U.S. PIRG

Consumer Advocacyuspirg.org

Company typePrivate
Founded1970
HeadquartersWashington, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

U.S. PIRG firmographics

Firmographics

Name: U.S. PIRG
Legal name: United States Public Interest Research Group, Inc.
Website: https://uspirg.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1970
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

U.S. PIRG industry classification

Industry

Product category: Consumer Advocacy
NAICS: Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
SIC: Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)
akta.pro primary industry: Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)
akta.pro secondary industries: Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying (BPAFADAB), Consumer & Lifestyle PR (MPAAADAB)

Keywords

Consumer advocacy
Public interest research
Nonprofit policy advocacy
Environmental campaign organizing
Citizen science initiatives

Where U.S. PIRG is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Washington
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

U.S. PIRG business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

Membership dues and donations: PIRG generates revenue primarily through member donations and recurring membership contributions. Supporters can give monthly or one-time donations. The organization also offers planned giving options including bequests, retirement account designations, life insurance beneficiary designations, and securities donations.
Planned giving and legacy donations: PIRG accepts planned gifts through wills, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and securities. The organization maintains a Public Interest Champions Circle to recognize donors who have included PIRG in their estate plans.
Vehicle donations: Through partnership with Charitable Auto Resources, supporters can donate vehicles to the sister organization U.S. PIRG Education Fund.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Monthly	Monthly recurring donation
Other	Pay-as-you-go	One-time donation

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

U.S. PIRG product offering

Product offering

Core offering

U.S. PIRG is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit consumer and public interest advocacy organization that conducts advocacy campaigns, research, organizing, and coalition-building on issues including consumer protection, environmental health, democracy, transportation, waste, and clean air and water. It mobilizes individual members and supporters through donations, petition drives, and grassroots campaigns, and publishes research reports, data visualizations, and educational resources for the general public.

Product overview

U.S. PIRG is a consumer advocacy organization (501(c)(4)) that advances solutions to problems affecting public health, safety, and wellbeing. The organization operates through advocacy campaigns focused on consumer protection, democracy, health, transportation, waste & recycling, toxics, clean water & air, global warming, and energy. Its primary products include citizen science research initiatives like the International Plastic Pellet Count, data visualization tools such as the Electronic Waste Graveyard, and the Community Repair Hub. The organization also publishes educational resources on medical billing rights and consumer alerts on product recalls and safety issues. State-level offices across 24 states provide localized advocacy and campaigns including Right to Repair and Beyond Plastic.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

International Plastic Pellet Count
Electronic Waste Graveyard
Community Repair Hub
Right to Repair Campaign
Beyond Plastic Campaign
Consumer Alerts
Medical Bill Resources

Quantifiable outcome

CFPB has returned more than $21 billion to consumers through advocacy efforts
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use U.S. PIRG

Customer profile

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

U.S. PIRG technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

U.S. PIRG partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

International Plastic Pellet Count Steering CommitteemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Coalition including American Bird Conservancy, Environment America Research and Policy Center, Environmental Action, Nurdle Patrol, Oceana, The Surfrider Foundation, U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Waterkeeper Alliance, and 5 Gyres that co-organized the 2026 International Plastic Pellet Count citizen science initiative.
The Nature Conservancy in ArizonamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Environmental organization that co-authored research with Arizona PIRG Education Fund finding that EVs can save $100M for government fleets in Arizona.
Frontier Group (for Arizona EV research)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Research partner that co-authored Arizona EV fleet savings research with Arizona PIRG Education Fund and The Nature Conservancy.
Nurdle PatrolmajorTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2025Citizen science platform used for the International Plastic Pellet Count where volunteers log plastic pellet count data during 10-minute survey intervals.
U.S. PIRG Education FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister 501(c)(3) organization that accepts tax-deductible donations. U.S. PIRG Education Fund offers an independent voice working on behalf of the public interest, focusing on research, education, and advocacy on consumer and environmental issues.
The Public Interest NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIRG is part of The Public Interest Network, a network of organizations working on public interest issues including environment, consumer protection, and good government. The network provides shared resources, infrastructure, and strategic coordination.
State PIRG Affiliates (CALPIRG, OSPIRG, CoPIRG, MASSPIRG, etc.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner25 state-based affiliates including Arizona PIRG, California PIRG (CALPIRG), Colorado PIRG (CoPIRG), Oregon PIRG (OSPIRG), Massachusetts PIRG (MASSPIRG), Washington PIRG (WashPIRG), Wisconsin PIRG (WISPIRG), and others operating independently but aligned with national PIRG campaigns.
Frontier GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and policy organization providing research support for PIRG campaigns. Frontier Group analysts produce reports on issues including transportation, energy, waste, and environmental policy.
Fund for the Public InterestmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization that runs canvassing operations and field programs supporting PIRG's national and state campaigns, providing grassroots outreach and member recruitment.
National Environmental Law CentermajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal organization that provides litigation support for environmental advocacy efforts, including cases involving clean water, toxic substances, and environmental protection.
Charitable Auto ResourcesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVehicle donation partner accepting car, truck, and boat donations on behalf of U.S. PIRG Education Fund, with donations potentially being tax-deductible.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

