BOARD Charles Johnson, Chair General Counsel, VP of External Affairs Tuskegee University Susan E. Neugent, Vice Chair President Emeritus Fernbank Museum of Natural History James McCoy, Treasurer President & CEO Forsyth County Chamber Natosha Reid Rice, Secretary Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Habitat for Humanity International Odessa Archibald Community Development Manager Georgia Power Kathy Ashe Former State Legislator Thomas Boller Retired Stateside Investment Partners Carla Cartwright Vice-President, PN Health and Purpose PorterNovelli Robiaun Charles Vice President for College Advancement Agnes Scott College Ann Duffy Senior Consultant Education First Steven Fox EVP, Chief Legal Officer GreenSky, Inc Lois Frank Former Director MAZON Norelie Garcia Experienced Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Marketing Leader Govind Kannan Vice President for Land Grant Affairs and Economic Development Fort Valley State University Glenda Minkin Development Consultant Yasmine Murray Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary H.J. Russell & Company Maria del Rosario Palacios SE Regional Organizing Manager NARAL Conor Sen Bloomberg Opinion Robert Sills Corporate Counsel Amazon David L. Sjoquist Professor of Economics Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University Jim Stokes Retired Alston & Bird Sachin Varghese Attorney Bondurant, Mixon & Elmore LLP Teresa Tomlinson Former Mayor of Columbus, GA Partner, Hall Smith Booth Janelle Williams Senior Advisor Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Help Build Your Next Georgia Dear Supporter, If you are like me, it is hard to imagine spending $49.9 billion, but you know exactly the cost of a month’s rent, your child’s school supplies or your family’s grocery bill. $49.9 billion is the total amount of available funding for Georgia in Fiscal Year 2022. Numbers like this are large to the point of being incomprehensible, and because of that we might be tempted to turn away in frustration or confusion. But it is important that we do NOT turn away, because the state budget affects the life of every Georgian every day. And while nearly $50 billion might seem incomprehensible, it is also insufficient. This budget underfunds K-12 education by more than $400 million and sustains cuts to public health services while COVID infection rates are on the rise. Simply put, this budget does not meet the needs of the people in our state. Georgians are struggling right now, and lawmakers must respond with investments that put people first. For years, Georgia leaders have cut funding for key programs in health, education and social services while at the same time touting Georgia as the No. 1 place in the country to do business. When policies that prioritize corporate interests are accepted as normal, it is our job—it is your job—to push back and champion policies that put people first. Because it’s Georgians who make this state great, not big corporations. We are grateful to investors like you who share GBPI’s hope: That we can build thriving communities when we fund human needs and when people come first.
Your investment works hard to spread that hope every day. Your support has enabled GBPI to expand its reach, clarify its role, work effectively and efficiently and ultimately increase the impact of thoughtful analysis and responsible policy in these times of crisis. But we need your support again as we work together to build Your Next Georgia. When you renew your investment today, you are challenging a history of underfunding key programs that exacerbates inequities in our state. You are championing policy proposals like the Georgia Work Credit and Medicaid expansion that support Georgians who are struggling to recover from the pandemic and meet their basic needs. Our state and our country are on a rocky path out of a pandemic that affected every Georgian. How we recover will say everything about what our leaders value and who they prioritize. With your support, GBPI will inform the next phase of recovery, and in this next Georgia, we can move past slashing budgets and towards urgent community needs like dignified wages, equitable education and access to health care.
In Your Next Georgia: Nearly 1.5 million children would benefit from a Georgia Work Credit
500,000 uninsured Georgians would be covered by Medicaid expansion
K-12 schools would receive additional funding to support students in poverty
It has never been more urgent than it is today to invest in GBPI and imagine a new Georgia, Your Next Georgia. Friend, if you agree that it is time to shift priorities then, please, renew your investment with a gift today to support GBPI’s Your Next Georgia initiative and advance lasting solutions to expand economic opportunity and well-being for all Georgians. We cannot do it without you. With gratitude, Charles Johnson GBPI Board Chair
P.S. Your donation makes Your Next Georgia possible. Please make a donation today!