Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) research and policy institute based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1981, the organization analyzes the impact of federal and state government budget policies with a special focus on how these policies affect low and moderate-income families and individuals. CBPP combines rigorous research and analysis, strategic communications, and effective advocacy to shape policy debates and influence outcomes at both national and state levels.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$172.0M
+4.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$10.7M
+1.5% YoY
Grant Count
148
-0.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$72K
+2.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: CBPP advances federal and state policies to help build a nation where everyone—regardless of income, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ZIP code, immigration status, or disability status—has the resources they need to thrive and share in the nation's prosperity.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Federal Fiscal Policy: Research and analysis of federal budgets, tax policies, trends in poverty and income distribution, and fair tax policies
- State Fiscal Policy: Analysis of state budget and tax policies with emphasis on effects on low and moderate-income households; development of state-level policy organizations
- Low-Income Programs: Research, analysis, and strategy development to improve federal policy and implementation of low-income programs, including earned income tax credit and child tax credit components
- Health Policy: Improving health outcomes for low-income families and individuals through research and policy improvements
- Economic Justice: Promoting policies that broaden opportunity in housing, health care, employment, and education while lowering structural barriers for people of color and communities facing systemic barriers
Grantmaking
CBPP has demonstrated grantmaking activity. The organization provided a $100,000 challenge grant to the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, indicating direct support to aligned state-level policy organizations.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CBPP operates at both federal and state levels, with particular emphasis on state fiscal analysis and policy implementation. The organization works closely with national, state, and community organizations and conducts policy implementation work at federal, state, and local levels.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent (2024):
- Total Revenue: $52.5 million
- Total Expenses: $48.6 million
- Total Assets: $172 million
- Total Liabilities: $24.6 million
Staff: 201 employees (2024)
Historical Context (2013):
- Revenue: $37.5 million
- Expenses: $27.3 million
- Total Assets: $67.7 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $171,997,860 | $163,943,457 | $172,859,656 |
| Revenue | $52,523,656 | $32,208,552 | $80,451,696 |
| Expenses | $48,575,049 | $44,312,883 | $42,656,596 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $3,079,239 | $2,069,148 | $1,012,155 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Founder: Robert Greenstein, a former political appointee in the Jimmy Carter administration
- President: Sharon Parrott
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Apfel | Chair | 1 | — |
| Henry Aaron | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Kim Wallace | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Mayra E Alvarez | Director | 1 | — |
| Maria Cancian | Director | 1 | — |
| Henry A Coleman | Director | 1 | — |
| David de Ferranti | Director | 1 | — |
| James Jimenez | Director | 1 | — |
| Lili Lynton | Director | 1 | — |
| C Lynn McNair | Director | 1 | — |
| Ai-jen Poo | Director | 1 | — |
| Robert D Reischaer | Director | 1 | — |
| Samantha Tweedy | Director | 1 | — |
| Sharon Parrott | President | 40 | $352,602 |
| Lisa Bornstein | COO and General Counsel thru 8/16/24 | 40 | $295,093 |
| Lynda Brooks | Chief Financial officer | 40 | $228,470 |
| Shannon Spillane Buckingham | SVP Communications and Sr Counselor | 40 | $239,010 |
| Peggy Bailey | Exec VP Policy & Program Development | 40 | $229,308 |
| Ellen Nissenbaum | Senior VP - Government Affairs | 40 | $272,020 |
| Charles Marr | VP - Federal Tax Policy | 40 | $240,239 |
| Joel Friedman | Senior VP - Federal Fiscal Policy | 40 | $239,931 |
| Allison Orris | Senior Fellow | 40 | $231,166 |
| Michael Leachman | Senior Vice President of SFP | 40 | $229,380 |
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
As of March 2026, CBPP continues active policy analysis and advocacy work, with recent publications addressing federal budget proposals, corporate tax rates, Social Security administration, Medicaid policy, and balanced budget amendments. The organization maintains an active research agenda analyzing the impacts of government policies and proposals on low and moderate-income populations.
Grant in the Spotlight: Center on Budget and Policy PrioritiesSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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