U.S. PIRG competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Sierra Club: Sierra Club is a mass-membership environmental nonprofit with state chapters — directly comparable to PIRG's federated model on environmental advocacy, climate, and clean energy campaigns.
Environmental Defense Fund: EDF is a much larger environmental advocacy organization with science-driven policy work. PIRG's environmental campaigns (Beyond Plastic, clean water, climate) overlap with EDF's priorities, though EDF operates at a larger scale and budget.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): ACLU is a large, federated nonprofit advocacy organization with state affiliates operating across civil rights, democracy, and consumer-protection-adjacent issues. PIRG's state affiliate structure and advocacy model closely parallel ACLU's organizing approach.
Natural Resources Defense Council: NRDC is a major environmental advocacy organization combining legal, scientific, and policy work. PIRG's environmental campaigns and research function (via Frontier Group) parallel NRDC's blended advocacy-and-research approach.

Direct peers

Consumer Reports: Consumer Reports is a member-supported nonprofit focused on consumer protection, product safety testing, and consumer rights — directly overlapping PIRG's consumer advocacy, alerts, and right-to-repair campaigns.
Public Citizen: Public Citizen is a closely matched consumer and public interest advocacy nonprofit. Both organizations lobby on consumer protection, healthcare costs, and corporate accountability, and compete for the same donor base in overlapping issue areas.
Common Cause: Common Cause is a grassroots democracy and government accountability nonprofit. PIRG's democracy work and state-level organizing model closely mirror Common Cause's structure and donor base.

Emerging players

Earthjustice: Earthjustice focuses on environmental litigation — closely overlapping PIRG's environmental advocacy and partnership with the National Environmental Law Center, though its primary lever is the courtroom rather than grassroots organizing.
Center for Public Integrity: The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit investigative journalism organization focused on government accountability. Its democracy and good-government mission overlaps with PIRG's democracy and consumer protection advocacy.

Others

U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund (PIRG Education Fund): PIRG's 501(c)(3) sister organization handles tax-deductible research, education, and non-lobbying advocacy. It is structurally intertwined with U.S. PIRG and shares staff, leadership, and resources through The Public Interest Network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

U.S. PIRG compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance3 records

U.S. PIRG financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

U.S. PIRG leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

U.S. PIRG funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

U.S. PIRG M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about U.S. PIRG

What does U.S. PIRG do?

Is U.S. PIRG a public or private company?

U.S. PIRG is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was U.S. PIRG founded?

U.S. PIRG was founded in 1970. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is U.S. PIRG based?

U.S. PIRG is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.

How does U.S. PIRG make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Membership dues and donations are the primary driver. The others are planned giving and legacy donations and vehicle donations.

Who are U.S. PIRG's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Natural Resources Defense Council. Direct peers are Consumer Reports, Public Citizen and Common Cause. Emerging players are Earthjustice and Center for Public Integrity. U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund (PIRG Education Fund) is listed as an others.

Does U.S. PIRG have an API?

No public API is recorded for U.S. PIRG.

What industry is U.S. PIRG in?

U.S. PIRG's product category is Consumer Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAK, Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPAFADAB, Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying. Its NAICS code is 8133 and its SIC code is 8600.