California Public Interest Research Group

CALPIRG Students is a student-run, student-funded nonprofit at eight of the UCs that, through grassroots organizing and advocacy, fights to protect our environment, make college more affordable, and reinvigorate our democracy. CALPIRG stands for California Public Interest Research Group, so we fight against private/special interests who have a lot more money, but we have the people power. With over forty years of grassroots organizing experience, there is no other nonprofit like CALPIRG Students. We've worked on things you now take for granted, such as mandatory seat belts in cars and nutrition labels on food. Just in the past couple of years we've committed California to 100% clean electricity by 2045 (we started the '100%' motto everyone now knows is referring to renewable energy), committed UC Berkeley to 100% clean energy (the first major institution to do so), passed a statewide bag ban (we were known as the 'bag people'), registered thousands of people to vote, and much more. We're the largest student group in California with due paying members, so we're very supported! As our track record implies, we’re a very goals-orientated nonprofit. We have different campaigns (or teams) within our organization that have specific goals. This semester we have Plastic-Free Seas, 100% Renewable Energy, Zero Hunger, Save the Bees, and New Voters Project. We'll be fighting to ban single-use plastics on campus, commit UC Berkeley to Zero Hunger by 2025, and become the first bee friendly certified UC campus! If you are interested in learning how to make make a campaign plan, build grassroots support, lobby your elected officials, and make real change, come check us out and see what we can accomplish together!