NYPIRG - Definition and Overview

The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) is a student activism and training organization. It has existed since 1973. Its current executive director is Rebecca Weber and its founding director was Donald K. Ross. NYPIRG is the largest and most successful of the PIRG student groups innovated by Ralph Nader, 34 of which operate at the state level and are members of the umbrella organization USPIRG. (The state PIRGs are today autonomous of Nader and have no partisan political affiliation.) Because of its success and its established place in New York State politics, NYPIRG tends to operate relatively autonomous of USPIRG.

NYPIRG is New York's largest environmental, consumer protection and good government organization.

Infrastructure

NYPIRG has two main offices. Its headquarters are at 9 Murray Street in Manhattan, New York City. The NYPIRG legislative office is located in Albany.

The Campus Program

The focus of NYPIRG's program is the campus chapters, of which there are now 21. Campus chapters exist at schools in the State University of New York (SUNY), the City University of New York (CUNY), and two private colleges (Pratt Institute and Syracuse University). The chapters at Syracuse University and many of the other campuses are funded by activity fees assessed from every student, which are approved by student ballot every four years, and include one at SUNY's College of Environmental Science and Forestry, which shares space with the University.

Fundraising

In addition to fees paid by students at participating schools, NYPIRG is supported by citizen members throughout the state, whose contributions are often solicited through door-to-door or telephone fundraising.

External links

• nypirg.org (http://www.nypirg.org/) - NYPIRG's website.

• uspirg.org (http://www.uspirg.org/) - U.S. PIRG's website.