until 2030 as a part of their legacy investment into the Workers’ Rights field. Awardees will be recognized at EOF’s Annual Budget and Tax Briefing.

Meet EOF’s Law & Social Policy Legacy Award inaugural winner, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc. (CDM) and learn more about their work to advance justice with migrant workers.

Stephanie Davison, Program Officer, Human Services, The Kresge Foundation and EOF Steering Committee member (Moderator)
Rachel Micah-Jones, Founder and Executive Director, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc.

Many thanks to our planning committee for their time and leadership in shaping this event!

Ethan Frey, Ford Foundation
Kit Judge, The Annie E. Casey Foundation and EOF Steering Committee
Nisha Patel, Powered by Shakti
Padmini Parthasarathy, Walter & Elise Haas Fund

Host a Local Watch Party

Since 2014, local watch parties have been organized to expand our reach to funders unable to travel to DC by web streaming our federal budget and tax outlook plenary session. Typically, watch parties are organized as two-hour programs, where participants come together to view the budget and tax outlook presentation (live or as a recording on a later date) and then engage in a discussion with local experts on how the current landscape impacts critical programs and services in their state.

Interested in learning more about local watch parties? Contact Cema Siegel at csiegel@eofnetwork.org.

Why Host a Watch Party
Watch Party Logistics
2021 Watch Party Hosts
Sample Agenda
Resources

Watch Party Goals

The purpose of the watch parties is to help state and local funders:

Gain a better understanding of this year’s pressing federal budget and tax issues and the impact on their state budgets and economies;
Discuss with peers the implications for programs serving struggling workers, families and communities; and
Consider grantmaking strategies and opportunities for collaboration with like minded stakeholders.

Why Federal Budget and Tax Policy Matters to State and Local Funders
States get about one-third of their revenue from the federal government — funds that help pay for health care, schools, housing, roads, child care, job training, and a range of other programs. Unlike the federal government, most states and localities must balance their budgets every year. The pandemic and economic fallout are placing significant strains on state and local budgets, costing millions to contain the disease and driving significant declines in income and sales tax revenues. Budget shortfalls, dwindling rainy day funds, and insufficient federal relief will leave policymakers facing tough choices about raising taxes and fees, cutting spending on critical programs, and imposing furloughs and layoffs on public employees.

Local Watch Party Logistics

There is no fee to participate.
Watch parties will participate via a URL link. The only technology needed is an internet connection.
Watch parties can view the federal budget and tax outlook presentation live (on April 8 from 1:00-2:15PM ET) or as a recording at a later date.
Participants viewing the live webinar will be on mute, but will have the opportunity to ask questions during the Q&A portion of the session.
We ask that hosts share watch party details (date, time, venue, sponsors, speakers, and number of participants) so that we can track participation.
Watch party hosts will be recognized on the EOF website and meeting materials.

Interested in hosting a local watch party? Contact Cema Siegel at csiegel@eofnetwork.org.

Florida Philanthropic Network and Florida Policy Institute – Contact: Holly Bullard, bullard@floridapolicy.org
Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania – Contact: Jennifer Nielsen JNielsen@gwpa.org
Maryland Philanthropy – Contact: Elisabeth Hyleck, ehyleck@marylandphilanthropy.org
North Carolina Network of Grantmakers and North Carolina Justice Center – Contact: Alexandra F. Sirota, alexandra@ncjustice.org
New York Funders Alliance – Contact: emily@nyfunders.org
Philanthropy Missouri – Contact: Deb Dubin, deb.dubin@centerforgiving.org
Philanthropy Ohio – Contact: John Gest, JGest@philanthropyohio.org
Workforce Matters – Contact: Sarah Oldmixon, sarah@workforce-matters.org

Virtual Budget and Tax Briefing for Grantmakers
[Date, Time]
[Host, Location Address]

