Non-profit

20/20 Vision Education Fund

Tax ID:

22-3071727

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

The 20/20 Vision Education Fund was the 501(c)(3) affiliate of 20/20 Vision National Project. The left-of-center 20/20 Vision Education Fund tracked proposed federal legislation and supported environmentalist, anti-military, and nuclear disarmament causes.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, 20/20 Vision’s tax-exempt status was automatically revoked in 2013 for not filing a Form 990 tax return return or notice for three consecutive years, an indication the organization is defunct. There is no additional evidence the organization has been reinstated.1 As of 2023, the organization still appears to be defunct.

Campaigns

The Education Fund held conferences and trained college students in environmentalist and anti-war activism. It has also advocated for a ban on funding the development of new nuclear weapons, reducing U.S. oil consumption; expanding federal regulations under the Clean Air Act; new fuel economy regulations on SUVs, diesel buses, and diesel trucks; increased international control of biological weapons; mandated labels identifying genetically engineered foods; and strict emission standards for diesel construction and farm equipment.2 3 4During the George W. Bush administration, the organization campaigned against the administration’s nomination of John Bolton for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.5 67

Funding

The 20/20 Vision Education Fund has received funding from a number of left-of-center foundations, including the Ford Foundation, Educational Foundation of America, Energy Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Rockefeller Family Fund, Town Creek Foundation, and Ploughshares Fund. 8

People

The board of directors for 20/20 Vision Education Fund and that of its 501(c)(4) partner, 20/20 Vision National Project, were the same, according to the groups’ 2008 and 2009 tax returns. 9

Officers

Lois Barber was the founder, president emeritus, and executive director of both the 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) wings of 20/20 Vision.10 Barber also co-founded and continues to run Earth Action, which receives money from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Ford Foundation, Marisla Foundation, Park Foundation, Turner Foundation, and the Compton Foundation.11

Jim Wyerman was executive director between 1998 and 2003.12 He was a part of Defenders of Wildlife and now works for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).13

Tom Collina was the executive director of 20/20 Vision National Project between 2004 and 2009. He currently works as a director of policy for the left-of-center foreign policy funding group Ploughshares Fund and previously worked for Union of Concerned Scientists, an environmentalist and anti-nuclear group.14 1516

Board Members

Robert Musil served as the chair of board of directors for 20/20 Vision National Project in 2009. Musil also was a board member of Population Connection Action, a controversial group that was previously named Zero Population Growth. In addition, he is the executive director and CEO of Physicians for Social Responsibility.17 Musil’s personal contributions have gone to a number of prominent Democrats, including President Barack Obama; Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.); former Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.),  Barbara Boxer (D-California), Harry Reid (D-Nevada), and John Kerry (D-Massachusetts); and former Vice President Al Gore. He has also financially supported NARAL Pro-Choice America, EMILY’s List, Democracy for America, and League of Conservation Voters (LCV).

In a video message for 20/20 Vision, Musil once spoke of how he had close ties to former Vice President Al Gore, former President Bill Clinton, Clinton administration EPA officials, and Obama administration EPA officials.18

192021Naila Bolus co-directed 20/20 Vision and was executive director of the Ploughshares Fund for fourteen years.22

Deron Lovaas was a board member from 2006 to 2009, and previously managed Zero Population Growth’s educational outreach program.23 Lovaas also worked at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a major environmentalist group, in multiple positions.24

Brent Blackwelder served as a board member before a fifteen-year stint as president of Friends of the Earth.25 Blackwelder’s recorded personal contributions include those to: League of Conservation Voters (LCV); Democratic Party and aligned lawmakers such as Bernie Sanders, John Kerry, and Barbara Boxer; and the Democratic Party of Arizona.26

