The White House recently released A Budget for a Better America, the administration’s 2021 federal budget proposal.

We’re digging into the budget and highlighting a few key items including education, safety net programs, national service funding and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).

Education

In the education component of the budget, Ridgway White, president and CEO of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, has shared a statement in response to a recommendation in the budget to move from dedicated federal funding to a block grant for several programs, including after-school.

White says this move would ultimately “force states to make impossible choices with fewer resources to support nearly 30 existing education programs. That means more than 1.7 million young people in our country are likely to lose their after-school programs.”

In the statement, White shared the value of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program which currently receives dedicated federal funding to support the creation of community learning centers that provide children with academic enrichment opportunities after school, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. 

“21^st CCLC is a public-private model that encourages partnerships, leverages local resources and expands opportunities for millions of young people in their communities,” White said. “It also makes good fiscal sense. Research shows every dollar invested in afterschool programs saves $3 by improving kids’ performance at school, increasing their earning potential, and reducing crime and social safety net costs.”

National Service Funding

Moving on to other agencies, the budget includes a recommendation to eliminate federal funding for several programs, as the administration says these programs have “no proper federal role.” These include the same agencies that have been slated for elimination in the administration’s previous four budget proposals: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

The CNCS includes both AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, which provide pathways to engage thousands of Americans in intensive service to meet critical community needs and expand economic opportunity.

Last year, in Michigan alone, 8,900 Senior Corps and AmeriCorps members served as volunteers at over 1,700 locations across our state, including schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics and youth centers.

According to the CNCS, it invested more than $25.5 million in federal funding in Michigan last year to support cost-effective community solutions and through a public-private partnership, generated more than $33.9 million in outside resources from businesses, foundations, public agencies and other sources.

“This local support strengthened community impact and increased the return on taxpayer dollars,” they share.

The budget states in part: “To the extent these activities have value, they should be supported by the nonprofit and private sectors and not with federal subsidies.”

In previous budget cycles the CNCS, NEA and NEH received bipartisan support in the final versions of the budget passed by lawmakers.

GLRI

The GLRI, which has also typically received bipartisan support in Congress, is a multi-agency effort to ensure a healthy future for our lakes and protect them from pollution, invasive species and other environmental threats. For the first time the Trump administration is recommending additional funding for the GLRI in the budget proposal.  

However, the budget includes a 26% reduction in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which houses the GLRI. Within the EPA budget, $6 million is earmarked for continued research and work to address PFAS contamination.

Safety Net Programs

The New York Times reports there are reductions proposed for several safety net programs, including a reduction of $15 billion to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Our Office of Foundation Liaison (OFL) has been working with the Fremont Area Community Foundation and the McGregor Fund over the past year to consider ways in which philanthropy and state government can work together to improve safety net programs and increase economic mobility in Michigan. Months of research and collaboration culminated in a convening in November 2019, with CMF members, state officials and nonprofit leaders coming together to discuss program elements, allowable guidelines, Michigan-specific implementation, utilization and funding.

This year OFL is continuing the dialogue around Michigan’s safety net with partners around the state in hopes that dialogue will set the base to begin working on building a bridge for the many Michigan children and families supported by these programs. 

Want more?

Check out the budget.