The Alliance for Retired Americans Education Fund (ARAEF) is the educational arm of the labor union-aligned seniors’ advocacy group Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA). The education fund specifically focuses on educating retirees and pre-retires on legislative policies at the local, state, and federal levels that impact them directly. The left-leaning fund organizes events where policies are discussed, and participants are expected to bring the information back to their communities in efforts to advance mobilization. 1
Leadership academies and “elder empowerment” workshops are provided in some state chapters to provide specific details on topics such as Obamacare, staying up to date on Medicaid and Social Security with changes that come with different administrations, and how to strategically defend the left-leaning policies that ARA promotes. 2
Issues
The Alliance for Retired Americans Education Fund promotes the expansion of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. State chapters focus on state legislation but also how Federal policy is implemented in each chapter’s specific state. In 2016, the State of North Carolina had not participated in the Obamacare expansion of Medicaid, which prompted the North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans (NCARA) Education Fund chapter to call on state leaders to fulfill three requests: accept Medicaid expansion, increase the Medicaid rate for home health care, and return unemployment insurance to previous levels. 3
Leadership
Richard Fiesta has held the position of executive director since 2013. Prior to his appointment, Fiesta was the director of government and political affairs at Alliance for Retired Americans since 2001. He is also a vice-chair on the Democratic National Committee’s Seniors’ Council. Fiesta’s experience on Capitol Hill includes work as counsel to the House Subcommittee on Labor Standards, legislative counsel to Senator Harris Wofford (D-PA), and communications director for Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). He earned a bachelor’s, master’s, and law degree from Georgetown University. 4
Allegations of Inaccuracy
In 2011, the left-leaning fact-checking group Politifact reported that a statement made by Alliance for Retired Americans provided false information about Social Security to its members. The statement claimed that Social Security “doesn’t contribute a penny to the deficit.” Politifact reported that in 2011, for the first time since 1983, Social Security payroll taxes did not meet the amount needed to pay Social Security beneficiaries, running short of $49 billion. 5
Finances
20186
Revenue: $66,463
Expenses: $81,647
Assets: $52,127
References
- Alliance for Retired Americans Education Fund. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/200475553/08_2019_prefixes_13-20%2F200475553_201812_990_2019080116536322
- “Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security Are Under Attack.” California Alliance for Retired Americans. California Alliance for Retired Americans Education Fund, December 2018. https://californiaalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Medicare-Medicaid-SS-Roadshow-flyer.pdf.
- “NCARA Education Fund Comments on Medicaid Expansion.” North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans Education Fund, April 20, 2016. http://nc.retiredamericansfund.org/2016/04/20/ncara-education-fund-comments-on-medicaid-expansion/.
- “Seniors Council.” Democratic National Committee. Accessed April 21, 2020. https://democrats.org/seniors-council/.
- Selby, W. Gardner. “PolitiFact – UPDATED: Retiree Group Says Social Security Doesn’t Contribute a Penny to U.S. Deficit.” Politifact, August 2, 2011. https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2011/aug/02/alliance-retired-americans/washington-group-says-social-security-isnt-contrib/.
- Alliance for Retired Americans Education Fund. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/200475553/08_2019_prefixes_13-20%2F200475553_201812_990_2019080116536322