NCL collaborates with colleague organizations that are active in human rights and social safety net contexts to represent the perspective of adult education and the experiences and goals of adults with foundational skill needs. Collaboration entails participating in information sharing and action planning meetings as well as signing on to communications with Congress and federal agencies about legislative and funding priorities.

Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition of over 200 organizations that are committed to the protection and advancement of civil and human rights for every person in the United States. NCL works with the Leadership Conference based on the belief that education is a human right. NCL is an active member of the Conference’s Census Task Force and works to ensure the inclusion of adult education in the work of its education and research arm, the Leadership Conference Education Fund.

Recent NCL activities with the Leadership Conference:

• Signed on to a May 2024 letter opposing H.R.7109, which would require the Census to ask about citizenship status, and then would exclude all noncitizens from the apportionment base for representation in the House of Representatives (Census state population totals).

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The Census Project

The Census Project is a coalition of organizations working to ensure an inclusive and accurate decennial Census and American Community Survey. NCL recognizes the extensive overlap between the population of adults with foundational skill needs and the groups that the Census Bureau characterizes as “hard to count populations.” Through the Census Project, NCL provides guidance to the Bureau on strategies for reaching and informing those populations so that they complete the Census and their numbers are reported accurately, ensuring trustworthy data for federal decision-making.

Recent NCL activities with the Census Project:

• Signed on to a July 2024 letter to House Speaker Johnson and Minority Leader Jeffries expressing concern regarding the FY 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill that recently passed the House Appropriations Committee. The letter stresses the importance of adequate funding for decennial preparations and urges the removal of the policy provision in Section 621 that would limit non-response follow-up activities. The Census Bureau uses multiple follow-up strategies to ensure inclusion of all subpopulations.

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NDD United

NDD United is a collective impact effort coordinated by the Coalition for Health Funding, the Committee for Education Funding, the Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce, and the Coalition on Human Needs to oppose cuts to non-defense discretionary (NDD) programs in the federal budget and advocate for support for programs that foster economic growth and meet human needs, including education at all levels.

Recent NCL activities with NDD United:

• Signed on to a June 25, 2024 letter calling on Congress to fully appropriate the necessary non-defense discretionary funds for fiscal 2025 to keep pace with rising costs and keep poison pill policy riders out of the appropriations process. NCL was among 1,050 organizations that signed on.
• Signed on to a January 8, 2024 letter urging completion of the full FY24 appropriations process rather than passage of another continuing resolution.

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Committee for Education Funding

The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) is a coalition of more than 110 education associations that support increases to the federal investment in education. NCL maintains an annual membership in CEF, updates the descriptions of AEFLA and WIOA in its budget book each year, has worked with its staff to identify Congressional recipients of its annual awards, participates in virtual meetings that it sponsors with Members of Congress, and relies on the advocacy resources it provides.

Recent NCL activities with CEF:

• Supported a July 8, 2024 letter sent to every member of the House of Representatives opposing the education funding cuts in the FY 2025 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill that was passed on June 27, and urging a vote against the bill unless funding was restored.
• Participated in a June 27, 2024 online discussion with Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) regarding the appropriations bill.
• Supported a July 2023 letter to Appropriations Committee leaders in the Senate and the House opposing cuts to Labor-HHS-Education appropriations for FY 2024.

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