Change Begins With Us.

The People's Initiative is one of California's fastest-growing civic organizations, mobilizing tens of thousands of volunteers, community leaders, and everyday citizens to shape the laws and policies that govern their lives.

What We Believe

We believe that democracy is strongest when citizens are informed, organized, and engaged — not just on election day, but every single day. Too often, the most consequential decisions about our communities are made behind closed doors, written in legal language most people can't decode, and decided by those with the deepest pockets. We exist to change that.

Our Reach

• Active in over 40 cities and counties across California
• More than 12 active ballot initiatives currently in circulation
• A volunteer network of thousands of outreach representatives working in communities, campuses, and neighborhoods every week
• Partnerships with unions, universities, nonprofits, and faith communities across the state

Where We're Going

By 2027, The People's Initiative aims to be the leading citizen-powered force for ballot accountability in California — expanding voter education, building the largest grassroots signature operation in the state, and ensuring that no initiative reaches the ballot without the scrutiny and understanding it deserves. We don't pick sides. We amplify yours.

"When people understand what they're voting on, democracy wins."

From college campuses to community centers, The People's Initiative has transformed civic participation across California. Here's what we've accomplished.

Campus Outreach Breakthrough

In 2025, our college outreach program deployed representatives to over 30 UC and CSU campuses, generating over 80,000 student signatures in a single quarter. Our campus team became the most productive signature-gathering operation in the state — built entirely on people, not paid advertising.

Expanding Healthcare Access

Our signature drives for healthcare-focused initiatives helped accelerate public awareness around the cap on healthcare executive pay and community clinic spending accountability — measures that could redirect hundreds of millions of dollars back to patient care for millions of Californians.

Protecting Workers & Homeowners

Through targeted community outreach in San Diego, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area, we successfully gathered signatures supporting UC staff home loan protections — giving thousands of service workers a real path to homeownership in California's most expensive markets.

Building a Movement

What started as a small team of committed organizers has grown into a statewide movement. Our representatives — many of whom came to us looking for meaningful work — have gone on to lead community chapters, mentor new volunteers, and run local civic events. This is more than a job. It's a calling.

"We didn't wait for change. We went out and collected it — one signature at a time."

Hundreds of thousands of everyday Americans are joining the largest grassroots movement in the country — zero outside funding, powered entirely by the people.

The Movement Is Growing

Across California and beyond, citizens fed up with corporate-backed politics are organizing at the neighborhood level. The People's Initiative has been at the center of that wave — mobilizing volunteers, gathering petition signatures, and showing up in communities that have long felt ignored by the political system.

Court Victories That Changed the Game

In late 2025, grassroots legal coalitions secured multiple court rulings protecting petition circulators' rights — making it harder for well-funded opponents to challenge the signature-gathering process on procedural grounds. These victories cleared the path for over a dozen citizen-backed initiatives to advance to the 2026 ballot.

Worker Wins Fueling the Momentum

From healthcare workers demanding accountability from hospital executives to UC staff fighting for homeownership access, workers across the state are channeling their energy into ballot initiatives that have real, lasting impact. Our outreach representatives have been on the ground supporting these campaigns — one signature, one conversation at a time.

What's Next

Heading into the 2026 election cycle, The People's Initiative is expanding its volunteer network, deepening campus partnerships, and targeting high-traffic community spaces to reach every eligible Californian. The momentum is undeniable — and it's just getting started.

"This isn't a campaign. It's a permanent shift in how citizens engage with their democracy."

A bold new civic effort built on three pillars — Democracy, Opportunity, and Citizenship — is mobilizing everyday Americans ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.

The Three Pillars

• Democracy: Protect voting rights, reduce corporate influence in elections, and ensure every citizen's voice carries equal weight at the ballot box.
• Opportunity: Create pathways to economic security for working families — including healthcare access, affordable housing, and education funding — through citizen-led initiatives.
• Citizenship: Rebuild civic identity by making participation easy, meaningful, and impactful. Every signature, every vote, every conversation counts.

Governing Artificial Intelligence

One of the most pressing new priorities for 2026 is ensuring that AI development serves public interests — not just corporate ones. Project 2026 supports citizen-backed efforts to require transparency and public oversight for AI systems that affect employment, healthcare decisions, and public safety in California.

Health Justice at the Forefront

With healthcare costs continuing to crush middle-class families, Project 2026 has made health justice a centerpiece. That means fighting for caps on executive pay at hospital systems, ensuring community clinics spend 90 cents of every dollar on actual patient care, and expanding access to affordable insurance across the state.

A 250th Anniversary Worth Celebrating

As the United States approaches its 250th birthday in 2026, Project 2026 is asking a simple question: Are we living up to the promise of self-governance? The People's Initiative is proud to be part of the answer — helping citizens reclaim their rightful role in shaping the laws that govern their lives.

"The citizen's mandate isn't given — it's exercised. Reclaim it."

A national network of 40 grassroots organizations across 29 states is strengthening the movement for social justice — bringing the best practices of community organizing to build a multiracial democracy that works for all.

40 Organizations. 29 States. One Mission.

For the first time in over a decade, grassroots organizing groups are sharing infrastructure, training resources, and on-the-ground strategy at a national scale. This network — built from the bottom up — is teaching communities how to fight back against authoritarian overreach with organized, peaceful civic action.

What "Best Practices" Actually Means

The revival isn't just about getting more bodies in the streets. It's about applying rigorous, proven methods to civic outreach: door-to-door canvassing with clear messaging, data-driven signature gathering, deep listening sessions with community members, and coalition-building that bridges ideological divides for shared goals.

Combating Authoritarian Overreach

As power becomes increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few — in both government and the private sector — the organizing revival focuses on restoring local and state-level power to everyday people. Ballot initiatives, city council campaigns, and public comment mobilizations are all part of the toolkit.

Building a Multiracial Democracy

Central to this revival is a commitment to centering communities that have historically been shut out of the political process. Organizers are prioritizing outreach in Black, Latino, Asian American, and immigrant communities — ensuring that the next wave of civic participation is truly representative of who America actually is.

California's Role

California is at the forefront of this revival, and The People's Initiative is proud to be a driving force. Our statewide network of outreach representatives, campus volunteers, and community partners is contributing directly to a larger national movement — one that believes democracy isn't just an ideal, it's a daily practice.

"Organizing isn't a moment. It's a discipline — and it's back."