Become a Member

CEF membership is like having your own funding experts on staff. Our skilled staff focuses exclusively on budget and appropriations issues for education. This gives our members access to timely, accurate information and effective funding strategies with a relatively low investment of their own staff time.

The media, the Administration, Members of Congress and staff look to CEF as the experts on educational funding issues. They regard CEF as the prime source of the education community’s positions on education appropriations and budget issues.

Membership with CEF offers organizations the opportunity to be actively involved in developing and implementing high-profile strategy on education budget and appropriations issues. During weekly meetings, CEF members develop a consensus position for the education community and coordinate an action plan. Examples of that strategy include unified web-based grassroots efforts, press events, Hill rallies and briefings, and CEF team visits to Members of Congress. CEF serves as the only united voice for the entire education community on issues affecting federal education funding.

CEF members actively participate in a number of committees, which currently are Advocacy and Research, Hill Teams, Gala, Media and Communications, and Membership and Bylaws.

CEF also co-chairs NDD United, a coalition of over 2,500 organizations working together to maintain parity and ultimately repeal the sequester to increase investments in nondefense discretionary programs.

Our weekly Friday membership meetings provide an unparalleled opportunity for CEF members to hear from key staff from both the Administration and Congress. Our speakers provide CEF members with the latest news and insights into Congressional and Administration actions on education budget, appropriations, and policy issues.

In addition to CEF’s website and Twitter account, CEF produces several valuable publications, including our annual Education Budget Response and the CEF Membership Directory.

• Education Budget Response:
  This annual document, written by experts in our membership, includes a summary and critique of the President’s education budget, funding tables, and articles for each federal education program. The report includes details of program goals, supported activities, and funding history, as well as the projected impact of the President’s budget request. This publication is one of the most popular and useful education publications in Washington. Its availability is eagerly anticipated by those inside and outside the beltway.
• CEF Membership Directory:
  This guide is a comprehensive listing of the nearly 120 education institutions, agencies, associations, and other organizations that comprise CEF’s membership. Officers, executive directors, and CEF government relations contacts are listed with their phone numbers, email, and mailing addresses. The directory includes a brief description of all of our member organizations.

CEF is the only coalition whose membership includes organizations and institutions that represent early childhood education; elementary and secondary education; special education; career, technical, and adult education; higher education; workforce training; libraries; museums; and educational research from the public and private sectors. CEF members have regular access to their peers from across the education community, opportunities to advocate alongside and learn from their colleagues, participate in committee work, contribute to publications and events, and take on a leadership role through the committees or the board of directors. CEF also holds the largest gathering of the national education community at its annual Legislative Conference and Awards Gala. During this event, CEF recognizes outstanding advocates for education investment.

In addition to weekly meetings when Congress is in session, CEF members have access to special events each year – all without charge. In recent years we have held the following events:

• briefings on the President’s budget featuring education practitioners from the continuum;
• receptions for Members of Congress and their staff, and education staff from the Administration;
• a Budget/Appropriations 101 Workshop explaining the intricacies of the federal budget and appropriations processes;
• special research briefings (now on Zoom) on topics such as shortages in the educator workforce, the impact of COVID-19 on education jobs and state budget, mental health needs and resources as a result of the pandemic, STEM education, advocacy techniques, tax reform implications for education, equity in education, CTE, the census, and an in-person showcase on how education COVID-relief was used.