Sample Agenda

5-10 minutes	Welcome and Introductions
60 minutes	Federal Policy, Budget and Revenue Outlook Government services, structures and systems are an essential foundation for a healthy economy where opportunity and prosperity are broadly and equitably shared. The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism have exposed and deepened our current economy’s structural weaknesses and inequalities and spurred a new moment of national reckoning on racial justice. Join us to learn more about key provisions in the federal budget and recovery package, upcoming budget debates, and strategies to advance worker justice, social protections and an economy that works for all. Marcia Egbert, Program Director, The George Gund Foundation (Moderator) Dr. Michael McAfee, President and CEO, Policy Link Sharron Parrott, President, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
60 minutes	Funder Discussion Local experts will share their perspective on [state’s] fiscal landscape and how the federal landscape will affect funding for critical programs and services serving children and families in [state]. We will then have an open discussion about what this means for our work as funders and for the work of our grantees. Local speakers may include staff from the State Priorities Partnership group in your state or other non-profit human services coalitions. Sample questions your follow-up conversation might explore: How does the federal tax and budget landscape impact our state/locality? How do federal decisions impact the resources our state and local leaders can access for critical safety net human services, health and/or education services? If proposed federal changes go through, how would this impact the areas our foundations focus on and our grantmaking seeks to advance? What is the policy and advocacy infrastructure in our state/locality to help inform federal and state decision makers? How is it connected to federal and state tax and budget debates? What are its strengths and areas that need attention? How can we, as grantmakers, work collaboratively to ensure that decisions made about public funding impacting struggling populations and communities are informed by the best practices of our grantees? [Add speaker names here].
5-10 minutes	Closing Remarks/Adjourn

President-Elect Biden’s Relief Plan Meets Urgency of Health and Economic Crisis, Statement by Sharon Parrott, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, January 14, 2021: Nearly one year into the pandemic and recession, millions of people are still struggling to get by and waiting for federal policymakers to provide substantial relief that lasts long enough to get us through this crisis.
State Fiscal Briefs, Urban Institute, January 2021: National recessions and federal tax and spending changes can affect budgets in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. And big policy questions, such as whether to increase teacher salaries or expand health care access, can pop up in many states at the same time. But each state faces unique economic, political, cultural, and historical pressures that affect how fiscal issues emerge and how problems are resolved. That’s why the State and Local Finance Initiative put together these 51 briefs, detailing the dynamics that influence major policy issues in each state.
State Actions to Close Budget Shortfalls in Response to COVID-19, National Conference of State Legislatures, January 2021: State revenue collections across the country plummeted as commerce slowed down to curb the spread of COVID-19. As a result, states face major budget shortfalls. To illustrate the implications of these budget gaps, the National Conference of State Legislatures created a database detailing state budget-cutting and revenue-increasing measures. The database brings up-to-date, real-time information in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
State Tax and Economic Review, 2020 Quarter 2, By Lucy Dadayan, Tax Policy Center, December 24, 2020: Though some of that drop was caused by states postponing tax deadlines, preliminary tax revenue data show that combined second- and third-quarter revenues are still depressed.
How much money does your state receive from the federal government? By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall Street, USA Today, March 20, 2019.
Federal Aid to State and Local Governments, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, April 19, 2018.
How Much Do States Rely on Federal Funding? By Mike Maciag, Governing, May 22, 2017.

Why Host a Watch Party

Watch Party Goals

The purpose of the watch parties is to help state and local funders:

Gain a better understanding of this year’s pressing federal budget and tax issues and the impact on their state budgets and economies;
Discuss with peers the implications for programs serving struggling workers, families and communities; and
Consider grantmaking strategies and opportunities for collaboration with like minded stakeholders.

Watch Party Logistics

Local Watch Party Logistics

There is no fee to participate.
Watch parties will participate via a URL link. The only technology needed is an internet connection.
Watch parties can view the federal budget and tax outlook presentation live (on April 8 from 1:00-2:15PM ET) or as a recording at a later date.
Participants viewing the live webinar will be on mute, but will have the opportunity to ask questions during the Q&A portion of the session.
We ask that hosts share watch party details (date, time, venue, sponsors, speakers, and number of participants) so that we can track participation.
Watch party hosts will be recognized on the EOF website and meeting materials.

2021 Watch Party Hosts

Interested in hosting a local watch party? Contact Cema Siegel at csiegel@eofnetwork.org.