References

  1. Internal Revenue Service. Results for Tax Exempt Organization Search. “20-20 Vision Education Fund.” Accessed July 18, 2018. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/displayAll.do?dispatchMethod=displayAllInfo&Id=543689&ein=223071727&country=US&deductibility=all&dispatchMethod=searchAll&isDescending=false&city=&ein1=22-3071727&postDateFrom=&exemptTypeCode=al&submitName=Search&sortColumn=orgName&totalResults=1&names=&resultsPerPage=25&indexOfFirstRow=0&postDateTo=&state=All+States
  2. 20/20 Vision Education Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2009, Statements 5 and 6.
  3. 20/20 Vision Education Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2008, Statements 5 and 6.
  4. 20/20 Vision Education Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2009, Statement 5.
  5. 20/20 Vision Education Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2008, Statement 6.
  6. Cooper, Christopher. “Bush Appoints Bolton As U.N. Ambassador, Bypassing Senate.” The Wall Street Journal. August 2, 2005. Accessed July 23, 2018.  https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB112290080362601445
  7. Cooper, Christopher. “Bush Appoints Bolton As U.N. Ambassador, Bypassing Senate.” The Wall Street Journal. August 2, 2005. Accessed July 23, 2018.  https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB112290080362601445
  8. 20/20 Vision Education Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2008.
  9. 20/20 Vision Education Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2008.
  10. 20/20 Vision. “Board of Directors.” Archived from the original September 2, 2013. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://archive.li/XCW07#selection-243.912-243.918
  11. Barber, Lois. “User Profile.” LinkedIn. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lois-barber-b6910319/ ; “Grant Analyzer: Earth Action.” Foundation Search. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://www.foundationsearch.com/index.aspx
  12. Wyerman, Jim. “User Profile.” LinkedIn. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-wyerman-66203813/ 
  13. 20/20 Vision. “About 20/20 Vision.” Archived from the original September 2, 2013. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://archive.li/arCdN ; See also: Environmental Defense Fund. “Jim Wyerman.” Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.edf.org/people/jim-wyerman
  14. Ploughshares Fund.  https://www.ploughshares.org/about-us/staff/tom-z-collina
  15. ID-news. “2020visionorg.” (Videos by Robert Musil). 2009. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://id-news.com/chl/UCiuwafJKWWlc9-08j4tU5ZA
  16. ID-news. “2020visionorg.” (Videos by Robert Musil). 2009. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://id-news.com/chl/UCiuwafJKWWlc9-08j4tU5ZA
  17. 20/20 Vision. “Board of Directors.” Archived from the original September 2, 2013. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://archive.li/XCW07#selection-243.912-243.918
  18. ID-news. “2020visionorg.” (Videos by Robert Musil). 2009. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://id-news.com/chl/UCiuwafJKWWlc9-08j4tU5ZA
  19. Ploughshares Fund.  https://www.ploughshares.org/about-us/staff/tom-z-collina
  20. ID-news. “2020visionorg.” (Videos by Robert Musil). 2009. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://id-news.com/chl/UCiuwafJKWWlc9-08j4tU5ZA
  21. ID-news. “2020visionorg.” (Videos by Robert Musil). 2009. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://id-news.com/chl/UCiuwafJKWWlc9-08j4tU5ZA
  22. Ploughshares Fund. “Naila Bolus Honored With ‘Unsung Hero’ Award.” December 9, 2009. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.ploughshares.org/issues-analysis/article/naila-bolus-honored-unsung-hero-award
  23. 20/20 Vision. “Board of Directors.” Archived from the original September 2, 2013. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://archive.li/XCW07
  24. 20/20 Vision. “Board of Directors.” Archived from the original September 2, 2013. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://archive.li/XCW07
  25. Lucas, Tim. “Friends of the Earth’s Brent Blackwelder to Speak at 2005 Nicholas School Recognition Ceremony.” April 5, 2005. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://nicholas.duke.edu/about/news/friends-earth%E2%80%99s-brent-blackwelder-speak-2005-nicholas-school-recognition-ceremony
  26. Center for Responsive Politics. “Brent Blackwelder.” Opensecrets.org. June 29, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Brent+Blackwelder&page=1
  See an error? Let us know!