Research leaders welcome this for targeting funds to where they can be best used.

This year he has targeted funds at such initiatives as summer school, early childhood programs and maintenance.

The money that the county received from the state also includes $866,000 from a fund targeted for the homeless population.

While capital campaigns targeted funds for the new church and rectory, no plans were made to improve the school facilities.

Hard money, in Washington parlance, is the funds and activities targeted to electing specific candidates to federal office.

She also voted in favor of legislation targeting and withholding federal funds from sanctuary cities.

So why, you might ask, has President Bush, in his heralded education plan, eliminated all federal funds targeted for class size reduction?

And, we must target funds to school initiatives that show results and commit resources to turn around low-performing schools, not punish them.

"We'd like to see those funds targeted to children who are at risk of going into foster care with a stranger," Ms. Geballe said.

In 2007, they issued an unusual rule that protects employers who automatically send workers' 401(k) money to target funds if, later, the employees lose money.