Attach to Form 990 or 990-EZ.| Identifier | Return Reference | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| ORGANIZATION'S MISSION | FORM 990 - ORGANIZATION'S MISSION | OSPIRG TAKES ON POWERFUL INTERESTS ON BEHALF OF OREGON'S CITIZENS, WORKING TO WIN CONCRETE RESULTS FOR OUR HEALTH AND OUR WELL-BEING. WITH AN EXPERIENCED NETWORK OF RESEARCHERS, ADVOCATES, ORGANIZERS AND VOLUNTEERS ACROSS THE STATE, WE STAND UP TO POWERFUL INTERESTS ON ISSUES TO MAKE HEALTH CARE AFFORDABLE, PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM MARKETPLACE ABUSES, FIGHT POLITICAL CORRUPTION, AND BOOST CIVIC PARTICIPATION. |
| FIRST ACCOMPLISHMENT DESCRIPTION | FORM 990, PAGE 2, PART III, LINE 4A | WHILE THERE IS MUCH WORK YET TO DO, THESE EFFORTS HELPED CUT TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN WASTE-AND SET THE STAGE FOR EVEN GREATER PROGRESS IN THE COMING YEARS. IN 2012, THE LEGISLATURE APPROVED A PLAN TO REDUCE MUCH OF THE WASTEFUL PAPERWORK THAT DISTRACTS DOCTORS FROM FOCUSING ON THEIR PATIENTS AND SADDLES PATIENTS WITH UNCERTAINTY AND EXTRA COSTS. THE PLAN-ESTIMATED TO SAVE UP TO 200 MILLION A YEAR-REQUIRES INSURERS AND PROVIDERS TO ALL USE ONE, STREAMLINED SYSTEM FOR ALL ELIGIBILITY AND BILLING ISSUES. OSPIRG'S LAURA ETHERTON HELPED LEAD THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT RESULTED IN THIS NEW PROGRAM. SINCE 2010, OREGON'S MUCH-STRENGTHENED PROGRAM TO REQUIRE INSURERS TO JUSTIFY PROPOSED RATE HIKES ON INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL BUSINESSES HAS HELPED CUT OVER 80 MILLION IN WASTE. MOVING FORWARD, OSPIRG IS PRESSING REGULATORS AND LAWMAKERS TO FURTHER RATCHET UP THE ACCOUNTABILITY ON INSURERS TO CUT THEIR WASTE, INCENTIVIZE PREVENTION, AND BE TRANSPARENT WITH THEIR MATH. IN MARCH, OSPIRG CHEERED AS GOV. JOHN KITZHABER SIGNED A BIPARTISAN BILL MOVING OREGON ONE STEP CLOSER TO CREATING A HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE-EVEN AS WE INTENSIFIED OUR EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE DETAILS OF THE EXCHANGE GET WORKED OUT IN CONSUMERS' FAVOR. THIS SPRING, OSPIRG'S JESSE O'BRIEN CRAFTED A POLICY PAPER OUTLINING THE CRITICAL DETAILS NECESSARY FOR A SUCCESSFUL EXCHANGE. JESSE GAVE THE REPORT TO LAWMAKERS, STATE OFFICIALS, AND THE STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS OF THE OREGON HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE, AND MET IN PERSON WITH KEY INDIVIDUALS. OVER THE LAST YEAR, OSPIRG MEMBERS AND OUR ALLIES FILLED LAWMAKERS' INBOXES WITH CALLS AND EMAIL MESSAGES URGING THEM TO CREATE A POWERFUL HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE FOR OREGON-ONE THAT WILL WORK TO LOWER THE SKYROCKETING COST OF HEALTH CARE, WHILE ALSO IMPROVING QUALITY. IN APRIL ALONE, STATE OFFICIALS RECEIVED 450 PERSONAL LETTERS FROM OREGONIANS TELLING THEM WHAT THE HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE OUGHT TO LOOK LIKE-AND 350 OF THEM WERE FROM OSPIRG MEMBERS. THROUGHOUT THE FALL OF 2012 AND THE WINTER OF 2013, STATE OFFICIALS WILL MAKE MORE KEY DECISIONS-AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF OSPIRG MEMBERS WILL BE AS IMPORTANT AS EVER. 