CALPIRG at UC Berkeley

We are UC Berkeley's student-directed public interest non-profit. Our chapter was founded in 1976. We are student funded through a CALPIRG pledge, and because over 10% of the student body supports our work, we get real results. For example, we were the lead group that passed the Plastic Bag Ban in 2016, we got Subway, McDonald's, and other companies to stop using poultry raised on the routine use of antibiotics, and just this February stopped 2.6 billion dollars in federal student aid from getting cut. We also helped to register over 10,000 students in the 2016 elections in California!

By joining CALPIRG, you can see how easy it is to get involved in a large movement for social change, whether you have 5 hours to volunteer all term, or can intern on a campaign for 15 hours a week. We offer a robust internship program where you can learn a variety of organizing and activism skills while really making a difference. 

Right now we're working on campaigns to...

• Save the bees and our food systems by banning bee-killing pesticides
• Help register thousands of students to vote and get them to the polls for the midterm elections
• Get to 100% renewable energy for UC-Berkeley and 100% clean electricity for the state of California
• Achieve zero waste as a society - banning single-use polystyrene statewide
• Work to fight hunger and homelessness in our community

Students' support can go a long way

The thing that makes us so effective is that 10% of our students pledge to pay $10 on their bill every semester to fund CALPIRG. When we share our resources, we can stand up to powerful opposition that generate enough profit to influence lawmakers in their favor with ease. Students' contributions help us make students’ voices just as influential, allowing us to hire our own professional staff to train students to run effective campaigns as well as advocates in Sacramento and Washington DC full time working on our behalf. 

Pledging CALPIRG

If you have questions about our CALPIRG pledge system, visit our Frequently Asked Questions Page or email info@calpirgstudents.org.