NCAI Budget Task Force Meeting

NCAI will be holding our annual NCAI budget taskforce meeting on November 30th at NCAI’s offices from 11am to 1pm. 

NCAI Budget Taskforce Meeting
National Congress of American Indians
1516 P Street NW
Washington DC, 20005
Teleconference number: 1-888-244-8150, passcode: 1037126

November 30, 2016 11am to 1pm

Background: With the transition to a new Administration and Congress, setting budgetary goals for tribes will be important for effective appropriations advocacy in the FY 2018 cycle. Although the timing will be slightly different for the release of a U.S. President’s budget in 2017, NCAI will again work to identify the overarching budget recommendations from Indian Country in preparation for the budget cycle. NCAI will host this budget task force meeting to facilitate discussion about: 1) the budget process timing of the new Administration, 2) themes from the election, 3) the current macroeconomic outlook, and 4) strategy for tribal budget advocacy.

Advocacy: NCAI will once again develop a national Indian Country Budget. This document will show the Administration and Congress that Indian Country is unified around these specific requests and strengthen all of our collective efforts to advocate for the funding needs that are vital to our tribal governments and citizens.

Opportunity for Involvement: NCAI invites all national, regional, and tribal issue partners as well as tribal leaders and advocates to join NCAI in contributing to and preparing this Indian Country Budget Request.


I. Welcome, Introductions

II. Overview of Meeting Purpose and Goals
– Amber Ebarb, Policy Analyst and Program Manager and Denise Desiderio, Policy Director

III. Overall Budget Perspectives
– David Reich, Senior Fellow
– Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

IV. Incorporating Economic Arguments in Messaging
– Patrice Kunesh, Assistant Vice President and Director
– Center for Indian Country Development

V. Update on Quiet Crisis Report
– Commissioner Karen Narasaki
– U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

VI. Budget Messaging & Strategy
– Denise Desiderio, Amber Ebarb

VII. Updates from Organizations and Partners
FY 2018 Top Line Requests and Priorities

VIII. Timeline and Next Steps: Send input by December 14 to aebarb@ncai.org.

By December 14th, NCAI asks for the following input on the FY 2018 Tribal Budget Request, specifically:
• The top funding priority for your tribal issue areas;
• Historical budget trend analysis for your respective Indian program areas;
• Well documented data and background to justify all increases sought;
• What authorizing legislation recommends for funding levels;
• Anecdotes of successes of the federal investment in tribal programs; and
• Images or photographs with citations to accompany your recommendations. (hi-res, at least 300 dpi preferably a .jpeg or .tif file. at least 1200 pixels wide or at least 1200 pixels high at a minimum.)

For reference, last year’s document is here.