Public Funding of Elections:
Groups Empowering Average Voters
Public Funding of Elections:Groups Empowering Average Voters
Organizations Working on This Issue
There are a variety of organizations that advocate for small donor public funding of elections, both in Washington, DC and across the nation. Listed below are several major national organizations that advocate for public funding. The staffs and websites of these organizations provide a wealth of information and analysis about campaign finance reform and public funding of elections on both the state and federal levels.
American Enterprise Institute
14150 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 862-5800
aei.org
Political Scientist, Resident Scholar: Norman J. Ornstein – nornstein@aei.org & (202) 862-5893
Associate, Media Relations: Megan Cahill – meg.cahill@aei.org & (202) 862-7155
AEI’s mission is “to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and responsibility, vigilant and effective defense and foreign policies, political accountability, and open debate.”
Brennan Center for Justice
New York University
161 Avenue of the Americas, 12th floor
New York, New York 10013
(626) 292-8310
brennancenter.org
President: Michael Waldman
The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute at New York University that seeks to improve our systems of democracy and justice. Its work ranges from Voting Rights to campaign finance reform, from racial justice in criminal law to Constitutional protection in the fight against terrorism.
Campaign Legal Center
1411 K St. NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 736-2200
campaignlegalcenter.org
President and General Counsel: Trevor Potter
Executive Director: J. Gerald Hebert
Policy Director: Meredith McGehee
The Campaign Legal Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that protects and strengthens our democracy in the areas of campaign finance, voting rights, political communication, and government ethics.
Common Cause
1133 19th Street NW, 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 833-1200
commoncause.org
President: Karen Hobert Flynn
Vice President for State Operations: Jenny Rose Flanagan
National Grassroots Organizer: Isabella Bronstein
Common Cause, which is working for honest, open, and accountable government, has staff and chapters in 35 states and members in all 50 states. The Common Cause website has a map that you click on to see if there is a chapter near you.
Democracy 21
2000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 355-9600
democracy21.org
President: Fred Wertheimer
Democracy 21 works on campaign finance reform to eliminate the undue influence of big money in American politics, prevent government corruption, empower citizens in the political process and ensure the integrity and fairness of government decisions and elections.
Demos
220 Fifth Avenue, Second Floor
New York, NY 10001
(212) 633-1405
demos.org
Heather McGee, President
Demos means “the People.” It is a public policy organization working for an America where we all have an equal say in our democracy and an equal chance in our economy.
Issue One (formerly Fund for the Republic)
11 Dupont Circle, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 299-0265
fundfortherepublic.org
Executive Director: Nick Penniman
Director for External Affairs: Barbara Lawton
The fund is a nonprofit grant-making organization committed to putting everyday citizens back in control of our democracy by reducing the influence of well-financed special interests over American politics and policy-making.
MapLight
2223 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 868-0894
maplight.org
President & Co-Founder, Daniel G. Newman
Vice President of Communications and Editorial Director, Pamela Behrsin
MapLight is a nonpartisan research organization that reveals money’s influence on politics. They research and compile data about the sources of campaign contributions in U.S. presidential, congressional, state, and local ballot and candidate elections. Maplight provides journalists and citizens with transparency tools that connect data on campaign contributions, politicians, legislative votes, industries, companies, and more to show patterns of influence never before possible to see. These tools allow users to gain unique insights into how campaign contributions affect policy so they can draw their own conclusions about how money influences our political system. To see the role of money in elections in your specific area visit Maplight’s Voter’s Edge page here.
National Council of State Legislatures
444 North Capitol St., NW, Suite 515
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 624-5400
&
7700 East First Place,
Denver, CO 80230
(303) 364-7700
ncsl.org
Morgan Cullen, for further information on campaign finance, see their website.
Public Campaign
1133 19th Street NW, 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 640-5600
publiccampaign.org
President: Nick Nyhart
VP for Outreach and Operations: Betty Ahrens
Public Campaign provides support for local community groups engaged in state and municipal campaigns to enact public funding of election systems and seeks to build a network of national and state-based efforts to create a powerful national force for federal and state campaign reform.
Public Citizen
1600 20th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 588-1000
www.citizen.org
President: Robert Weissman
Policy Director: Craig Holman
Public Citizen lobbies for the public interest before Congress, serving as the people’s voice in Washington to ensure that all citizens are represented in the halls of power.
U.S. PIRG (Public Interest Research Group)
294 Washington, St., Suite 500
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 747-4370
uspirg.org
Executive Director: Andre Delattre
Consumer Program Director: Ed Mierzwinski
Democracy Campaign Director: Dan Smith
Colorado Public Interest Research Group
President, Chairman: Douglas H. Phelps
1543 Wazee St., Ste. 330
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 573-7474
copirg.org
In its Democracy for the People program, U.S. PIRG is pushing back against big money in our elections and working to institute a system of small donor incentive programs, to amplify the voices of the American People over corporations, Super PACs, and the super-wealthy.
Issue Brief Progress Report Success Story Additional Readings
More Resources to Help You Empower Voters – Public Campaign Funding
Hedrick Smith, who conceived this website and is its principal writer and architect, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times reporter and Emmy award-winning documentary producer for PBS and PBS FRONTLINE. 
