About Citizen Works

“The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." -- Ralph Nader

Citizen Works staff and volunteers have fueled the public interest movement for nearly a quarter of a century, since 2001.

Since 2001, Citizen Works' many progressive and innovative initiatives have included: Big Business Day; The Fair Contracts Project; The Association for Integrity in Accounting; Emerging Progressive Artists Program; First Thursdays for DC Area Nonprofit Leaders; Summer Speakers Series for Nonprofit Interns; The Corporate Reform Weekly; The Campaign for Corporate Reform; The Progressive Community Directory; The Progressive Reading List; The People's Business, a book with a blueprint for controlling corporations and restoring democracy; The Unity Platform; The Organizer's Toolbox; The Student Organizing Manual; advocacy for an independent Financial Consumers Association, a strong Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a Securities Speculation Tax and strong Sarbanes-Oxley legislation; corporate power scandal sheets; corporate power fact sheets; corporate tax traitors; corporate power readings; campaign to stop corporate CEO greed; A Handbook on Challenging Corporate Power for grassroots discussions; Citizens Working newsletter; Activist Abby and the Commission on Corporate Reform.

Board of Directors

Brian F. Conlon
Dr. Claire Nader
Terry Pastika
Founder, Ralph Nader

We help train the next generation of public advocates

Citizen Works is proud to count among its alumni of leaders over the last 25 years:

  • A senior fellow at a prestigious think tank;
  • A CEO and President of a nonprofit organization;
  • Two Fulbright Scholars;
  • Two Harvard Law School Wasserstein Public Interest Law Fellows;
  • Various "Rising Stars" in the law;
  • A public policy analyst;
  • An Equal Justice Works Fellow and Equal Justice America Fellow, and co-founder of the Student Hurricane Network, and associate professor of law and Co-Director an Immigrant Rights Clinic, and an associate provost for international affairs;
  • A research specialist and director of a corporate policy organization;
  • A corporate counsel at a financial services firm;
  • An assistant Attorney General in a State Antitrust division;
  • A senior strategist at Greenpeace;
  • A disaster relief worker and immigration lawyer;
  • An employee of a local regulatory agency;
  • A legal intern in a national regulatory agency;
  • A lawyer at a health and research institute;
  • A law clerk at a State Court of Appeals;
  • A lawyer at a government agency;
  • A former appellate public defender and principal appellate specialist;
  • A pastor;
  • A vice President and Counsel of a capital group;
  • A director of Board and House Matters for a professional association;
  • A small business entrepreneur providing staffing for nonprofits & advocacy groups
  • A senior researcher at the former Rockridge Institute
  • An electoral and political analyst;
  • A Social Security Administration appeals officer;
  • A candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives;
  • A senior counsel at a nonprofit litigating for democracy;
  • A legislative assistant at the National Association of Counties;
  • An inaugural executive director of a California agency operating as the largest state-sponsored program providing retirement benefits to private sector employees;
  • A chief strategy officer and executive director of a retirement research center;
  • A former two-time presidential campaign manager, executive director of nonprofits, and general counsel and executive director of foundations;
  • A Carnegie Hall harpsichordist and fundraiser;
  • A consumer protection attorney at a state Office of the Attorney General in the Securities Division;
  • An M & A lawyer with a large tech organization;
  • A vice president of strategic engagement for a national nonprofit organization;
  • An intellectual property lawyer;
  • A director of AI product management at a large firm;
  • A founder and CEO of a health care company;
  • A social justice artist/rapper/musician;
  • An associate general counsel for a corporation;
  • A director and senior counsel at a corporation;
  • Numerous litigators, finance partners at several large, medium, and small law firms, some self owned;
  • A general counsel of a corporation;
  • A lawyer who re represents both companies and investors in small to large venture capital financings;
  • A family law and bankruptcy lawyer;
  • A counsel at a large law firm;
  • A Deputy General Counsel and Senior Vice President of an insurance firm;
  • An artist;
  • Another Equal Justice America Fellow and senior director of strategy at a corporation;
  • A Vice President and Chief Legal and Regulatory Affairs Office for a life science company;
  • A general counsel of a labor union;
  • Numerous current college students;

And so very many more...as we continue to train and build the future pipeline of leading civic advocates.

Thank you!

Support Citizen Works and its Fair Contracts Project

Support Citizen Works and its Fair Contracts Project

The donate button will take you to PayPal's donation page, where you can enter a donation amount.

To donate by mail, send a check payable to Citizen Works to:

Citizen Works
PO Box 19506
Washington, DC 20036.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.

People-Powered Democracy, Not Corporate Rule, Will Create A Sustainable And Just Society

Citizen Works is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization founded by Ralph Nader in April 2001 to advance justice by strengthening citizen participation in power.
Citizen Works gives people the tools and opportunities to build democracy. We develop innovative and systemic means to advance the progressive citizen movement. We do this in three ways: