Public Citizen Foundation Inc
Public Citizen Foundation Inc. is a Washington, D.C.-based public charity whose stated filing purpose is to “work for consumer rights.” The Foundation says it focuses on research, public education, and litigation in support of Public Citizen’s mission; it may engage in only very limited lobbying.
Public Citizen Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Public Citizen Foundation Inc gave $794K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $53K), top state District of Columbia. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $794,094
- -61.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- -25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $52,940
- -48.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $33,333
- Total assets
- $44,968,379
- +25.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (47% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Public Citizen Foundation Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 1600 20Th Street Nw, Washington, DC 20009
Phone: (202) 588-1000
Website: https://citizen.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Public Citizen Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund ($232K). Together the top 10 received $669K.
Grant Size Distribution
101 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 66 grants of 101 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing shows grant dollars distributed among recipients in Washington, D.C. (47%), Texas (33%), Louisiana (13%), and New York (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Public Citizen Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 15 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $29K; repeat grants $57K. How we count
Medians: $29K first-time, $33K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−17%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $386K (2019) to $2.0M (2024). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $794K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund Washington, DC | To Support Recipeint Organization's Mission | $231,570 |
| Healthy Gulf New Orleans, LA | To Support Recipeint Organization's Mission | $106,593 |
| Constitutional Accountability Center Washington, DC | To Support Recipeint Organization's Mission | $53,000 |
| Moveonorg Civic Action Washington, DC | To Support Recipeint Organization's Mission | $53,000 |
| Stand up America New York, NY | To Support Recipeint Organization's Mission | $53,000 |
| Air Alliance Houston Houston, TX | To Support Recipeint Organization's Mission | $38,333 |
| Achieving Community Tasks Successfully Houston, TX | To Support Recipeint Organization's Mission | $33,333 |
| Bayou City Waterkeeper Houston, TX | To Support Recipeint Organization's Mission | $33,333 |
| Coalition of Community Organizations Houston, TX | To Support Recipeint Organization's Mission | $33,333 |
| East Harris County Empowerment Council Houston, TX | To Support Recipeint Organization's Mission | $33,333 |
Ready to take the next step with Public Citizen Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44,968,379 | $26,769,469 | $17,942,326 | $794,094 | 15 | $2,551,692 |
| 2024 | $35,761,953 | $14,844,863 | $17,865,500 | $2,047,909 | 20 | $433,138 |
| 2023 | $33,737,010 | $13,389,271 | $18,066,747 | $1,648,243 | 29 | $325,754 |
| 2022 | $35,119,846 | $18,677,601 | $15,678,059 | $956,893 | 14 | $2,205,066 |
| 2021 | $41,687,767 | $18,706,342 | $14,135,825 | $1,104,328 | 23 | $1,948,334 |
| 2020 | $35,046,554 | $15,939,832 | $12,868,504 | $486,376 | 11 | $1,083,572 |
| 2019 | $29,283,779 | $12,939,405 | $12,986,875 | $386,441 | 8 | $416,249 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s filing describes work in energy, public information and education, litigation, and health research. Its stated activities include informing the public about climate change and energy, making information about health care and other public-interest issues accessible, using litigation to secure access to information and advance health and safety standards, and advocating for safe food, drugs, and medical devices.
In 2025, the Foundation’s grantees included organizations whose own stated missions cover several areas. Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund says it works toward a fair and just financial system. Healthy Gulf says it provides research, communications, and coalition-building tools to Gulf communities. Stand Up America says it works to protect and strengthen democracy, including through efforts related to voting rights and election reform. The Constitutional Accountability Center describes itself as a nonprofit law firm and think tank working to fulfill the Constitution’s promise. Houston-area grantees included Air Alliance Houston, which says it works to reduce regional air pollution and protect public health, and the Coalition of Community Organizations, which says it works toward healthy and sustainable communities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 15 grants totaling $794,094. Grant sizes ranged from $5,500 to $231,570, with a median of $33,333. The largest reported grants were $231,570 to Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund; $106,593 to Healthy Gulf; and $53,000 each to the Constitutional Accountability Center, MoveOn.org Civic Action, and Stand Up America. The filing lists the grant purposes as support for the recipient organizations’ missions.
No application process or instructions are stated in the available information.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mark Chavez as director and chair; David Halperin as director and secretary/treasurer; Robert Fellmeth, Jim Bildner, Gerson Smoger, Maya Berry, Steve Skrovan, Annie Leonard, and Emily Chatterjee as directors; and Robert Weissman as co-president.
