Consumer Federation of America

What Consumer Federation of America does

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association founded in 1968 and headquartered at 1620 I Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C. CFA operates as a federation of nearly 250 diverse nonprofit member organizations — including national and state advocacy groups, consumer cooperatives (credit unions, electric co-ops), labor unions, public power utilities, and state and local consumer protection agencies — to advance consumer interests through research, education, and advocacy. Its work spans 11+ issue areas including AI & Data Privacy, Competition & Market Fairness, Consumer Financial Education, Climate & Energy, Financial Services, Food & Agriculture, Housing, Insurance, Investor Protection & Crypto Markets, Product Safety, and Telecom, and it operates sub-brand programs America Saves and Veteran Saves that engage individual consumers directly.

CFA does not sell technology products or software; its "products" are policy research, testimony and regulatory comments, authoritative annual reports (e.g., Consumer Agency Survey Report, Scam Economy report), coalition letters, fact sheets, blogs, and class-action litigation. It monetizes through three channels: tiered membership dues paid by its ~250 member organizations across State/Local, Consumer Agency, National, Cooperative, and Special Recognition categories; individual and institutional donations solicited via a 'Ways to Give' page; and registration fees from four annual conferences (National Food Policy Conference, Financial Services Conference, Consumer Assembly, Awards Celebration). CFA's go-to-market is community-led — it recruits and retains member organizations, conducts advocacy outreach to Congress, the FTC, the CFPB, the CPSC, and state legislatures, files coalition letters and lawsuits, and convenes policymakers, industry, researchers, and advocates at its events.

Operationally, CFA maintains a small professional staff of 11–50 employees led by CEO Susan Weinstock and a bench of specialized issue-area directors covering housing, insurance, financial services, food policy, AI/data privacy, climate & energy, investor protection, product safety, competition, and consumer protection. The organization has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no private-equity or venture backing, and no disclosed revenue; it is funded by member dues, donations, and event revenue. Recent flagship initiatives include a class-action against Meta Platforms, a coalition of 139 stakeholders defending the Consumer Product Safety Commission's independence, and the 'Blueprint for a Consumer-First Congress.'

Name

Consumer Federation of America

Legal name

Consumer Federation of America

Website

https://consumerfed.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Consumer Federation of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit federation founded in 1968 that unites nearly 250 consumer advocacy groups, cooperatives, labor unions, and public agencies to deliver research, policy advocacy, and litigation across 11+ consumer-protection issue areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Advocacy Services

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Consumer advocacy
• Nonprofit federation
• Policy research
• Financial education
• Consumer protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CFA generates revenue through membership dues paid by its nearly 250 member organizations, which include national advocacy groups, state and local consumer agencies, consumer cooperatives, and other nonprofit consumer organizations. Tiered membership categories include State and Local Members, Consumer Agency Members, National Members, Cooperative Members, and CFA Special Recognition Members.
2. Donations and Contributions: CFA accepts donations and contributions from individuals and organizations supporting its consumer advocacy mission. The organization has a 'Ways to Give' page and 'Donate to CFA' option on its website.
3. Conference and Event Revenue: CFA generates revenue through registration fees for its major annual conferences including the National Food Policy Conference and Financial Services Conference, which bring together policymakers, industry representatives, researchers, and advocates.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Consumer Federation of America is a nonprofit federation of nearly 250 consumer organizations that advances the consumer interest through research, education, and advocacy across 11 issue areas including AI & Data Privacy, Financial Services, Housing, Insurance, Food & Agriculture, and Product Safety. CFA delivers consumer-facing programs (America Saves, Veteran Saves), produces annual research reports such as the Consumer Agency Survey Report, files class-action lawsuits, submits regulatory testimony, and hosts four annual conferences that convene policymakers, industry, researchers, and advocates.

Product overview

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is a non-profit consumer advocacy organization, not a technology product company. CFA provides research, education, and advocacy services focused on consumer protection across multiple issue areas including AI & Data Privacy, Competition & Market Fairness, Consumer Financial Education, Climate & Energy, Financial Services, Food & Agriculture, Housing, Insurance, Investor Protection & Crypto Markets, Product Safety, and Telecom. CFA's offerings include annual reports (such as the Consumer Agency Survey Report and Consumer Complaint Survey Report), policy recommendations, testimony and comments to government bodies, fact sheets, blogs, and educational programs. The organization also hosts annual conferences including the National Food Policy Conference and Financial Services Conference. CFA does not offer technology products, software platforms, or SaaS services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• America Saves: Consumer savings program helping Americans build financial security
• Veteran Saves

Products and services

• CFA Federation Membership Tiered nonprofit membership federation with five member categories (State and Local, Consumer Agency, National, Cooperative, Special Recognition) that gives consumer advocacy organizations collective policy advocacy, research support, regulatory representation, and coalition infrastructure.
• America Saves Consumer-facing financial wellness and savings program designed to help individual Americans build financial security through saving resources, tools, and partnerships with financial institutions.
• Veteran Saves Financial wellness and savings program tailored for U.S. military veterans and their families, delivered as a sub-brand of CFA's consumer savings initiatives.
• National Food Policy Conference Annual ticketed conference convening policymakers, industry representatives, researchers, and consumer advocates on food and agriculture policy.
• Financial Services Conference Annual ticketed conference convening policymakers, industry, researchers, and advocates on consumer financial services and lending regulation.
• Consumer Assembly Annual CFA-hosted consumer advocacy assembly bringing together federation members and consumer protection stakeholders.
• Awards Celebration Annual CFA event at which consumer advocacy awards, including the Designation of Savings Excellence Award, are presented.

