About CFA
Since 1968, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) has provided consumers a well-reasoned and articulate voice in decisions that affect their lives. Day in and out, CFA's professional staff gathers facts, analyzes issues, and disseminates information to the public, policymakers, and the rest of the consumer movement.
The size and diversity of its membership -- of approximately 280 nonprofit organizations from throughout the nation with a combined membership exceeding 50 million people -- enables CFA to speak for virtually all consumers. In particular, CFA looks out for those who have the greatest needs, especially the least affluent.
CFA Roles
CFA is an advocacy, research, education, and service organization. As an advocacy group, CFA works to advance pro-consumer policies on a variety of issues before Congress, the White House, federal and state regulatory agencies, state legislatures, and the courts. Its staff works with public officials to promote beneficial policies, to oppose harmful policies, and to ensure a balanced debate on important issues in which consumers have a stake.
As a research organization, CFA investigates consumer issues, behavior, and attitudes using surveys, polling, focus groups, and literature reviews. The findings of such projects are published in reports that assist consumer advocates and policymakers as well as individual consumers. This research also provides the basis for new consumer initiatives, public service advertising, and consumer information and education efforts.
As an education organization, CFA disseminates information on consumer issues to the public and the media, as well as to policymakers and other public interest advocates. Conferences, reports, books, brochures, news releases, a newsletter, and a website all contribute to CFA's education program.
Finally, as a service organization, CFA provides support to national, state, and local organizations committed to the goals of consumer advocacy, research, and education. Some of these organizations are consumer advocacy, education, or cooperative organizations that belong to the federation.
CFA Services
CFA services other organizations through its website, newsletter, publications, resource centers, and special events.
This website supplies free information about CFA work on dozens of issues. Specifically, it includes information about CFA, recent press releases, recent policy publications, recent consumer publications, state and local consumer groups, consumer cooperatives, and links to other consumer websites.
CFAnews is a newsletter, published six times annually, that provides information about CFA advocacy, conferences, and publications.
CFA has prepared more than one dozen consumer publications on topics ranging from managing consumer debts to resolving consumer complaints to safeguarding playgrounds. Staff members have also written commercially published books on banking, product safety, and child safety, and edited an encyclopedia of the consumer movement.
CFA's State and Local Resource Center, funded by Consumers Union and others, seeks to strengthen grassroots consumer organizations through grants, technical assistance, workshops, publications, and other services.
CFA's Consumer Cooperative Advisory Group meets quarterly to discuss issues of interest to CFA and consumer cooperatives, and to plan initiatives that benefit the existing and potential members of cooperative groups.
Since 1967, Consumer Assembly has been the nation's largest annual conference addressing consumer issues and priorities. At this late winter event, usually held in early March, hundreds of consumer representatives meet to learn about critical issues and exchange views with leaders from government, business, the press, and academia.
The Food Policy Institute's Conference gives policymakers, advocates, and scientists the opportunity to explore critical food and agriculture issues related to safety, nutrition, and affordability.
CFA's Financial Services Conference has been held annual for nearly two decades in order to give consumer leaders, industry representatives, regulators, legislators, and the press the opportunity to discuss consumer banking, insurance, investment, and housing issues.
The annual June Awards Dinner honors leaders in government, the press, and the consumer movement for outstanding consumer services.
CFA Membership
Non-profit, pro-consumer organizations that support the mission of CFA qualify for membership. While annual dues payments range as high as $20,000, most organizations contribute between $75 and $1,000 annually. Membership entitles them to elect the Board of Directors, develop and vote on organizational policies, receive CFA News and other regular CFA publications, and qualify for discounted conference registrations. Additional information about membership and an application are available from the CFA office. Contact Mel Hall Crawford at melhc at consumerfed (dot) org or by mail at 1620 I Street, NW Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006.
Applications are reviewed at Board meetings held three times a year.