Public Citizen Foundation Inc is led by Lisa Gilbert, Co-President since 2024 (on filings since 2019); 8 of 17 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lisa Gilbert
Co-President
Vice President → Executive Vice President, 2023
Executive Vice President → Co-President, 2024
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
$84K (2019) → $112K (2025)
Robert Weissman
Co-President
President & Ex-Officio → President, 2021
President → Co-President, 2024
On filings since 2019
31 hrs/week
$154K (2019) → $228K (2025)
Mark Chavez
Director & Chair
Chair → Director & Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Arkush
Director & Energy
Director & Energy Group → Director & Energy, 2023
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$97K (2021) → $184K (2025)
Peter Maybarduk
Director & Access to Medicine
Director & Access to Medicines → Director & Access to Medici, 2024
Director & Access to Medici → Director & Access to Medicine, 2025
On filings since 2023
39.7 hrs/week
$86K (2023) → $162K (2025)
Amanda Fleming
Director & Development
New on the 2025 filing
35 hrs/week
$159K (2025)
Tyson Slocum
Director & Energy
New on the 2025 filing
25 hrs/week
$103K (2025)
Annie Leonard
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Halperin
Director, Secretary & Treasurer
Secretary & Treasurer → Director, Secretary & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gerson Smoger
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Bildner
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Fellmeth
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Skrovan
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emily Chatterjee
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maya Berry
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Allison Zieve
General Counsel
On filings since 2019
33 hrs/week
$115K (2019) → $158K (2025)
Noyan Eyigor
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2023
20 hrs/week
$48K (2024) → $72K (2025)
Former officers (11)
- Former: Cynthia Renfro (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Joseph Stoshak (2019–2024) — Chief Financial Officer
- Former: Sid Wolfe (2021–2024) — Founder & Senior Fellow
- Former: Nandan Joshi (2024) — Litigation Attorney
- Former: Michael Carome (2019–2023) — Director & Health Research Group
- Former: Lori M. Wallach (2019–2022) — Director & Global Trade
- Former: Derrick Robinson (2022) — Director & Communications
- Former: Margrete S. Rangnes (2019–2020) — Executive Vice President
- Former: Sidney Wolfe (2019–2020) — Founder & Senior Advisor
- Former: Anna Galland (2020) — Director
- Former: Michael Kirkpatrick (2020) — Deputy & Litigation Group
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $228K, to Robert Weissman (Co-President). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Public Citizen Foundation Inc
How much does Public Citizen Foundation Inc give each year?
Public Citizen Foundation Inc gave $794K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 20 grants.
What is Public Citizen Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Public Citizen Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $33,333, and its average grant was $52,940, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Public Citizen Foundation Inc that year got $29K on average.
Where does Public Citizen Foundation Inc give grants?
Public Citizen Foundation Inc's top state is District of Columbia, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Texas (33%) and Louisiana (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (6 grants) and Washington, DC (5 grants).
Does Public Citizen Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Public Citizen Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support Recipeint Organization's Mission" (15 grants).
Who are Public Citizen Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Public Citizen Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund ($231,570), Healthy Gulf ($106,593) and Constitutional Accountability Center ($53,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Public Citizen Foundation Inc?
Public Citizen Foundation Inc reported $45.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $26.8M.
What does Public Citizen Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s filing describes work in energy, public information and education, litigation, and health research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Public Citizen Foundation Inc?
Public Citizen Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check citizen.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Public Citizen Foundation Inc's EIN?
Public Citizen Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1263996. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 29, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 11, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Public Citizen Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
United States Energy Foundation
San Francisco, CA
United States Energy Foundation funds education, outreach, and analysis advancing clean and equitable energy and climate solutions, including renewable energy, efficiency, clean transportation, buildings, and industry, in the United States. Its 2024 grants ranged from $10,000 to $21 million, with a median of $135,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests or proposals; grant-seekers must be invited.
Assets
$215.7M
Grants
597
Total Given
$166.3M
The Ford Foundation
New York, NY
The Ford Foundation funds organizations and initiatives working to reduce inequality and advance social justice, including work on civic engagement, civil rights, climate justice, disability rights, and technology and society. In 2024, its grants ranged from $45 to $15 million, with a median of $100,000, supporting work in the U.S. and internationally. It says most grants are identified by the foundation and it does not accept unsolicited proposals by mail, email, or phone; limited opportunities may be offered separately.
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation
Houston, TX
The Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation funds environmental protection and conservation, public health and reproductive rights, parks and open space, environmental education, animal welfare, and related civic engagement. Its 2024 grants ranged from $500 to $455,000, with a median of $30,000; it focuses on greater Houston, central Texas, and statewide work, while out-of-state projects are accepted by invitation only. It accepts unsolicited requests through an online Letter of Inquiry process, with LOIs accepted year-round.
Assets
$107.0M
Grants
174
Total Given
$6.8M
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
Rockefeller Family Fund Inc
New York, NY
Rockefeller Family Fund supports advocacy and strategic initiatives focused on climate and the environment, democracy, and economic justice for women. Its 2024 grants ranged from $7,000 to $9.7 million, with a median of $75,000, and went to organizations in multiple states; it does not accept unsolicited requests, though organizations may email staff a brief description of aligned work.
Assets
$216.8M
Grants
203
Total Given
$36.7M
NEO Philanthropy Inc
New York, NY
NEO Philanthropy funds social-justice movements and community organizations, including work on immigration, democracy, reproductive, racial and climate justice, and LGBTQ rights. In 2024, its 558 grants ranged from $5,000 to $23.58 million, with a median of $50,000; grants went mainly to Washington state, Washington, DC, North Carolina, California, and New York. It does not accept unsolicited requests or proposals; potential grantees are generally invited to apply.
Assets
$185.6M
Grants
558
Total Given
$103.5M
More similar funders
More Funders in District of Columbia
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Public Citizen Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/public-citizen-foundation-inc-morg_f72148e24d20433b99471f5bc224f2fd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521263996_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Public Citizen Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/public-citizen-foundation-inc-morg_f72148e24d20433b99471f5bc224f2fd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Public Citizen Foundation Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Public Citizen Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?