Public Participation Project

What Public Participation Project does

Public Participation Project (PPP) is a U.S.-based nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Pablo, California, that works to protect citizens from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) — meritless retaliatory suits designed to chill speech on matters of public concern. Its primary activities are legislative advocacy at the federal and state level, education about anti-SLAPP laws, and the provision of free legal resources and referrals to SLAPP targets. The organization does not develop technology products; its core delivery mechanism is the anti-slapp.org website, which hosts a state anti-SLAPP law directory, a SLAPP-Blog covering cases and legislative developments, video and storytelling content, and contact channels for direct referrals.

The organization's revenue model is donations-only, with no disclosed fee-for-service or commercial pricing; it relies on individual and organizational contributions processed through its website. Its go-to-market is community-led advocacy: PPP mobilizes a coalition of free speech advocates, journalists, environmental groups, and legal organizations — including the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, ACLU, Earthrights International, California Anti-SLAPP Project, and Techdirt (where board member Mike Masnick publishes) — to support legislative efforts and resource distribution. Customer segments are non-paying and horizontally distributed across citizens facing SLAPPs, journalists and media professionals, and environmental and political activists. Key personnel include Policy Director Evan Mascagni, Board Vice President Jeremy Rosen, and board member Mike Masnick. Strategic significance has been demonstrated through PPP's role in supporting the SLAPP Protection Act of 2022 (H.R. 8864) and the bipartisan Free Speech Protection Act introduced in both chambers in December 2024.

Name

Public Participation Project

Legal name

Public Participation Project

Website

https://anti-slapp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Public Participation Project is a U.S. nonprofit that advocates for anti-SLAPP legislation and provides free legal resources and referrals to citizens, journalists, and activists targeted by retaliatory Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK), Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Anti-SLAPP advocacy
• Free speech protection
• Legal resource referrals
• Legislative advocacy
• First Amendment defense

Headquarters

HQ city

San Pablo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a nonprofit organization, Public Participation Project relies on donations from individuals and organizations to fund their operations. The organization works to protect citizens from SLAPPs through legislative advocacy and providing legal resources to targets of strategic lawsuits against public participation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Public Participation Project is a nonprofit advocacy organization that protects citizens from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) by providing free legal resources and referrals to individuals facing retaliatory lawsuits, publishing educational content about state anti-SLAPP laws, and advocating for federal anti-SLAPP legislation. Its primary offerings are a legal resources/referrals service, the SLAPP-Blog, a state anti-SLAPP laws information directory, and ongoing federal legislative advocacy.

Product overview

The Public Participation Project is a nonprofit advocacy organization (not a technology product company) that provides legal resources, referrals, and educational content to protect citizens from SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation). The organization operates primarily through its website anti-slapp.org, offering informational resources about anti-SLAPP laws by state, a blog covering SLAPP cases and legislation, and direct legal referrals. PPP also engages in federal legislative advocacy to enact nationwide anti-SLAPP protections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Resources and Referrals Free service providing legal resources and referrals to individuals targeted by Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) to help them protect their free speech and petition rights.
• SLAPP-Blog Blog covering SLAPP cases, anti-SLAPP legislation developments, and free speech protection news at the state and federal level.
• State Anti-SLAPP Laws Information Comprehensive information directory about anti-SLAPP laws across different U.S. states, helping citizens understand their state-level legal protections against SLAPPs.
• Federal Anti-SLAPP Legislation Advocacy Ongoing advocacy service that works to enact federal anti-SLAPP legislation to protect citizens from frivolous lawsuits designed to chill free speech, including support for bills such as the SLAPP Protection Act of 2022 and the Free Speech Protection Act of 2024.

Quantifiable outcome

• SLAPP Protection Act of 2022 (H.R. 8864) introduced in Congress by Representative Jamie Raskin
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Reporters Committee for Freedom of the PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press works closely with Public Participation Project on anti-SLAPP advocacy. Executive Director Bruce Brown has publicly endorsed anti-SLAPP statutes as effective tools to terminate meritless lawsuits and promote speech rights. The organizations share resources and provide mutual support for legislative efforts.
• Earthrights InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarthrights International published a policy brief highlighting SLAPPs filed by the fossil fuel industry against activists and has analyzed federal anti-SLAPP legislation proposed by Representative Raskin. They praised the SLAPP Protection Act of 2022 for its effectiveness in curtailing SLAPPs.
• Techdirt (Mike Masnick)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMike Masnick, board member of Public Participation Project, has written extensively about SLAPPs and federal anti-SLAPP legislation. Techdirt provides ongoing coverage and analysis of SLAPP cases and legislation, contributing to public awareness and advocacy efforts.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ACLU files amicus briefs in significant SLAPP cases and has represented individuals facing SLAPP suits, including bloggers and activists. They advocate for stronger anti-SLAPP protections as part of their free speech mission.
• California Anti-SLAPP Project (CASP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASP is a dedicated coalition focused on California anti-SLAPP law. PPP Policy Director Evan Mascagni has authored blog posts for CASP on notable SLAPP cases, demonstrating close working relationship on state-level advocacy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Earthrights International: An environmental and human rights NGO that has published policy briefs on fossil-fuel SLAPPs and analyzed federal anti-SLAPP legislation; directly comparable because it focuses on the same SLAPP issue area from an environmental-advocacy lens.
• Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: A press-freedom legal and advocacy organization that works directly alongside PPP on anti-SLAPP advocacy, with shared resources and joint legislative efforts; explicitly comparable as a co-equal partner in SLAPP-specific work.
• California Anti-SLAPP Project (CASP): A California-focused anti-SLAPP coalition whose work PPP's Policy Director has authored blog content for; directly comparable because both organizations are dedicated coalitions specifically targeting SLAPP laws at the state level.

Broad incumbents

• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): A digital civil liberties organization that addresses online speech, SLAPPs against bloggers and online critics, and First Amendment issues in technology contexts; broader in scope but directly comparable on free-speech advocacy for digital-era SLAPP victims.
• Public Citizen: A national consumer and democracy advocacy nonprofit that litigates and lobbies on corporate accountability issues including free-speech and anti-SLAPP-adjacent matters; broader in scope but comparable as an established advocacy organization working on related public-interest issues.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): A large, established civil liberties organization that files amicus briefs in SLAPP cases and represents SLAPP defendants; overlaps with PPP on First Amendment advocacy but as part of a much broader portfolio covering many civil rights issues.

Emerging players

• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): An international press-freedom organization that documents and advocates against legal threats to journalists, including SLAPPs; comparable as a free-press advocacy group but operating globally rather than primarily U.S. state/federal legislative work.
• PEN America: A free-expression advocacy organization that supports writers, journalists, and activists facing legal retaliation; partially overlaps with PPP on defending free-speech targets but is more focused on literary and journalistic expression.
• NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund: A major civil rights legal organization with historical involvement in landmark SLAPP-adjacent cases (e.g., NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware, cited by PPP); comparable because it litigates First Amendment and public-participation cases, though across a much broader civil-rights mandate.

Others

• Techdirt: An online publication focused on free-speech and technology-policy issues, founded by PPP board member Mike Masnick; not a peer advocacy organization itself, but a closely aligned media/ecosystem partner that covers SLAPP legislation and cases.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/antislapp
• Facebookfacebook.com/PublicParticipationProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/public-participation-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Public Participation Project