2. STOP SUBSIDIZING OBESITY: OUR TAX DOLLARS SHOULD ONLY GO TO THINGS THAT SERVE THE PUBLIC GOOD, YET WE'RE HANDING OUT TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES TO BIG AGRIBUSINESSES TO HELP SUBSIDIZE JUNK FOOD. HUGE, PROFITABLE CORPORATIONS LIKE CARGILL AND MONSANTO ARE POCKETING TENS OF BILLIONS IN TAXPAYER DOLLARS, AND TURNING SUBSIDIZED CROPS INTO JUNK FOOD INGREDIENTS - INCLUDING HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. THESE TAXPAYER GIVEAWAYS ARE ALL THE MORE ABSURD AT A TIME WHEN ONE IN THREE KIDS IS OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE, AND OBESITY-RELATED DISEASES LIKE DIABETES ARE TURNING INTO AN EPIDEMIC. IN FY12, OSPIRG CONTINUED TO LEAD A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO CALL FOR THE END TO WASTEFUL AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES. WE WORKED WITH OUR FEDERAL OF PIRGS TO RUN DOOR-TO-DOOR CANVASS OFFICES IN OREGON AND 20 OTHER STATES WITH THE GOAL OF SPEAKING FACE-TO-FACE WITH OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE AND COORDINATED AN ONLINE CAMPAIGN AIMED AT GENERATING PUBLIC COMMENTS INTO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. IN OREGON, OUR CANVASSERS SPOKE FACE TO FACE WITH 70,000 OREGONIANS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. ULTIMATELY, BIG AG WAS UNABLE TO GET THEIR SUBSIDIES RENEWED BEFORE CONGRESS ADJOURNED FOR ELECTION SEASON IN SEPTEMBER. HOWEVER, CONGRESS MUST EVENTUALLY REAUTHORIZE THE FARM BILL, WHICH MEANS WE CAN EXPECT BIG AG TO MOUNT ANOTHER MAJOR PUSH AFTER THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. AT THAT TIME, OSPIRG WILL BE PUSHING OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO ACT DECISIVELY TO SCALE BACK THE WASTEFUL BIG AG SUBSIDIES-AND WE WILL BE COUNTING ON OUR MEMBERS TO JOIN US. 3. WALL STREET REFORM: FOR YEARS, FEDERAL BANK REGULATORS IGNORED NUMEROUS WARNINGS OF INCREASINGLY PREDATORY MORTGAGE PRACTICES, CREDIT CARD TRICKS, AND UNFAIR OVERDRAFT POLICIES USED BY THE BIG WALL STREET BANKS. THEY ALSO IGNORED WARNINGS OF RISKY SECURITIES BEING PACKAGED AND SOLD TO INVESTORS. IN THE WAKE OF THE RESULTING FINANCIAL CRISIS, OSPIRG AND OUR NATIONAL FEDERATION FOUGHT TO PASS THE 2010 DODD-FRANK WALL STREET REFORM AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT. SINCE WINNING FEDERAL WALL STREET REFORM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO DEFEND THOSE REFORMS FROM THE INDUSTRY'S ATTEMPTS TO DEFANG, DEFUND OR DELAY THEM. THIS PAST JULY, THE OSPIRG-BACKED CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU OFFICIALLY OPENED AS THE NATION'S FIRST CONSUMER COP ON THE FINANCIAL BEAT. THE BUREAU IS THE CENTERPIECE OF THE 2010 REFORM LAW. UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ITS FIRST DIRECTOR RICHARD CORDRAY, THE CFPB TOOK LONG-OVERDUE, BUT ENCOURAGING ACTIONS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE WORST TRICKS AND TRAPS OF THE BIG BANKS INCLUDING: MAKING CREDIT CARD COMPLAINTS PUBLIC, FIXING CREDIT REPORT ERRORS AND TAKING ON OVERDRAFT PROTECTION SCHEMES. IN THE FACE OF RELENTLESS LOBBYING FROM WALL STREET, THOUSANDS OF OSPIRG MEMBERS WEIGHED IN SUPPORT