20/20 Vision National Project was a left-of-center 501(c)(4) nonprofit that engaged in advocacy work to promote an environmentalist, anti-war, and anti-nuclear agenda. Founded in 1986, the organization appears to be defunct, as of February 2024.

Tax records show the nonprofit ran a deficit of over $70,000 in during the 2018 fiscal year. According to the IRS, 20/20 Vision’s status was automatically revoked in 2013 for not filing a federal tax return or notice for three consecutive years. There is no additional evidence the organization has been reinstated.¹

20/20 Vision’s 501(c)(3) affiliate was the 20/20 Vision Education Fund. It is also presumed defunct, as of February 2024.

Issue Advocacy

20/20 Vision National Project lobbied federal policymakers and legislators on issues including banning chemical weapons, halting nuclear weapons testing, eliminating the use of biological weapons, reducing various forms of pollution it considers to be dangerous, and mandating stricter fuel requirements for all vehicles. 20/20 Vision was also active in its opposition of genetically engineered foods.²

People

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.³ Barber also co-founded and continues to run Earth Action, an environmentalist nonprofit 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.⁴

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 Ploughshares Fund, and previously worked for Union of Concerned Scientists.⁵

Jim Wyerman was executive director between 1998 and 2003.⁶ He was a part of Defenders of Wildlife and now works for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).⁷

Naila Bolus co-directed 20/20 Vision and was executive director of the Ploughshares Fund for fourteen years.⁸

Board of Directors

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 left-wing organization that seeks to control population growth. (It was previously named Zero Population Growth). In addition, Musil is the executive director and CEO of Physicians for Social Responsibility.⁹

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, Musil once spoke of how he and other lobbyists have had close ties to Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Clinton administration EPA officials, and Obama administration EPA officials.¹⁰

Deron Lovaas was a board member from 2006 to 2009, and previously managed Population Connection’s educational outreach program.¹¹ Lovaas also worked at the Natural Resources Defense Council in multiple positions.¹²

Brent Blackwelder served as a board member for 20/20 Vision, and later served for 15 years as president of the environmentalist nonprofit Friends of the Earth.¹³ Blackwelder has made donations to the League of Conservation Voters, the Democratic National Party of Arizona, and Democratic Party politicians including Sen. Bernie Sanders(I-VT), former Vice President John Kerry, and Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA).¹⁴

1. Internal Revenue Service. Results for Tax Exempt Organization Search. “20-20 Vision National Project.” Accessed July 18, 2018. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/displayAll.do?dispatchMethod=displayAllInfo&Id=543690&ein=943055636&country=US&deductibility=all&dispatchMethod=searchAll&isDescending=false&city=&ein1=94-3055636&postDateFrom=&exemptTypeCode=al&submitName=Search&sortColumn=orgName&totalResults=1&names=&resultsPerPage=25&indexOfFirstRow=0&postDateTo=&state=All+States
2. 20/20 Vision National Project, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2009.
3. 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
4. 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
5. Ploughshares Fund.  https://www.ploughshares.org/about-us/staff/tom-z-collina
6. Wyerman, Jim. “User Profile.” LinkedIn. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-wyerman-66203813/ 
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. ID-news. “2020visionorg.” (Videos by Robert Musil). 2009. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://id-news.com/chl/UCiuwafJKWWlc9-08j4tU5ZA
11. 20/20 Vision. “Board of Directors.” Archived from the original September 2, 2013. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://archive.li/XCW07
12. 20/20 Vision. “Board of Directors.” Archived from the original September 2, 2013. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://archive.li/XCW07
13. 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
14. 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