The Public Goods Project is a public health advocacy organization that runs media campaigns on behalf of its funders regarding a variety of public health issues. The organization is a nonprofit, however it acts as a public affairs firm executing and implementing state, local, and national public health campaigns.

The group operated campaigns focused on vaccines, reproductive health and abortion, tobacco control, and school nutrition. Most of the organization’s campaigns are targeted toward consumers and residents of specific areas. The group is notable for its pro-vaccination public health campaigns during the COVID-19 pandemic, targeted at fighting what the organization called an “infodemic” of vaccine misinformation. The organization received scrutiny from vaccine skeptics over its funding from COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Moderna and its campaigns to censor anti-vaccine content on social media. The group has also executed campaigns for funders including the Rockefeller Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and Google. ^{1 2 3}

Background

The Public Goods Project was formed in 2013 and received tax-exempt status as an educational charitable organization in 2014. The group functions as a public affairs firm that conducts public health campaigns and releases reports and documentaries on behalf of a variety of funders, including technology companies, pharmaceutical companies, and public health agencies. ^{4 5}

The group specializes in “large-scale media monitoring programs, social and behavior change interventions, and cross-sector initiatives,” including campaigns to censor alleged misinformation. The group is also committed to left-of-center diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles, stating that “PGP promises to prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion to drive innovation, inspire creativity, improve performance, and serve communities.” ⁶

Activity and Projects

The Public Goods Project selects projects that are proposed to it by potential funders. The group’s criteria for campaigns are those that will improve public health, have an existing network of stakeholders, have large impacts, and can be formally evaluated. The group’s board and staff contain individuals with backgrounds in public health, marketing, journalism, media, and business. ⁷

Campaigns executed by the group have centered on a vaccines, reproductive health and abortion, tobacco control, and school nutrition. Examples of campaigns conducted by the organization include a public health campaign encouraging young men to reduce drinking, an “equity-first vaccination initiative,” and an AI-powered chatbot to chat with teens and young women about sexual and reproductive health in Syracuse, New York. ⁸

Vaccine Programs

The Public Goods Project received scrutiny from vaccine skeptics over its funding from COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers and its campaigns to censor anti-vaccine content on social media. The group reportedly received a $1.275 million donation from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, a trade association representing pharmaceutical companies. The group also launched a partnership called the “Infodemic Training Program” which provided talking points to roughly 45,000 healthcare professionals “on how to respond when vaccine misinformation goes mainstream.” The group also coordinated with Twitter to suggest accounts and pieces of alleged misinformation to be censored by the platform. ⁹

Partners and Funders

Funders who have partnered with Public Goods Project on public health campaigns include the Rockefeller Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Public Health Communications Collaborative, the New York State Health Foundation, the National Governors Association, UNICEF, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), West Orange Health District, and the Allyn Family Foundation. ¹⁰

1. Fang, Lee. “Exposed: Moderna’s Vaccine Against Vaccine Dissent.” Real Clear Investigations. January 16, 2024. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2024/01/16/how_moderna_came_up_with_a_vaccine_against_vaccine_dissent_1004781.html
2. “Services.” Public Goods Project. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://www.publicgoodprojects.org/services
3. “About.” Public Goods Project. Accessed January 24, 2024.  https://www.publicgoodprojects.org/about
4. “About.” Public Goods Project. Accessed January 24, 2024.  https://www.publicgoodprojects.org/about
5. “Services.” Public Goods Project. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://www.publicgoodprojects.org/services
6. “About.” Public Goods Project. Accessed January 24, 2024.  https://www.publicgoodprojects.org/about
7. “About.” Public Goods Project. Accessed January 24, 2024.  https://www.publicgoodprojects.org/about
8. “Services.” Public Goods Project. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://www.publicgoodprojects.org/services
9. Fang, Lee. “Exposed: Moderna’s Vaccine Against Vaccine Dissent.” Real Clear Investigations. January 16, 2024. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2024/01/16/how_moderna_came_up_with_a_vaccine_against_vaccine_dissent_1004781.html
10. “Services.” Public Goods Project. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://www.publicgoodprojects.org/services