Foundations Push Presidential Candidates to Discuss Poverty

from Philanthropy

The Annie E. Casey Foundation, in Baltimore, and the Eos Foundation, in Boston, announced today they have started a project to get the 2008 presidential candidates to give priority to issues related to poverty and hunger—and will enlist other foundations to help.

“Despite considerable evidence of growth and strength in our nation’s overall economy, the problems of poverty along with corrosive gaps in economic opportunity persist in this country with an alarming tenacity,” Douglas W. Nelson, president of the Casey foundation, said at an event in Washington to kick off the effort.

The project, “Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity: Foundations Ask Presidential Candidates What They’ll Do for America,” has created a Web site that is a focal point for groups wanting to get data about poverty and check out the candidates’ views.


The site offers both video and written statements that the presidential hopefuls have made about issues like education, welfare, taxes, jobs, and the minimum wage.

The foundations have also asked all of the candidates five specific questions —including whether their administration would set a numerical goal and timeline for reducing poverty.

So far, five of them—Democrats Christopher Dodd, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, and Barack Obama and Republican Tom Tancredo—have responded either in writing or on video.

The Web site also includes articles and commentaries about poverty and the political campaigns; descriptions of research into poverty; and summaries of local, state, and international antipoverty campaigns.

The “Spotlight” project will also sponsor forums for candidates to discuss their views, and after the election press the winners to to fulfill their campaign promises.

The foundations released a report that tracked recent opinion polls that were conducted for Bread for the World, a Christian anti-hunger charity, and a secular affiliate group, Alliance to End Hunger, both in Washington. It found that concern about hunger and poverty is growing among likely voters, with 54 percent of them saying political candidates do not spend enough time talking about those issues.

Andrea Silbert, president of the Eos Foundation, said it was critical for foundations, which are spending billions of dollars to fight poverty, to get involved in public-policy issues. “And in order to do this, we have to start this dialogue with whoever will be our next President,” she added.

Ms. Silbert and Mr. Nelson said they were working to get other foundations involved in the project, and several had expressed interest. Many grant makers are starting to conclude that no matter what their missions, dealing with poverty is a prerequisite for making progress, Mr. Nelson said.