Mission // The Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) is a grassroots, non-partisan, nonprofit, student-directed organization that empowers and trains students and engages the community to take collective action in the public interest throughout the state of Minnesota.
MPIRG works with nine colleges and universities in Minnesota. Nominal student membership fees provide for a support staff who works with students and shows them how to stand up to powerful interests.
How Are Issues Selected? // The Issues & Actions Conference is held every year in April to set the agenda of MPIRG and to select its issues and campaigns. It is the mechanism by which MPIRG continues to be responsive to the needs of students and community members. Issues are selected for three years (but may be renewed). The current issues are green transporation, health care for all, and affordable higher education. Specific legislation and campaigns are selected for each issue by the Board of Directors. MPIRG also selects projects each year, which include fair trade, campus sustainability, women's rights and youth voter participation.
Organizational Structure
Board of Directors // An essential part of MPIRG's mission is to be a student-directed organization. MPIRG's board of directors is entirely composed of students that are elected from each campus chapter. The board of directors elects the statewide leadership at its annual meeting in May.
Board of Directors // An essential part of MPIRG's mission is to be a student-directed organization. MPIRG's board of directors is entirely composed of students that are elected from each campus chapter. The board of directors elects the statewide leadership at its annual meeting in May.
The leadership is comprised of a chair, a vice chair, a treasurer, a secretary, a representative of the public colleges, a representative of the private colleges and a representative of the Greater Minnesota colleges. The board is responsible for the governance of the organization, sets the budget and reviews all financial documents, hires and fires staff, raises funds for the organization, coordinates the short-term and long-term planning processes and hosts the annual Issues & Actions Conference.
Staff // The Executive Director is the head of the paid staff and oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization. MPIRG has a Community Organizing department of field and phone canvassers that connect to the broader community. The Campus Organizing department consists of campus organizers who work directly with students on each campus.
School Chapters // Students may sit on the local board of directors of their school. Each chapter is run by a student chair or co-chairs. Chapters are further divided into task forces which are facilitated by a task force leader. MPIRG's structure is rooted firmly in democratic principles, with chapter members electing task force leaders, co-chairs and local board members; local board members electing state board members; and state board members electing the organization's leadership, to whom the staff are accountable.
