Minnesota Public Interest Research Group

Filing Period

Jul 1, 2010 to Jun 30, 2011

Signed

Dec 31, 2011

Return Version

2010v3.7

Gross Receipts

$697,377

Major Activities

Activity 2

Campus organizing local initiatives - mpirg campus chapters mpirg's 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 engaged at some point over the course of the year. University of minnesota - twin cities 21 events, 4706 reached, and 326.5 volunteer hours. Green economy mpirg students actively supported the transition to a green economy. They held numerous events to engage the student body in utilizing transportation alternatives, such as biking, walking and transit, promoted green cleaning supplies, energy efficiency, sustainable living, and the green job revolution. 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. This year the focus was on promoting alta gracia as a sweatshop-free alternative to traditional university apparel providers. In addition, they drew attention and raised awareness around the korea free trade agreement and promoted the concept of fair trade in that context. Democracy mpirg students were once again active in promoting student participation in the 2010 midterm elections. This nonpartisan election effort involved voter registration, voter education events, and a push to get young people to the polls on election day. Students in this chapter we very engaged in mpirg's efforts at the capitol to oppose voter photo id. University of minnesota - duluth 39 events, 5518 reached, and 215 volunteer hours. Green economy mpirg students actively supported the transition to a green economy. They held numerous events to engage the student body in utilizing transportation alternatives, such as biking, walking and transit, raised awareness around the use of tar sands oil in canada, began a campaign to get minnesota businesses off of tar sands oil through preferred purchasing, and promoted sustainability through educational events and materials. Democracy mpirg students were once again active in promoting student participation in the 2010 midterm elections in duluth. This nonpartisan election effort involved voter registration, voter education events, and a push to get young people to the polls on election day. Gender and sexuality initiatives students in this chapter held several events to oppose violence against women and promote a positive culture for all, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. These efforts included a women's self-defense workshop and event highlighting the on-going violence towards women in our communities. University of minnesota - morris 13 events, 612 reached, 126 volunteer hours green economy mpirg students in morris focused on transforming waste management on their campus. Through a broad stakeholder led process known as the organic recycling and composting initiative (orci), the sustainability task force was able to put their campus on the cusp of having full campus composting. They actively promoted sustainability through a weeklong series of educational events and activities that made up earth week 2011. Gender and sexuality initiatives in just the first year of this task force, mpirg students were successful in establishing the first gender neutral bathrooms on campus, build support for toxic-free feminine hygiene products, and held a gubernatorial forum focused exclusively on gender and sexuality issues. Higher education morris mpirgers now boast over 100 participants in their higher education debt yearbook, which contains the testimonials of students and the impact of debt in their lives. They also held several educational events focused on the state budget deficit and its impacts on higher education funding and tuition levels at the university of minnesota - morris. Augsburg college 12 events, 1829 reached, and 288 volunteer hours democracy mpirg st

Activity 3

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 continued to promote the passage of reform to the federal toxic substances control act (tsca). After requesting support from minnesota's delegation for this important federal reform, mpirg was pleased this year that senator klobuchar signed onto a comprehensive reform of tsca known as the safe chemicals act of 2011. Green economy after a year and half, mpirg successfully passed a business recycling ordinance in minneapolis to require businesses to recycle just as homeowners do. This proposal and success was the result of an mpirg student's response to businesses throwing recyclable material into the garbage stream. At the capitol in st. Paul, mpirg students testified on several occasions to prevent deep cuts to the transit infrastructure and to stop rollbacks from minnesota's clean energy policy foundation. In the end, the transportation budget prevented the deepest, hardest hitting cuts that would have negative impacts on thousands of students as well as other transit dependent populations. Further, no rollbacks on minnesota's clean energy policy foundation were passed. At the federal level, mpirg's chapters collectively garnered over 2,400 signatures from students in opposition to proposed rollbacks of clean air protections to public health. These rollbacks were never passed. Affordable higher education mpirg's chapters led the way in developing debt yearbooks, which contain the testimonials of hundreds of students burdened with higher education debt. In addition, several of our student leaders testified on several occasions at the capitol in support of higher education funding in minnesota. In the end, the higher education cuts were much less than had been originally proposed. Civic engagement during the 2010 election cycle, mpirg's nonpartisan voter engagement initiative led to 2,053 registered student voters, three candidate forums with over 100 in attendance, 4,772 direct contacts and 26,690 indirect contacts to get students to the polls. During the 2011 state legislative session, mpirg worked to prevent passage of proposed voter photo id legislation. Mpirg opposed this because of its negative impact on student voters, many of whom would be unable to cast a ballot in minnesota if the proposed changes were adopted. In addition, the legislation would have a similar impact on thousands of seniors and low-income minnesotans. Students testified on several occasions on the negative impact to students and the failure of the policy to address fraud as the authors suggested. In the end, the bill was defeated. Research and public education mpirg conducted a statewide survey on sexual and gender-based assault and violence on college campuses across the state. The survey results collected provide critical data on the prevalence and incidence of negative sexual experiences in higher education institutions. Mpirg had eight higher education institutions participate in the survey which launched in the fall of 2010. A report will be released in late 2011 outlining the results and recommendations of the survey. Mpirg also assembled and released a report entitled "a guide to commercial recycling ordinances" which was used to support our campaign to get business recycling in minneapolis. Mpirg hosts numerous public education events throughout the year. Mpirg's organizing work, as described below, has a primary purpose of public education on key public interest issues.

Filer

EIN

23-7389068