2022 annual impact Report
We Are
Seeking Justice
Across the country, we partnered with local governments and communities to fight back against the companies, people, and institutions that threaten our civil rights.
section One
Revolutionizing The Fight For Rights
Public Rights Project is committed to the fight for civil and human rights—for this generation and the next.
In 2022, we doubled down on our partnerships from coast to coast.
We ensured autonomy over our bodies, provided protections for workers, access to the ballot and fair elections to voters, and defended against egregious abuses of power on behalf of greedy corporations and authoritarian government officials—and so much more.
section two
Protected Civil Rights For 23 Million Americans
Press play to hear from madison about PRP’s impact
We’d love to take you on a journey of stories about the impact PRP has across the country. You’ll learn how we empower governments and community-based organizations to work in concert, protecting our civil rights through equitable enforcement.
311
88%
PRP-led litigation
108
24 states
section three
Bringing Justice To Communities From Coast To Coast
Support communities & governments working to protect civil rights.
With hundreds of local governments and community-based partners, Public Rights Project has built a powerful engine for civil rights across America.
And our impact continues to grow with our network—working with more public officials, prosecutors, workers’ rights organizers, and racial justice advocates each year.
Our two fellowship programs—Affirmative Leaders and Justice Catalyst—are a vital piece of outreach and change-making, showcased in all of the facts and figures to follow. Here, you can see the power of equitable enforcement.
23.4 Million
people served
by our work
$18.9 Million
in relief recovered, 4 times
our annual budget
9 Amicus Briefs
authored, with a total of
105 partnership sign-ons
100% Win Rate
on all 9 PRP-Authored
Amicus Briefs
2 civil rights Units
established in
government offices
21 New Fellows
trained in 12 states
Kim Foxx
State’s Attorney,
Cook County, Illinois
“You are like bright beacons in American history that have pushed and moved us forward even in what seemed like the darkest of times.
And in those times it has been the champions of justice, the seekers of justice that have propelled us to the moment that we stand today.”
Eli Savit
Prosecuting Attorney,
Washtenaw County, Michigan
“The health and safety of thousands of people in my county is on the line. And I’ll be damned if I’m not going to do everything within my power to help protect that.”
Seema Rupani
LAWYER, OAKLAND CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY LAWYERING AND CIVIL RIGHTS
“I was motivated to work towards a more healed and just world in part by my family's experiences with oppression, and in part by empathy and hope. I went to law school to equip myself with more tools to affect systemic change. This fellowship really has been one of the communities that has kept me going this past year. These connections keep us righteous and accountable in this work.”
Jeremy Hendricks
POLITICAL DIRECTOR, SOUTHWEST LABORERS' UNION
“In the construction industry, people are looked at like commodities. Everyone loves a ribbon-cutting—no one wants to know about the people that got injured in building those tall, shiny buildings downtown.”
Jenna Hanes
POLICY & COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4
“The Grace Act is the most urgent work we’re doing. So the decision that we had to make was, ‘Are we going to prevent ourselves from doing good things just because the Texas legislature isn’t gonna like it?’ The answer to that has got to be ‘no.’ The only thing we can do is try to have strength in numbers.”
Berbeth Foster
Senior Staff Attorney,
Community Justice Project
“We see litigation as a vital aspect to protecting the rights of all the community organizers we work with, ensuring they have the right to protest in the streets of Florida, but also the right to appeal to their local governments as they seek to re-imagine public safety.”
section four
Demanding Anti-Racist Practices. Prioritizing Inclusion.
Celebrating Intersectionality.
Since its inception in 2021, Public Rights Project’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Working Group (DEIB WG) has ensured PRP lives up to the Core Values of our organization.
The DEIB WG prioritizes advancing the rights of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized people—for example, this past year the working group led a significant effort to bring anti-racism training and education to the entire staff.
In 2022 the Operations Team also led an effort to bring increased transparency and equity to PRP’s recruitment and hiring practices. Together we’re building a culture that meets the challenges—and hard, necessary conversations—around justice head-on.
section five
Our Funders Make Justice Possible
Thank you to everyone who has continually supported our mission since our founding.
We also want to offer a special thank you to the following individuals and organizations who generously donated gifts of $1,000 or greater in 2022.
Every dollar donated supports our fight for racial justice, workers’ rights, reproductive justice, and underserved communities.
INDivIdUAL DONORS
section six
2022
Financial Summary
Public Rights Project is proud of the financial growth we experienced over the past year—every grant and donation makes our litigation, organizing, and storytelling possible.
Public Rights Project is proud of the financial growth we experienced over the past year—every grant and donation makes our litigation, organizing, and storytelling possible.
We’ve grown from a $750,000 budget in 2018 to a projected 2023 operating budget of $6.3 million. The following charts represent our 2022 revenue and expense breakdown.
section seven
Many Thanks To Our Board Of Directors!
We deeply appreciate the commitment of the Public Rights Project Board, who continue to offer their insight and support to our team and our vision. They help us work toward a democracy built by the people that delivers equity and justice.
Their collective expertise across everything from law, government leadership, and civil rights to organizational strategy, development, and communications has enabled us to maximize our impact, grow our ecosystem of partners, and take the educated, necessary risks to evolve our organization.
We are honored to have their support and know PRP wouldn’t be where we are without their many contributions. Thank you!
Meet The PRP Team
These are the faces that make so much of our impact possible.
Here at PRP, we’ve built a talented team from all kinds of backgrounds, ethnicities, identities, and lived experiences—our people are different in so many ways, but we share a collective vision for justice and keep our eyes on the horizon. We believe in the power of change and leverage our unique perspectives and skill sets daily to advance equity within our organization and in the world around us.
Civil rights work is not easy—in fact, it’s often daunting and frightening. The world is riddled with many cruelties and inequities, and sometimes it feels like too big a system to fundamentally change. But together, we take each day step by step and watch with tenacity and hope as our litigation and training, our fellowships and our advocacy, and the stories of our communities all move the needle towards a future and society we can all be proud to be a part of.
