Fund for the Public Interest

The Fund for the Public Interest (sometimes referred to as the Fund) ¹ is a left-of-center political canvassing and fundraising organization that operates as the field arm of the Public Interest Network, which includes U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG) and Environment America. Created in 1982, the Fund manages large-scale door-to-door and street canvassing programs to raise money and recruit members for issues aligned with the Democratic Party. ²

Background

According to filings with the Massachusetts Secretary of State, the Fund for the Public Interest was created in May 1982 as the “Fund for Public Interest Research,” a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. ³ It changed its name to Fund for the Public Interest in July 2008. ⁴

The Fund’s articles of incorporation demonstrate it was intended to serve as a fundraising clearinghouse for the Public Interest organizations:

“The purpose of this corporation is to provide funding, technical assistance, and other forms of support to organizations and individuals engaged in public interest research, education, and advocacy.” ³  

However, as of 2025, it is the main fundraising and canvassing arm of the Public Interest Network. ¹

The Fund’s founding board members included Sanford “Sandy” Pooler, Susan Birmingham, Emily Bernheim, Merrill Gay, and Fran Amatucci. ¹

Sanford Pooler briefly served as an organizer with the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG) and as founding president of the Fund from 1980-1985. ⁵

Susan Birmingham served as a MASSPIRG campus organizing director, executive director of the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG), an activist with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US-PIRG), and as a founding board member of the Fund. She died in 2007. ⁶

Activities

The Fund for the Public Interest is the fundraising and canvassing arm of the Public Interest Network. It organizes door-to-door and street canvassing as well as phone outreach to raise money and recruit members for affiliated groups such as U.S. PIRG and Environment America. It also runs petition drives and public-awareness campaigns, though these are secondary to its fundraising work. ⁷

Financials

The Fund for the Public Interest reported $15.7 million in revenue during the 2024 fiscal year, down from their 2017 peak at $33.8 million. ⁸

Funding

Between 2020-2024, the Fund paid Grassroots Voter Outreach, a Democrat Party-aligned canvassing contractor, ⁹ $5.1 million dollars, $2.9 million of which was in 2020. ¹⁰

Controversy

In 2009, The Fund for the Public Interest agreed to a $2.15 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit that alleged violations of overtime rules, failure to pay for training days, and requiring employees to work more than 40 hours per week without proper compensation. The case was resolved out of court without admission of wrongdoing. ¹¹