Fund For The Public Interest

Fund For The Public Interest is a national nonprofit organization working to increase the visibility, membership and political power of the nation’s leading environmental and progressive groups.

The Fund was launched in 1982 to develop campaigns and technologies to engage Americans in public interest advocacy efforts. Through our fundraising and non-fundraising canvasses,  we've gathered over 20 million petition signatures over the past 25 years and raised over $20 million for our partner organizations in the last year alone.

Current Fund partners like Sierra Club and Human Rights Campaign are expanding their donor base and passing tougher legislation against air pollution, forest clear-cutting, hate crimes, and special interest money in politics. We owe our success to the fusion of our staff’s grassroots organizing experience, cost-conscious attitude and work ethic with our partner groups’ issue expertise, initiative and vision.

We're best known for our canvass programs. Over the years we've developed the nation's largest and most effective network for door-to-door and street canvassing—signing up members in high traffic, public places. We sign up sustainers—members who commit to automatic monthly contributions from a checking account or credit card—as well as one-time contributors. We are also one of the nation's most prolific signature gathering operations. We have pioneered other creative outreach methods, like canvassing at concerts and gay pride festivals.