Mission:
To help shape the public debate about proposed budget and tax policies and ensure that policy makers consider the needs of low-income families and individuals in that debate.

Background:
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities was founded in 1981 by Robert Greenstein to analyze federal budget priorities, with an emphasis on the impact of budget choices on low-income Americans. In the 1990s, the center expanded its focus to include state budgets, and in 1997 it established the International Budget Partnership to help civil society organizations in new democracies and developing countries conduct budget analyses. Known for being balanced, authoritative, and accessible, the center's materials are used frequently by policy makers, nonprofits, and journalists around the globe.

Outstanding Web Features:
The center's Web site features a main page for each of its major areas of research — including climate change, Social Security, and housing — that provides links to reports, graphs, podcasts, videos, slideshows, and CBPP experts on a variety of topics. The site also has a section on policy basics that offers short backgrounders on each of the center's research areas; allows visitors to browse reports by popularity, subtopic, and year; and includes a myCenter feature for individuals who want to save their content preferences and/or sign up for immediate, daily, or weekly subject-specific e-mail alerts.