Earmarks and Charities: Where the Money Goes.

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Author: Unknown

Geography makes a big difference in the distribution of federal earmarks. Charities located in states represented by a senator who serves on the Appropriations Committee are far more likely than those in other states to get earmarks, according to The Chronicle's analysis of the $2.4-billion that went to nonprofit groups in the 2005 fiscal year. The Appropriations Committee is in charge of allocating money to specific federal programs.

In fact, 16 of the 17 states that had received the most per capita in nonprofit earmarks are represented by senators who served on the Committee on Appropriations during the time the earmarks were approved. By contrast, only four of the 17 states at the bottom of the ranking had a senator on the Appropriations Committee. Alaska--which is represented by Sen. Ted Stevens, who served as chairman of the Appropriations Committee for seven years before giving up the post in 2004--topped the list, with $81.87 per capita in earmarks for nonprofit groups.

Legend for Chart:

B - Per capita spending
C - Senator on appropriations committee?

           A                      B            C

Alaska                          $81.87        Yes
North Dakota                     64.93        Yes
West Virginia                    63.91        Yes
Hawaii                           57.52        Yes
Montana                          33.66        Yes
New Mexico                       32.97        Yes
South Dakota                     32.84        Yes
Nevada                           32.14        Yes
Rhode Island                     29.88         No
Mississippi                      25.09        Yes
Alabama                          20.16        Yes
Idaho                            19.49        Yes
Vermont                          17.04        Yes
New Hampshire                    15.64        Yes
Kentucky                         13.84        Yes
South Carolina                   13.53        Yes
Iowa                             12.00        Yes

States in the middle

Pennsylvania                     11.50        Yes
Delaware                         11.31         No
Maine                            10.26         No
Nebraska                          9.32         No
Kansas                            9.24        Yes
Missouri                          8.14        Yes
Minnesota                         7.93         No
Utah                              7.91        Yes
Ohio                              7.41        Yes
Maryland                          6.81        Yes
Massachusetts                     6.57         No
Wisconsin                         6.39        Yes
Texas                             6.32        Yes
Florida                           6.27         No
Illinois                          6.00        Yes
Connecticut                       5.94         No

States the got the least

New York                          5.81         No
Tennessee                         5.73         No
Wyoming                           5.40         No
Arkansas                          5.26         No
Michigan                          5.16         No
Colorado                          4.83        Yes
Oklahoma                          4.81         No
Virginia                          4.62         No
Indiana                           4.03         No
New Jersey                        3.81         No
Arizona                           3.71         No
California                        3.63        Yes
Washington                        3.21        Yes
North Carolina                    2.84         No
Louisiana                         2.82        Yes
Oregon                            2.44         No
Georgia                           2.12         No

SOURCE: Chronicle analysis of data compiled by Citizens
Against Government Waste

Legend for Chart:

B - In billions

 A             B

1995         $12.7
1996         $15.4
1997         $17.5
1998         $15.7
1999         $13.9
2000         $19.9
2001         $20.3
2002         $21.6
2003         $23.6
2004         $23.4
2005         $27.3

Legend for Chart:

B - Number
C - Amount in 2005 dollars
D - Average grant in 2005 dollars

 A           B               C                D

1995       1,439      $12.7-billion      $8,825,573
1996         958       15.4-billion      16,075,157
1997       1,596       17.5-billion      10,964,912
1998       2,100       15.7-billion       7,476,190
1999       2,838       13.9-billion       4,897,815
2000       4,326       19.9-billion       4,600,092
2001       6,333       20.3-billion       3,205,432
2002       8,341       21.6-billion       2,589,618
2003       9,362       23.6-billion       2,520,829
2004      10,656       23.4-billion       2,198,761
2005      13,997       27.3-billion       1,950,418

Note: Figures reflect earmarks for all types of organizations,
not just charities.
SOURCE: Citizens Against Government Waste

Legend for Chart:

B - Number of earmarks
C - How much received

                  A                       B         C

Project GRAD USA (Houston)                1    $20,000,000
Institute for Scientific Research
(Fairmont, W.Va.)                         2     18,810,000
Syracuse University (N.Y.)                4     13,700,000
Drexel University (Philadelphia)          4     12,699,999
Canaan Valley Institute (Davis, W.Va.)    5     10,840,000
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center &
Research Institute (Tampa, Fla.)          2     10,500,000
Marshfield Clinic (Wis.)                  2     10,000,000
Education Leaders Council (Washington)    6      9,672,000
Alaska SeaLife Center (Seward)            4      9,550,000
Junior Achievement (Colorado Springs)     2      6,500,000

MAP: Earmarks and Charities

PHOTO (COLOR): Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) Chair

PHOTO (COLOR): Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)

PHOTO (COLOR): Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) Ranking Member

PHOTO (COLOR): Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.)

PHOTO (COLOR)