Minnesota Public Interest Research Group

Filing Period

Jul 1, 2009 to Jun 30, 2010

Signed

Jan 21, 2011

Return Version

2009v1.3

Gross Receipts

$705,561

Major Activities

Activity 2

Campus OrganizingLocal Initiatives - MPIRG Campus ChaptersMPIRGs chapters work on both statewide as well as local campaigns. Each chapter chooses their issue priorities on an annual basis, with a focus on statewide priorities. In total, MPIRG has over 300 active student members with over 600 that are intermittently active over the course of the year.University of Minnesota - Twin Cities:Fair Trade: MPIRG students provided numerous educational opportunities about fair trade issues, including human rights abuses, fair trade practices, fair trade products, and volunteer opportunities. Students continued to organize and generate over 800 comments to President Bruininks to encourage him to sign on to the Designated Supplier Program, which ensures only fair trade apparel and products are sold by the University. Environment: MPIRG students focused on expanding transportation choices for students. In addition to being an active and vocal grassroots organizing force in favor of MPIRG's Complete Streets advocacy efforts, they also worked to have better transit, biking, and walking options across the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. They gathered over 1,000 signatures in support of the establishment of a bike lane on a major transit way through campus. Public Health: Students in this task force focused on generating student support for strong federal health care reform. On the local level, they also worked to improve workplace by generating support in favor of requiring the use of green cleaning supplies for public buildings in general, and at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities in particular. In total, they gathered over 700 petition signatures in favor of this transition to safer cleaning products at the U of M.Gender and Sexuality Initiatives: MPIRG students at the University of Minnesota were the lead organizing force behind the development of and organizing of the Minnesota Sexual Experiences Survey, which has involved over a dozen higher education institutions that will soon be conducting a survey to assess the prevalence and incidence of sexual and gender based violence. This chapter was also active in putting on a large educational event on same-sex marriage legislation. MPIRG students organized the annual Take Back the Night event, where over 70 students gathered to raise awareness around women's rights, domestic violence, and demonstrate the power every community has to overcome violence. University of Minnesota - Duluth:Civic Engagement / Democracy : MPIRG Duluth was active in training students to participate in their local precinct caucuses. They continued their efforts of preparing lifelong voters by registering 1,235 voters. They also worked to make sure every student in Duluth was counted as a part of the 2010 Census. Public Health: For the Detox Minnesota! Campaign, MPIRG students collected 500 postcards to Minnesota's Senators in favor of reform of the federal Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). In addition, MPIRG Duluth held a press conference that garnered media attention for green cleaning alternatives that protect public health and support local businesses. They were also active in generating support for strong federal health care reform by having UMD students contact Minnesota's Senators. Locally, MPIRG Duluth was active in generating support for Single Payer Health Care in Minnesota by working with their state representative as well as pushing for a positive solution to General Assistance Medical CareEnvironment and Green Transportation: MPIRG Duluth was active in generating grassroots pressure on Governor Pawlenty as they generated postcards in favor of the legislation. The Duluth chapter was active in raising awareness around a proposal to engage in sulfide mining in Northern Minnesota near the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area. University of Minnesota - Morris:Campus Sustainability: The University of Minnesota - Morris MPIRG students were once again active in a national campus energy challenge, k

Activity 3

(narrative continued from page 2, question 4b) Macalester College continued: MPIRG Macalester students also organized a river clean-up event and an Earth Hour event in which no electricity was used. Public Health: MPIRG students generated over 200 calls to Minnesota's Senators in support of strong federal health care reform. In addition, they generated over 100 postcards in support of chemical policy reform through the Toxic Substances Control Act. Social Justice: Macalester MPIRG Students hosted a self-defense seminar to help women protect themselves against sexual violence. Continuing their work in opposition to sexual violence, they were active in a local Take Back the Night effort for women's empowerment. They also hosted a local production of Eve Ensler's award winning production, the Vagina Monologues. Students were also driven to continue raising awareness around poverty and homelessness issues. They hosted a two forums on homelessness and hunger that were well-attended.St. Catherine University:Women's Initiatives: MPIRG students were active on numerous aspects of women's issues. They hosted an event highlighting the interesting role of women in horror films. They organized an entire week on body love issues to create an environment in which women break through the social images of women to one in which they are comfortable with they are. St. Kate's MPIRG students also participated in the statewide Take Back the Night rally. Perhaps most impressively, St. Kate's students organized a local adaptation of the Vagina Monologues, known as the Catherines Monologues. These students solicited stories from women across campus and adapted these stories into a full-length play about women's empowerment. The play was well-attended and well received as an innovative and incredibly powerful introspective of the issues afflicting women on campus. Environment: MPIRG students engaged over 500 students in its participation in the national Campus Wars to save energy on campus. They also made a push for the campus to go "trayless" in their cafeteria as a way to reduce food waste and draw attention to the need for more sustainable living.Other Programs: Issue Advocacy Chemical Policy Reform: MPIRG continued its multi-year campaign, called Detox Minnesota!, to raise awareness of and phase-out the use of toxic chemicals in consumer products. MPIRG introduced legislation during this past legislative session which would require the use of green cleaning products in public buildings in Minnesota. At the federal level, MPIRG worked to promote the passage of reform to the Toxic Substances Control Act. Green Transportation: MPIRG's green transportation campaign continued with a focus on urban transportation policy. Specifically, MPIRG was active in generating grassroots support for "Complete Streets" legislation, which requires that all new roads and bridges be built with biking, walking, and transit in mind. MPIRG generated 5,660 postcards to the governor in support of this important policy reform that truly transforms how engineers and city planners think about how we get around. Working in coalition, MPIRG was successful in seeing final passage of Complete Streets. Health Care for All: MPIRG kicked off the first year of our health care campaign by actively engaging our community membership in support of federal health care reform. MPIRG community members made over 7,920 calls to their elected officials in support of strong health care reform that included a public option and which expands affordable, quality health care access to more Americans. Campaign Finance Reform: In the wake of the Citizens United v. the FEC U.S. Supreme Court decision, MPIRG worked in coalition to advance basic legislation to require disclosure and disclaimers of corporate independent expenditures during the 2010 election cycle. MPIRG and its allies were successful in passing legislation that required increased disclosure of independent expenditures, disclaimers on polit

Filer

EIN

23-7389068