National Security Initiative

The National Security Initiative is an influential foreign policy player with considerable ability to shape the nuclear policy debate in the United States. A general support grant will bolster the National Security Initiative for anticipated debates over Iran diplomacy and the Pentagon budget and give the organization a stable base while its new executive director fully transitions into the organization.

General operating support for the National Security Initiative would expand the capacity of one of the primary advocacy organizations educating policymakers and the public about nuclear nonproliferation and about Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The Initiative will continue to perform the key functions of (1) collecting the best policy analysis from our U.S. nuclear policy grantees and serving as a trusted intermediary to get it into the hands of policymakers and the media and (2) strengthening D.C.-based nuclear policy coalitions’ understanding of the importance of messaging to achieving outcomes. This is especially important because many organizations working on nuclear policy are walled-in by jargon, acronyms, and technical expertise and because the political environment requires more sophisticated messaging.

General operating support for the National Security Initiative would expand the capacity of one of the primary advocacy organizations educating policymakers and the public about the New START treaty and about Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Among other activities in 2011, the National Security Initiative intends to serve as a clearinghouse for the effort to educate policymakers and stakeholders about New START, provide daily updates on nuclear issues, and play the role of convener for the nuclear advocacy community. Demonstrating its ability to generate long-range strategic thinking on nuclear policy, the organization will also concentrate on integrating nuclear issues into a broader, longer-term vision of U.S. security. And, given its in-depth knowledge of the complex geopolitical issues surrounding Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the National Security Initiative plans to expand insideIran.org, its information center on Iran with active users inside and outside government.