November 18, 2015

The CEQ Institute at Tulane University has been awarded a $4.9 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to study ways to reduce inequality and poverty through taxes and social spending in developing countries.

Directed by Nora Lustig, the Institute was established in May 2015 to analyze the impact of taxation and social spending on inequality and poverty in developing countries as well as to provide a roadmap for governments and nongovernmental organizations to build more equitable societies.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded the Commitment to Equity Institute $4.9 million dollars to support the Institute’s activities for the next five years.  The purpose of the grant is to increase the equity and poverty reduction impact of fiscal policies in developing countries, in particular Africa. 

Professor Lustig in conjunction with Professor Feoli—the Director of Tulane’s Center for Inter-American Policy and Research, and of the Policy Area of the CEQ Institute—and other collaborators at Tulane and around the world, will use the grant to achieve the Institute’s four goals:

•       To further develop the policy tools and database necessary for evaluating the consistency and effectiveness of tax collection and government spending with global equity goals. 
•       To establish an information system designed for monitoring the progress of taxation and government spending in achieving global equity goals. 
•       To mainstream the use of CEQ Assessments worldwide through partnerships, training programs and policy forums with members of the policy community.
•       To disseminate CEQ findings through an active communication and advocacy program undertaken in conjunction with key partners in the research, philanthropic and social activist communities.