Florida Philanthropic Network and Florida Policy Institute – Contact: Holly Bullard, bullard@floridapolicy.org
Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania – Contact: Jennifer Nielsen JNielsen@gwpa.org
Maryland Philanthropy – Contact: Elisabeth Hyleck, ehyleck@marylandphilanthropy.org
North Carolina Network of Grantmakers and North Carolina Justice Center – Contact: Alexandra F. Sirota, alexandra@ncjustice.org
New York Funders Alliance – Contact: emily@nyfunders.org
Philanthropy Missouri – Contact: Deb Dubin, deb.dubin@centerforgiving.org
Philanthropy Ohio – Contact: John Gest, JGest@philanthropyohio.org
Workforce Matters – Contact: Sarah Oldmixon, sarah@workforce-matters.org

Sample Agenda

Virtual Budget and Tax Briefing for Grantmakers
[Date, Time]
[Host, Location Address]

Sample Agenda

5-10 minutes	Welcome and Introductions
60 minutes	Federal Policy, Budget and Revenue Outlook Government services, structures and systems are an essential foundation for a healthy economy where opportunity and prosperity are broadly and equitably shared. The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism have exposed and deepened our current economy’s structural weaknesses and inequalities and spurred a new moment of national reckoning on racial justice. Join us to learn more about key provisions in the federal budget and recovery package, upcoming budget debates, and strategies to advance worker justice, social protections and an economy that works for all. Marcia Egbert, Program Director, The George Gund Foundation (Moderator) Dr. Michael McAfee, President and CEO, Policy Link Sharron Parrott, President, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
60 minutes	Funder Discussion Local experts will share their perspective on [state’s] fiscal landscape and how the federal landscape will affect funding for critical programs and services serving children and families in [state]. We will then have an open discussion about what this means for our work as funders and for the work of our grantees. Local speakers may include staff from the State Priorities Partnership group in your state or other non-profit human services coalitions. Sample questions your follow-up conversation might explore: How does the federal tax and budget landscape impact our state/locality? How do federal decisions impact the resources our state and local leaders can access for critical safety net human services, health and/or education services? If proposed federal changes go through, how would this impact the areas our foundations focus on and our grantmaking seeks to advance? What is the policy and advocacy infrastructure in our state/locality to help inform federal and state decision makers? How is it connected to federal and state tax and budget debates? What are its strengths and areas that need attention? How can we, as grantmakers, work collaboratively to ensure that decisions made about public funding impacting struggling populations and communities are informed by the best practices of our grantees? [Add speaker names here].
5-10 minutes	Closing Remarks/Adjourn

Resources

President-Elect Biden’s Relief Plan Meets Urgency of Health and Economic Crisis, Statement by Sharon Parrott, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, January 14, 2021: Nearly one year into the pandemic and recession, millions of people are still struggling to get by and waiting for federal policymakers to provide substantial relief that lasts long enough to get us through this crisis.
State Fiscal Briefs, Urban Institute, January 2021: National recessions and federal tax and spending changes can affect budgets in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. And big policy questions, such as whether to increase teacher salaries or expand health care access, can pop up in many states at the same time. But each state faces unique economic, political, cultural, and historical pressures that affect how fiscal issues emerge and how problems are resolved. That’s why the State and Local Finance Initiative put together these 51 briefs, detailing the dynamics that influence major policy issues in each state.
State Actions to Close Budget Shortfalls in Response to COVID-19, National Conference of State Legislatures, January 2021: State revenue collections across the country plummeted as commerce slowed down to curb the spread of COVID-19. As a result, states face major budget shortfalls. To illustrate the implications of these budget gaps, the National Conference of State Legislatures created a database detailing state budget-cutting and revenue-increasing measures. The database brings up-to-date, real-time information in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
State Tax and Economic Review, 2020 Quarter 2, By Lucy Dadayan, Tax Policy Center, December 24, 2020: Though some of that drop was caused by states postponing tax deadlines, preliminary tax revenue data show that combined second- and third-quarter revenues are still depressed.
How much money does your state receive from the federal government? By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall Street, USA Today, March 20, 2019.
Federal Aid to State and Local Governments, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, April 19, 2018.
How Much Do States Rely on Federal Funding? By Mike Maciag, Governing, May 22, 2017.

2020 Budget and Tax Briefing

March 5-6, 2020 | Washington, DC

This two-day briefing provided funders the opportunity to network with colleagues and learn about and discuss pressing policy developments, key battles and opportunities at the federal and state level, and emerging policy, communications and organizing strategies to advance worker justice, social protections and an economy that works for all.

PPT Presentations

Tax Justice is Gender Justice, Melissa Boteach, National Women’s Law Center
Taxes and Public Opinion, Michael Linden, Groundwork Collaborative

Video Recordings

Public Benefits Innovations and Evolution: Rebecca Dixon, National Employment Law Project and Cathy Albisa, Partners for Dignity & Rights shared community and worker led solutions for building a new social contract that is equitable and advances a just democracy and economy.

