Clean Water Fund has a longstanding commitment to involving people in decisions affecting their lives, their families, their communities, their health and their environment.

“When Americans are asked to rate their level of worry about each of 12 environmental concerns, their top four concerns relate to water quality, with pollution of drinking water the top overall concern.”

– March 12, 2008 Gallup Poll findings

Polls repeatedly show that people want clean air, clean water and healthy communities. But government is failing them. Polls also show that public confidence in government, in the current Congress and Administration – and, by extension, the political process – is at record lows.

People’s environmental concerns are often not matched by their actions as citizens and voters. Many Americans are simply unaware of pervasive assaults on their health and welfare. They lack information on the roles they and their representatives may play in causing – or solving – these problems.

Fixing these disconnects, making progress on the most pressing environmental challenges in a polarized political climate, creating meaningful long-term change and advancing Clean Water Fund’s mission all come down to this: Making Democracy Work.

All of Clean Water Fund’s programs rely on nonpartisan research, training, education, organizing and publicizing to engage people and their communities, and to help environmentally concerned people to become fuller participants in democratic decisionmaking at every level.

Clean Water Fund does this by increasing the skills, organization and effectiveness of community leaders, volunteers and organizations with environmental concerns, by building alliances between diverse constituencies, and by reaching beyond the staff and members of environmental/conservation groups to involve a broader public. Clean Water Fund builds consensus between people and organizations of all types with a shared stake in a clean environment.

Each year, canvassers and organizers recruited, trained and developed by Clean Water Fund and Clean Water Action contact more than 2.5 million households. Educating and engaging people one-on-one, person-to-person is one of the most effective methods for communicating timely information about environmental issues, public officials’ and candidates’ records and positions, and about needs and opportunities for getting involved.

"The movement of the political agenda happens when you move the hearts and minds of people door to door, person to person. That personal contact is so important."

- Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, on the value of people-based campaigning, during a 2006 briefing for Clean Water canvassers