FOR CFPB ACTION ON THESE ISSUES. IN OCTOBER, FEDERAL REGULATORS ISSUED A DRAFT PLAN INTENDED TO STOP GIANT BANKS FROM GAMBLING RECKLESSLY WITH OUR MONEY-ALSO KNOWN AS THE "VOLCKER RULE." THE "VOLCKER RULE" IS DESIGNED TO RESTRICT "PROPRIETARY TRADING," WHICH IS WHEN BANKS MAKE RISKY BETS FOR THEIR OWN PROFIT - OFTEN USING YOUR DEPOSITS - INSTEAD OF TRADING FOR THEIR CLIENTS' GAIN. THE BANKS AND THEIR LOBBYISTS ARE TRYING TO PEPPER THIS RULE WITH EXCEPTIONS AND LOOPHOLES SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE MANY OF THE SAME PROFIT SCHEMES THAT GAMBLED AWAY THE RETIREMENT FUNDS OF SO MANY AMERICANS. LOBBYISTS FOR LARGE BANKS AND INVESTMENT FIRMS ARE PUSHING FEDERAL OFFICIALS TO DROP THEIR EFFORTS. TO COUNTERBALANCE THE BANKS, OVER 10,000 PIRG MEMBERS EMAILED THE FEDERAL RESERVE IN SUPPORT OF MAKING THE PROPOSED RULE EVEN STRONGER, AND WE EXPECT A DECISION SOON. 4. TAX TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY: HOW GOVERNMENT COLLECTS AND SPENDS MONEY IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. TAX AND BUDGETING DECISIONS ARE THE MOST CONCRETE WAY THAT GOVERNMENT DECLARES ITS PUBLIC PRIORITIES AND BALANCES BETWEEN COMPETING VALUES. IN FISCAL YEAR 2012, OSPIRG WORKED WITH OUR SISTER ORGANIZATION, OSPIRG FOUNDATION TO ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF A NEW OSPIRG-BACKED LAW IMPOSING NEW TRANSPARENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR OVER 500 MILLION IN CORPORATE TAX SUBSIDIES. THE LAW, WHICH WENT INTO EFFECT AT THE END OF 2011, WILL HELP THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND WHETHER THESE SUBSIDIES ARE ACTUALLY WORTH THE MONEY, AND GUIDE FUTURE POLICY DECISIONS ON HOW BEST TO SPEND TAX DOLLARS. AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, OSPIRG CONTINUED OUR EFFORTS TO END LOOPHOLES THAT ALLOW GIANT CORPORATIONS AND WEALTHY INDIVIDUALS TO HIDE THEIR MONEY IN OFFSHORE TAX HAVENS-ESTIMATED TO COST EACH OREGONIAN HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS EACH YEAR. 5. REDUCING COLLEGE DEBT IN JULY, CONGRESS PASSED A BILL TO STOP THE STUDENT LOAN INTEREST RATE FROM INCREASING THIS YEAR- PREVENTING A SPIKE FROM 3.4 PERCENT TO 6.8 PERCENT FOR NEW FEDERAL SUBSIDIZED STAFFORD LOAN BORROWERS. NATIONALLY, THIS MEANS THAT 7.5 MILLION LOW AND MODERATE-INCOME STUDENTS ARE SHIELDED FROM 1,000 IN ADDITIONAL DEBT NEXT YEAR, AS WELL AS PREVENTING AN ADDITIONAL DRAG ON THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY. THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR OREGON GRADUATES, SIXTY-THREE PERCENT OF WHOM CARRY STUDENT LOAN DEBT, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 20,317 PER BORROWER. NEARLY 120,000 OREGON STUDENT LOAN BORROWERS ARE NOW GUARANTEED SAVINGS OF 971 EACH OVER THE LIFE OF THEIR LOAN. THAT AMOUNTS TO 115,762,620 IN TOTAL SAVINGS THAT STUDENT LOAN BORROWERS WOULD HAVE CARRIED IN ADDITIONAL DEBT BURDEN IF THE INTEREST RATE HAD DOUBLED. OSPIRG'S FEDERAL OFFICE HELPED LEAD THE COALITION THAT STOPPED THE HIKE: "WORKING WITH SEVERAL NATIONAL YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS, WE MOBILIZED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CITIZENS