Quantifiable outcome

• CFA-led state and local consumer agencies secured over $890 million in consumer relief in 2025.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Armed Forces BankminorOthers · 4 March 2026Armed Forces Bank earned one of only two 'Designation of Savings Excellence' Awards from the Consumer Federation of America in 2025, recognizing the bank's financial education outreach to veterans, service members, and military families.
• Consumer ReportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer Reports is a member organization within CFA's federation of nearly 250 nonprofit consumer organizations. CFA and Consumer Reports have collaborated on advocacy campaigns including the Homeowners Insurance Bill of Rights and various regulatory comments to protect consumers.
• National Consumers LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Consumers League is a member organization within CFA's federation. CFA and NCL co-signed advocacy letters including a coalition letter urging Congress to preserve an independent Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Real Reform LouisianaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFA and Real Reform Louisiana jointly urged the Louisiana Senate Insurance Committee to support SB 267, which would ban credit scores and ZIP codes in auto insurance underwriting or rating.
• National Urban LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFA collaborated with the National Urban League on a joint report examining the aftermath of the 2024 NAR $418 million settlement, surveying 223 housing counselors across 37 states to assess impacts on first-time homebuyers.
• United PolicyholderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Policyholders partnered with Consumer Reports and CFA to develop a Homeowners Insurance Bill of Rights consisting of nine proposed protections addressing premium hikes, policy cancellations, and opaque pricing practices.
• Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFA, EPIC, and Fairplay released the 'People-First Chatbot Bill,' a model legislative proposal addressing growing privacy concerns around AI chatbots, which was shared with lawmakers in several states.
• FairplaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFA, EPIC, and Fairplay jointly released the 'People-First Chatbot Bill,' a model legislative proposal addressing AI chatbot privacy concerns, which was shared with lawmakers in several states.
• Safe Food CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFA coordinates the Safe Food Coalition, a coalition of consumer and public health organizations working on food safety policy. CFA's Director of Food Policy Thomas Gremillion leads the coalition's activities.
• Tycko and Zavareei LLP and Tech Justice LawcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCFA partnered with law firms Tycko and Zavareei LLP and Tech Justice Law to file a class-action lawsuit against Meta Platforms in Washington D.C. Superior Court, alleging the company profited from fraudulent advertisements on Facebook and Instagram.
• Consumer Federation of America Member Organizations (approx. 250)coreOthersCFA's primary partnerships are with its approximately 250 member organizations including advocacy groups, consumer cooperatives (credit unions, electric co-ops), labor unions, public power utilities, state and local consumer protection agencies, and other pro-consumer groups. These members pay dues and collectively benefit from CFA's research, advocacy, and coalition-building.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Americans for Financial Reform: Americans for Financial Reform is a coalition of consumer, labor, and community groups advocating on Wall Street reform and consumer financial protection — directly comparable to CFA's Financial Services and Investor Protection issue areas, particularly around CFPB and consumer credit policy.
• Public Citizen: Public Citizen is a national nonprofit consumer and public-interest advocacy organization founded by Ralph Nader, focusing on similar issue areas (financial regulation, healthcare, trade, consumer safety) and frequently co-signing letters and coalitions with CFA.
• Consumer Reports: Consumer Reports is a nonprofit consumer product testing, research, and advocacy organization — directly comparable to CFA as a leading U.S. consumer advocacy nonprofit. Consumer Reports is also a CFA member organization and the two collaborate on initiatives such as the Homeowners Insurance Bill of Rights.
• U.S. PIRG (Public Interest Research Group): U.S. PIRG is a federation of state public-interest research groups conducting consumer advocacy on financial protection, product safety, and public health — closely comparable to CFA's federation model and issue portfolio, though with stronger state-level grassroots mobilization.
• National Consumers League: National Consumers League is one of the oldest U.S. consumer advocacy nonprofits (founded 1899) and a fellow CFA federation member. NCL overlaps with CFA across fraud, product safety, and financial services advocacy and regularly co-files letters and coalitions with CFA.
• Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI): CSPI is a consumer advocacy and nutrition-policy nonprofit focused on food safety, nutrition labeling, and health — directly comparable to CFA's food and agriculture advocacy work led by its Director of Food Policy and the Safe Food Coalition that CFA coordinates.

Emerging players

• Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC): EPIC is a nonprofit focused on privacy, data protection, and AI policy advocacy. It is a direct collaborator with CFA on the People-First Chatbot Bill and AI regulation commentary, making it a niche but highly comparable peer in CFA's AI & Data Privacy vertical.
• National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC): NCRC is a coalition advocating for fair lending, housing, and community economic justice — directly comparable to CFA's housing and financial services advocacy (e.g., NAR settlement work with National Urban League) but with a more community-development lens.
• Consumer Action: Consumer Action is a national nonprofit providing consumer education, complaint handling, and policy advocacy on financial services, healthcare, and privacy — a smaller-scale but mission-aligned peer to CFA's consumer education and complaint-related work.
• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is a nonprofit consumer information and advocacy organization focused on data privacy and security — a smaller-scale thematic peer to CFA's AI and Data Privacy issue area led by its dedicated director.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/consumerfed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/consumer-federation-of-america
• Facebookfacebook.com/ConsumerFederationofAmerica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Consumer Federation of America