Montana Public Interest Research Group

THE MONTANA PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP (MONTPIRG) IS A STUDENT DIRECTED AND FUNDED NON-PARTISAN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO AFFECTING TANGIBLE, POSITIVE CHANGE THROUGH EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CIVIC LEADERS.

MONTPIRG CREATES POSITIVE, TANGIBLE CHANGE IN MONTANAMONTPIRG IS DEDICATED TO TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CIVIC LEADERS THROUGH HANDS-ON ADVOCACY. WE TAKE ON THE IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING MONTANA INCLUDING PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT, ADVANCING CLEAN ENERGY, EMPOWERING YOUNG VOTERS, AND DEFENDING CONSUMER RIGHTS. IN 2022, MONTPIRG TRAINED DOZENS OF STUDENT LEADERS TO BE ADVOCATES FOR PROTECTING MONTANA'S CONSTITUTION, CELEBRATED YOUTH CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND EMPOWERED THE NEXT GENERATION TO VOTE THROUGH EDUCATION AND VOTER REGISTRATION.VOTER ENGAGEMENT & VOTER PROTECTIONREGISTERING TO VOTE IS ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS TO BECOMING CIVICALLY ENGAGED AND ACCORDINGLY, ONE OF MONTPIRG'S MOST IMPORTANT GOALS IS ITS YEARLY VOTER REGISTRATION GOAL. EVERY SEMESTER, OUR TEAMS MAKE VOTER REGISTRATION UBIQUITOUS THROUGHOUT THE MISSOULA AND BOZEMAN COMMUNITIES TO ENSURE THE THOUSANDS OF FREQUENTLY MOVING YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE AS MUCH OPPORTUNITY AS POSSIBLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE.FOR THE 2021 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, WE MADE SURE YOUNG VOICES WERE HEARD AND LISTENED TO BY CONNECTING CANDIDATES DIRECTLY WITH STUDENTS, TURNING STUDENTS OUT TO VOTE, AND ENSURING YOUNG PEOPLE HAD THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO EFFECTIVELY CAST THEIR VOTE. THROUGH IN PERSON AND LIVE STREAMED CANDIDATE FORUMS, WE ENSURED STUDENTS KNEW THE INDIVIDUALS VYING FOR THEIR VOTE, KNEW WHICH PRECINCT THEY RESIDED IN, KNEW HOW AND WHEN TO REGISTER TO VOTE, AND KNEW WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO TO GET THEIR BALLOT COUNTED. LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN SOMETIMES FEEL OBSCURE TO YOUNG VOTERS BUT WE KNOW THE DECISION MAKERS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL CAN BE THE MOST ACCESSIBLE AND THEIR DECISIONS CAN MOST DIRECTLY IMPACT AN INDIVIDUAL'S DAY-TO-DAY LIFE SO CONNECTING YOUNG AND FIRST TIME VOTERS WITH THESE FOLKS IS CRUCIAL TO ENSURING YOUNG VOICES ARE HEARD.DEFENDING OUR DEMOCRACYIN THE SUMMER OF 2022, MONTPIRG ENGAGED IN A DOOR-TO-DOOR CANVAS THROUGHOUT WESTERN MONTANA TO ENGAGE VOTERS ABOUT THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MONTANA CONSTITUTION. THROUGH THIS EFFORT, WE SPOKE TO VOTERS ABOUT UNIQUE QUALITIES OF OUR CONSTITUTION THAT GUARANTEE US THE RIGHT TO A CLEAN AND HEALTHFUL ENVIRONMENT, OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE GOVERNMENT, AND INDIVIDUAL PRIVACY. BECAUSE WE WERE CELEBRATING THE MONTANA CONSTITUTION'S BIRTHDAY AND BECAUSE IN RECENT YEARS WE HAD SEEN CALLS TO DRASTICALLY ALTER THAT DOCUMENT BY VOICES ON EACH SIDE OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, WE FELT IT WAS NECESSARY TO CONNECT WITH VOTERS TO CELEBRATE THE PROTECTIONS OUR CONSTITUTION HAS BROUGHT, SUCH AS THE BEST STREAM ACCESS LAWS IN THE NATION. THROUGH THIS EFFORT, WE IDENTIFIED THOUSANDS OF MONTANANS WHO PLEDGED TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTEVERYTHING MONTPIRG DOES IS GROUNDED IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. WE KNOW THAT YOUNG LEADERS ARE CRUCIAL IN ALL ASPECTS OF SOCIETY SO ENSURING THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE THE TOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITY IS CONSTANTLY OUR FOCUS. THIS YEAR, WE TRAINED UP THREE CLASSES OF INTERNS IN BOZEMAN AND MISSOULA WHO LEARNED SKILLS INCLUDING THINGS LIKE FUNDRAISING, DOOR KNOCKING, PHONE CALLING, LETTER WRITING, PUBLIC SPEAKING, EVENT PLANNING, AND PEER-TO-PEER OUTREACH. ALONG WITH OUR INTERN PROGRAM, OUR TEAM ALSO RECRUITS VOLUNTEERS WHO WORK ALONGSIDE INTERNS AND STAFF TO ACQUIRE THESE SKILLS AND MAKE CHANGE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THESE INDIVIDUALS LEARN THESE SKILLS WHILE WORKING ON PROJECTS AND ISSUES THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT THE LIVES OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.MEASURING OUR IMPACTMONTPIRG KNOWS THAT CREATING CHANGE IS ONLY POSSIBLE BY SETTING TANGIBLE GOALS AND MEASURING YOUR PROGRESS.TOTAL VOTER REGISTRATION (FY 21-22) 1,270GOTV DOORS (2021) 4,048GOTV PHONE CALLS (2021) 2,169CONSTITUTION DOORS (2022) 19,788CONSTITUTION SUPPORTERS IDENTIFIED (2022) 3,013