Our Work

The Commonweal Institute, a 501(c)(3) organization, is dedicated to the success of today’s progressive movement, which aims to create a change in the public’s worldview: the elevation of the common good as a policy priority.

Public Education and Engagement

As a change agent within this movement, our primary goal is to educate the public on the current imbalance between private interests and the common good, and involve them in open, democratic processes for devising and achieving solutions based on a new understanding of self and society. We redefine the problems created by the neglect of the common good in order to create demand for forward-thinking policy solutions and the leaders who will pursue them.

Fellows

Our Fellows and staff members work as public intellectuals, leading values-based conversations about progressive ideas in blogs, traditional media outlets, and live appearances.

Conversation Radio

We are expanding our capacity to reach audiences by developing our own media platforms, including our Conversation Radio program.

Progressive Op-Ed Program

We produce and distribute weekly op-eds written by our Fellows. The articles relate topics in the Fellows' area of expertise to Commonweal Institute's research about underlying progressive values.

Movement Building and Strategy

Our secondary goal as a progressive change agent is to promote strategy and tactics for waging a successful long-term social movement. We do this in a number of ways:

Progressive Ideas Network

We are the designated home and fiscal sponsor of the Progressive Ideas Network, a nationwide alliance of multi-issue think tanks and activist organizations.

Progressive Roundtable

Periodic convenings of progressive leaders known as the Progressive Roundtable.

Training

Workshops on persuasive communication techniques and other topics for progressive organizations and activists.

Strategic Services

Paid research and consultation, as well as the ongoing production of articles and reports about progressive strategy.