Political Advocacy Groups

"AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that helps people age 50 and over have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole, ways that help people 50 and over improve their lives. Since 1958, AARP has been leading a revolution in the way people view and live life." (http://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/)

"The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service." (http://www.cancer.org/AboutUs/WhoWeAre/acsmissionstatements)

"The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." (http://www.aclu.org/about/aboutmain.cfm)

"The mission of the AFL-CIO is to improve the lives of working families—to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our nation. To accomplish this mission we will build and change the American labor movement." (http://www.aflcio.org/aboutaflcio/about/mission/index.cfm)

"The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic, mutual-help, war-time veterans organization. A community-service organization which now numbers nearly 3 million members -- men and women -- in nearly 15,000 American Legion Posts worldwide." (http://www.legion.org)

"Our vision is of a world in which every person - regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity - enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and other internationally recognized human rights standards." (http://www.amnestyusa.org/about-us/our-mission)

"The immediate object of the League is to stop, by appeals to reason and conscience and, if necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people. Its ultimate purpose is to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike and to put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens." (http://www.adl.org/main_about_adl.asp)

"Since 1962, CSIS has been dedicated to finding ways to sustain American prominence and prosperity as a force for good in the world. " (http://csis.org/about-us)

"We are driven by the belief that people of faith have a right and a responsibility to be involved in the world around them. That involvement includes community, social and political action. Our goals include: strengthening the family, protecting innocent human life, returning education to local and parental control, easing the tax burden on families, punishing criminals and defending victims' rights, protecting young people and our communities from the pollution of pornography, defending the institution of marriage, protecting religious freedom." (http://www.cc.org/about.htm)

"Common Cause is a non-partisan citizens' organization whose goal is to ensure open, honest, accountable and effective government at the federal, state, and local levels." (http://www.commoncause.org/about/mission.htm)

"Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, is an independent, nonprofit testing and information organization serving only consumers. We are a comprehensive source for unbiased advice about products and services, personal finance, health and nutrition, and other consumer concerns. Since 1936, our mission has been to test products, inform the public, and protect consumers." (http://www.consunion.org/aboutcu/about.htm)

"CAIR is dedicated to presenting an Islamic perspective on issues of importance to the American public. In Offering that perspective, we seek to empower the Muslim community in America through political and social activism." (http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=About)

"The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries." [THINK TANK] (http://www.cfr.org/about/mission.html)

"To cooperate with the Holy Spirit in disseminating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible, and, specifically, to accomplish that objective by helping to preserve traditional values and the institution of the family." (http://www.family.org/welcome/aboutfof/a0005554.cfm)

"Friends of the Earth is the U.S. voice of an influential, international network of grassroots groups in 70 countries. Founded in San Francisco in 1969 by David Brower, Friends of the Earth has for decades been at the forefront of high-profile efforts to create a more healthy, just world. Our members were the founders of what is now the world's largest federation of democratically elected environmental groups, Friends of the Earth International." (http://www.foe.org/about/intro.html)

"Greenpeace is the leading independent campaigning organization that uses non-violent direct action and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future." (http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/ --> About Us)

"By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all. HRC seeks to improve the lives of LGBT Americans by advocating for equal rights and benefits in the workplace, ensuring families are treated equally under the law and increasing public support among all Americans…" (http://www.hrc.org/the-hrc-story/mission-statement)

"Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world." (http://www.hrw.org/about/)

"MoveOn.org Political Action, one of the largest Political Action Committees in the country, brings real Americans into politics to fight for a more progressive America and elect progressive candidates. It conducts major campaigns, from its work to protect the Supreme Court from a hard-right justice to its campaign to defeat the right wing and elect moderates and progressives in 2006. But in contrast to most PACs, which funnel industry contributions to candidates in exchange for access, MoveOn.org Political Action brings hundreds of thousands of small donors together to elect candidates who will represent the American people." (http://www.moveon.org)

"NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, supports and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raising awareness and building a community of hope for all of those in need." (http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=About_NAMI)

"Audubon's mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitat for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity." (http://www.audubon.org/nas/)

"The right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." (http://www.nra.org/)

"PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories, and in the entertainment industry. We also work on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of beavers, birds, and other "pests" as well as cruelty to domesticated animals." (http://www.peta.org/about/)

"...The mission of Planned Parenthood is to provide comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care services in settings which preserve and protect the essential privacy and rights of each individual; to advocate public policies which guarantee these rights and ensure access to such services; to provide educational programs which enhance understanding of individual and societal implications of human sexuality; to promote research and the advancement of technology in reproductive health care and encourage understanding of their inherent bioethical, behavioral, and social implications." (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/vision-4837.htm)

"Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1971 to represent consumer interests in Congress, the executive branch and the courts. We fight for openness and democratic accountability in government, for the right of consumers to seek redress in the courts; for clean, safe and sustainable energy sources; for social and economic justice in trade policies; for strong health, safety and environmental protections; and for safe, effective and affordable prescription drugs and health care." (http://www.citizen.org/about/)

"Our Mission Statement: 1. Explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth. 2. Practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources. 3. Educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment. 4. Use all lawful means to carry out these objectives." (http://www.sierraclub.org/inside/)

"The Business Roundtable is the association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. corporations with a combined workforce of more than 10 million employees in the United States. The Roundtable is committed to advocating public policies that foster vigorous economic growth, a dynamic global economy, and a well-trained and productive U.S. workforce essential for future competitiveness." (http://www.brtable.org/newsroom_about.htm)

"The Conference Board creates and disseminates knowledge about management and the marketplace to help businesses strengthen their performance and better serve society." [THINK TANK] (http://www.conferenceboard.org/aboutus/about.cfm)

"Our Mission: To preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive." (http://nature.org/aboutus/)

"We protect and represent you so your business can grow and prosper in a free market economy."
(http://www.uschamber.org)

"The VFW, with its Auxiliaries, includes 2.6 million members in approximately 9,000 Posts worldwide. Our accomplishments are many, including lobbying for a GI bill for the 20th century; donating more than $1 million each to the Vietnam, Korean, Women in the Service and World War II memorials; fighting for compensation to veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome; and improving VA medical centers services for women veterans..." (http://www.vfw.org --> News & Info --> About the VFW)

"VVA's goals are to promote and support the full range of issues important to Vietnam veterans, to create a new identity for this generation of veterans, and to change public perception of Vietnam veterans." (http://www.vva.org/Membership/WhoWeAre.htm)