Consumer Federation of California

What Consumer Federation of California does

Consumer Federation of California (CFC) is a Sacramento-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1960 that campaigns for stronger state and federal consumer protection laws. Its core activity is legislative and regulatory advocacy: CFC testifies before the California legislature on dozens of bills each year, appears before state agencies in support of consumer regulations, publishes annual legislative scorecards grading lawmakers, and engages in grassroots coalition campaigns. Leadership includes Executive Director Robert Herrell (in role since early 2020, with prior experience as Deputy California Insurance Commissioner) and President Richard Holober, supported by a small staff of approximately eight named officers.

CFC operates an affiliated 501(c)(3) educational arm, the CFC Education Foundation, which conducts education and research; the foundation's petition to the California Department of Insurance was responsible for approximately $1.75 billion in COVID-19 auto insurance premium savings for consumers. CFC also runs PrivacyRevolt.com through its Issues Committee and has led first-in-the-nation consumer protection wins including the CARS Act (AB 766) three-day cooling-off period on used car purchases. The organization earns no product or service revenue; its operating budget is funded through tax-deductible donations routed to the Foundation, non-deductible contributions to CFC itself, and cy pres awards from consumer class action lawsuits, with courts recognizing CFC's effectiveness when approving residual distributions.

Name

Consumer Federation of California

Legal name

Consumer Federation of California

Website

https://consumercal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Consumer Federation of California is a Sacramento-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit founded in 1960 that advocates for stronger consumer protection laws through legislative testimony, regulatory engagement, coalition campaigns, and annual legislative scorecards on behalf of California consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Advocacy Services

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer Protection & Product Safety Regulators (BPAIAOAE)

Keywords

• Consumer advocacy
• Consumer protection
• Legislative advocacy
• Nonprofit policy advocacy
• Consumer rights

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit and accepts donations. Donations to CFC are not tax deductible. They receive contributions through their website and mail.
2. Cy Pres Awards: Cy pres awards from consumer class action cases are a source of funding for CFC's advocacy work. Courts approve cy pres distributions to CFC in recognition of the effectiveness of their work for millions of consumers. CFC uses every penny of a cy pres award to advance the rights of consumers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Consumer Federation of California is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that campaigns for state and federal consumer protection laws, testifies before the California legislature on consumer-related bills, and appears before state agencies in support of consumer regulations. The organization conducts legislative advocacy, publishes legislative scorecards, and builds coalitions with allied organizations to influence policy on issues such as junk fees, predatory lending, insurance affordability, and consumer privacy.

Product overview

Consumer Federation of California (CFC) is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1960. It does not offer a technology product platform but rather provides advocacy services including legislative advocacy before the California legislature, consumer rights campaigns, legislative scorecards, and policy research. CFC operates the PrivacyRevolt.com website through its Issues Committee as a partner platform for consumer privacy advocacy. The CFC Education Foundation, a separate 501(c)(3) entity, assists consumers through education and research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PrivacyRevolt.com: A website run by the Consumer Federation of California Issues Committee that is a partner of CFC and the CFC Education Foundation

Products and services

• Consumer Federation of California Advocacy Services
• PrivacyRevolt.com

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.75 billion in COVID-19 auto insurance savings for California consumers through CFC Foundation petition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Consumer LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFC works with National Consumer League on coalition advocacy efforts including opposition to the CLARITY Act on digital assets. Long-standing partnership on national consumer protection issues.
• Sierra ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Coalition for Safe Building Materials opposing plastic pipe use in California. Long-standing environmental coalition partner on consumer and environmental protection issues.
• California State Pipe Trades CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor coalition partner in the Coalition for Safe Building Materials working on issues including plastic pipe safety and building material standards.
• Communities for a Better EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental justice coalition partner in the Coalition for Safe Building Materials addressing health and environmental concerns in building materials.
• Consumers UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in the 12 Days of Safe Shopping Campaign and various consumer protection advocacy efforts including product safety initiatives.
• CalPIRGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in consumer advocacy campaigns including the 12 Days of Safe Shopping Campaign and product safety initiatives.
• Consumer ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer advocacy coalition partner in various campaigns including safe shopping and consumer protection initiatives.
• MOMS (Mothers Against Malware/Safe Shopping)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in the 12 Days of Safe Shopping Campaign focusing on product safety for families and children.
• Consumer Federation of California Education FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated 501(c)(3) tax-exempt educational organization governed by an autonomous Board of Directors. CFC Education Foundation assists consumers through education and research. CFC and the Foundation collaborate on consumer issues.
• PrivacyRevolt.comminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWebsite run by the CFC Issues Committee that is a partner of CFC and the CFC Education Foundation. CFC collaborates with this property on privacy issues.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Consumers Union (Consumer Reports): National nonprofit consumer advocacy and product-testing organization. Direct peer given the coalition partnership on the 12 Days of Safe Shopping Campaign and overlapping consumer protection agenda.
• CalPIRG: California public interest research and advocacy group. Closely comparable consumer advocacy mission, statewide California focus, and explicit coalition partner on consumer protection campaigns.
• National Consumer League: National consumer advocacy organization founded in 1899. Directly comparable advocacy model and explicit core coalition partner with CFC on federal issues including the CLARITY Act opposition.
• Public Citizen: National nonprofit consumer and public interest advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader. Comparable nonprofit advocacy, lobbying, and policy research model targeting corporate accountability.
• Consumer Action: National consumer education and advocacy nonprofit. Directly comparable consumer protection mission and a named coalition partner with CFC on safe shopping and consumer protection campaigns.
• U.S. PIRG: National federation of state Public Interest Research Groups. Operates the same model as CalPIRG at the federal level with comparable consumer protection, antitrust, and product safety advocacy.
• Center for Auto Safety: Nonprofit consumer advocacy organization focused on automobile safety, recalls, and lemon laws. Comparable focus areas to CFC's auto insurance and used car (CARS Act) advocacy work.
• Americans for Financial Reform: Coalition advocating for consumer protection in financial services. Comparable mission on predatory lending, junk fees, and financial privacy that aligns with CFC's affordability agenda.

Emerging players

• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: Nonprofit consumer privacy advocacy and education organization. Partial overlap with CFC's consumer privacy work and related California consumer protection ecosystem.

Others

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): Federal regulator with consumer financial protection mandate. Adjacent rather than competitive; CFC engages with federal and state consumer protection bodies on overlapping issues.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/consumercal
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Consumer-Federation-of-California/106855433558

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Consumer Federation of California