Video recordings of the following sessions are available in the members only area of this web site. Login and visit the meeting resources section to access the recordings. Not a member? Join EOF (it’s free!)

- Federal and State Budget and Tax Outlook. Noted tax and budget policy experts Sharon Parrott and Erica Williams from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shared key battles and opportunities and what’s at stake and in play in 2020.
- Building Equity into the Tax Code: Jeremie Greer, Liberation in a Generation, Melissa Boteach, National Women’s Law Center and Michael Linden, Groundwork Collaborative shared the historic and current-day connection between tax systems and racial and gender equity, how the fields of policy and community engagement have been working to address equity through changing the tax code, how to talk about taxes, and how funders can best support these initiatives.

Many thanks to our terrific planning committee for their time and leadership in shaping this event!

Jason Cone, Robin Hood
Marcia Egbert, The George Gund Foundation
Pierre Joseph, Solidago Foundation
Kit Judge, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Jean Ross, The Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust

Many thanks to our 2020 Watch Party Hosts!

Gateway Center for Giving (St. Louis, MO) – Contact: Kelly Connor, kelly@centerforgiving.org
Grantmakers Council of Rhode Island (Providence, RI) – Contact: Nancy Wolanski, Nancy.Wolanski@uwri.org
New York Funders Alliance (Buffalo and Rochester, NY) – Contact: Emily Alber Chase, emily@nyfunders.org
North Carolina Justice Center (Raleigh, NC) – Contact: Alexandra F. Sirota, alexandra@ncjustice.org
Philanthropy Ohio, in partnership with The Gund Foundation (Cleveland, OH) – Contact: John Gest, JGest@philanthropyohio.org

2019 Budget and Policy Briefing

February 21-22, 2019 | Washington, DC

EOF and Funders for a Just Economy (FJE) joined together to hold a combined 2019 Budget and Policy Briefing as a way to streamline programming, highlight intersections, eliminate duplication, reduce travel burdens on membership, and economize on meeting expenditures. This two day meeting updated philanthropy about our current understanding of the major forces that will impact worker justice, social protections, and equitable economic policy in the coming years, shed light on offensive and defensive needs on federal, state and local levels, and identified how funders can best support these initiatives.

Agenda

Speaker Bios

Participant List

Keynote Address: Federal Policy, Budget and Revenue Outlook – What’s in store during the 116th Congress? Noted tax and budget policy expert Bob Greenstein provided an overview on the key provisions in the federal budget, discuss current and upcoming budget debates, and offer insights on the potential impact on struggling families, workers and communities.

PPT
A recording of this session and meeting resource list is available in the members only area of this web site. Login to access and visit the meeting resources section. Not a member? Join EOF (it’s free!).

Many thanks to our terrific planning committee for their time and leadership in shaping this event!

Caitlin Hamood, Stoneman Family Foundations
Robert Shull, Public Welfare Foundation
Anna Wadia, Ford Foundation
Terri Wright, Meyer Foundation

Many thanks to our Watch Party Hosts!

Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (Baltimore, MD) – Contact: Elisabeth Hyleck,ehyleck@abagrantmakers.org
Florida Policy Institute and Second Harvest (Orlando, FL) – Contact: Sonia Lindell, Lindell@fpi.institute and Holly Bullard, Bullard@fpi.institute
Gateway Center for Giving (St. Louis, MO) – Contact: Clare Brewka,clare.brewka@centerforgiving.org
Grantmakers Council of Rhode Island (Providence, RI) – Contact: Nancy Wolanski, Nancy.Wolanski@uwri.org
Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh, PA) – Contact: Jennifer Nielsen JNielsen@gwpa.org
New York Funders Alliance (Buffalo, NY) – Contact: Emily Alber Chase, emily@nyfunders.org
North Carolina Justice Center (Raleigh, NC) – Contact: Alexandra F. Sirota, alexandra@ncjustice.org
Philanthropy Northwest (Seattle, WA) – Contact: Elyse Gordon, Egordon@philanthropynw.org
Philanthropy Ohio, in partnership with The Gund Foundation (Cleveland, OH) – Contact: John Gest, JGest@philanthropyohio.org
W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation (Chicago, IL) – Contact: Sara Slaughter, sara@wcstonefnd.org and Brandon Thorne, Brandon@wcstonefnd.org