The Public Policy and Education Fund of New York (PPEF) is the not-for-profit research and public education affiliate of Citizen Action of New York.

PPEF was founded in 1986 to address critical social, economic, racial and environmental issues facing low and moderate income New York State residents. Areas of concern have included health care, education, afterschool programs, voter participation, economic development and consumer issues. PPEF uses many tools in its work, including grassroots organizing, research and policy development, public education on a wide range of policy issues and community outreach.

PPEF’s Current Projects:

NYConsumerHealth.org is a web-based consumer guide to healthcare in New York State. Sections include information for families, seniors, children, and immigrants, as well as all public health insurance programs, direct-pay programs, and COBRA extended health coverage. Also available is a comprehensive guide to the rights and protections that New York State grants healthcare consumers.

Fair Funding for Schools: PPEF believes every child deserves a quality education, and we support adequate state funding to provide the necessary resources to every public school in the state. PPEF builds public awareness of the need for increased state aid to schools through educational forums, grassroots outreach, media outreach and research reports. We have successfully increased public support across the state for reform of New York State’s school funding formula.

PPEF’s research and policy reports have documented the need for increased funding and for a fairer distribution of school aid. Our reports have also provided detailed analyses of the impact of various reform proposals, as well as of the existing system. As the courts direct New York State to reform state school aid, PPEF’s work is playing an important role in shaping the current debate over education finance reform. PPEF is also a member of the Alliance for QualityEducation.

Poll results show overwhelming support for Clean Elections
(PPEF, release date 4/28/08)
A Zogby International poll, commissioned byt he Public Policy and Education Fund, found that 74% of New Yorkers are in favor of public campaign financing. The poll also asked about New Yorkers attitude toward State Legislators. Click here for a summary of the poll results.

New Report: A new report by PPEF and NYSAN uses a Quality Self-Assesment Tool to identify "promising practices" in academic support and enrichment--two areas essential to a quality after-school program. Click here to read the full report now!

Expansion of After-School Programs: PPEF believes that every child should have access to a quality after-school program. PPEF, together with its sister organization Citizen Action of New York, founded the Coalition for After School Funding to promote the value of after-school programs and to advocate for increased federal, state and local funding for these programs. Our work on after-school programs ties together crime prevention, youth development, gang prevention, child care and improved educational outcomes.

Affordable Health Care for All: PPEF believes that every person deserves affordable, high quality health care coverage. PPEF builds public awareness of the need for increased state and federal support for public health insurance programs and played an important role in the enactment and implementation of Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus. Our work on health care includes Medicaid, Medicare, consumer rights in managed care, prescription drugs, hospital charity care, and health disparities. PPEF's research and policy reports have promoted the value of public insurance insurance programs and documented why they need to be expanded.

Campaign Finance and Election Reform: PPEF believes that elected officials should be accountable to voters, not campaign contributors, and that individuals from all walks of life should be able to compete for office without having to raise money from wealthy individuals or interests or have great personal wealth. PPEF's Clean Money, Clean Elections project supports a system of full-public financing of elections, through which candidates who agree to limit spending and not take private contributions receive an equal amount of public funding, sufficient to compete fairly for public office.

PPEF also believes that voting should be made accessible and voting rights safeguarded. We support efforts to ensure that voting machines are accessible, reliable and verifiable and PPEF supports efforts that remove institutional barriers to voting, such as restrictions on registration, voting location and disenfranchisement of felons.

PPEF's Accomplishments and Current Activities

PPEF Reports and Consumer Guides