TO CALL OR WRITE THEIR LAWMAKERS, HANDING IN OVER 600,000 PETITION SIGNATURES THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE CAMPAIGN. "WE ORGANIZED OVER 200 STUDENT BODY PRESIDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO SPEAK OUT, OFTEN SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH POLICY MAKERS LIKE EDUCATION UNDERSECRETARY MARTHA KANTER AND LABOR SECRETARY HILDA SOLIS. "WE LAUNCHED A MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO CONVINCE CONGRESS TO ACT. OVERALL, OUR FEDERAL OFFICE GENERATED MORE THAN 800 MEDIA HITS NATIONALLY AND LOCALLY IN OUTLETS LIKE CNN MONEY, THE WASHINGTON POST, AND THE NEW YORK TIMES. TO GET THE WORD OUT, WE RELEASED BRIEFING PAPERS IN TARGET STATES MET WITH EDITORIAL BOARDS, AND ORGANIZED 20 PRESS EVENTS WITH STUDENT LEADERS, FINANCIAL AID OFFICERS, CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. |
| ORGANIZATION'S PROCESS USED TO REVIEW FORM 990 | FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 11B | THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES A DRAFT 990 TO ALL BOARD MEMBERS AND GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW AND MAKE CHANGES IF NECESSARY. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND ADMINISTRATOR REVIEW IN DETAIL. |
| ENFORCEMENT OF CONFLICTS POLICY | FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 12C | THE ORGANIZATION REQUIRES THE BOARD MEMBERS AND KEY EMPLOYEES TO SIGN A CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH FISCAL YEAR AND REPORT ANY SUBSEQUENT CONFLICTS THAT MAY ARISE DURING THE YEAR. |
| COMPENSATION PROCESS FOR TOP OFFICIAL | FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 15A | THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE WILL ESTABLISH ACCEPTABLE COMPENSATION PACKAGES AFTER REVIEWING AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: 1) INFORMATION ABOUT COMPENSATION PAID BY SIMILARLY SITUATED TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS FOR SIMILAR SERVICES; 2) CURRENT COMPENSATION SURVEYS COMPILED BY INDEPENDENT FIRMS; OR 3) ACTUAL WRITTEN OFFERS FROM SIMILARLY SITUATED ORGANIZATIONS. |
| COMPENSATION PROCESS FOR OFFICERS | FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 15B | THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE WILL ESTABLISH ACCEPTABLE COMPENSATION PACKAGES AFTER REVIEWING AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: 1) INFORMATION ABOUT COMPENSATION PAID BY SIMILARLY SITUATED TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS FOR SIMILAR SERVICES; 2) CURRENT COMPENSATION SURVEYS COMPILED BY INDEPENDENT FIRMS; OR 3) ACTUAL WRITTEN OFFERS FROM SIMILARLY SITUATED ORGANIZATIONS. |
| GOVERNING DOCUMENTS DISCLOSURE EXPLANATION | FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 19 | THE ORGANIZATION'S FORM 990 AND EXEMPT APPLICATIONS ARE KEPT IN OUR OFFICE AND ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC UPON REQUEST. |
| OTHER CHANGES IN NET ASSETS EXPLANATION | FORM 990, PART XI, LINE 5 | UNREALIZED INVESTMENT GAINS OF 4,996 ARE EXCLUDED FROM INCOME ON THE 990. |
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