Welcome to the Northwest Progressive Institute, a regionally focused nonprofit working from Washington, Oregon, & Idaho to constructively transform our world through insightful research and imaginative advocacy.
Frequently requested resources
- Read NPI’s statement on Judge James Dixon’s historic decision holding Tim Eyman accountable for his serious violations of public disclosure laws.
- Read NPI’s response to the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd.
- COVID-19 Updates: Browse an archive of posts about the novel coronavirus pandemic, incorporating briefings from the authorities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia.
- Open staff positions at NPI
- Public opinion research findings released by NPI from 2017 to the present
- Archive of Last Week In Congress, our recurring feature that shows you how Cascadia’s United States lawmakers voted
Recently published by NPI
- Diplomacy finally front and center again with extension of U.S.-Russia New START Treatyby Gael Tarleton on March 2nd, 2021
Read founding NPI boardmember Gael Tarleton’s analysis of the United States’ extension of the New START Treaty with the Russian Federation.
- Must-read Seattle Times story details how Eyman initiatives sabotaged public healthby Andrew Villeneuve on March 2nd, 2021
Washington State’s public health departments have been woefully underfunded for years, and we’re now paying the price. The problem dates back to the early 2000s, when a pair of destructive Tim Eyman initiatives were implemented.
- Twenty years after the Nisqually earthquake, seismic upgrades still needed across Cascadiaby Andrew Villeneuve on March 1st, 2021
There is no question we’ve made some progress since the Nisqually quake traumatically reminded us that we live in a region that belongs to the Pacific Ring of Fire. Yet there is also a lot that remains to be done.
- SNL keeps the heat on Ted Cruz, rakes Marjorie Taylor Greene in February 27th episodeby Andrew Villeneuve on February 28th, 2021
Watch highlights from the fourteenth episode of SNL’s forty-sixth season, hosted by Nick Jonas (who also performed as the musical guest) including the vaccine game show cold open with a Ted Cruz cameo.
- Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (February 22nd-27th)by Voterama in Congress on February 28th, 2021
The week’s major votes included House passage of the American Rescue Plan and Senate confirmation of three Biden Cabinet nominees: Jennifer Granholm, Tom Vilsack, Linda Taylor-Greenfield.
- U.S. House passes Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan to combat COVID-19by Andrew Villeneuve on February 28th, 2021
The vote on final passage was two hundred and nineteen to two hundred and twelve. All Republicans voted nay, and all but two Democrats voted aye.
Who we are and what we do
A strategy center is an organization that helps people think and act pragmatically so they can realize their goals. That is NPI’s role within the community of people and organizations identifying as progressive.
At our core, we’re a think tank with the soul of a tech startup, generating and refining ideas that would raise up our region and our country, leading to a more inclusive economy and society for everyone.
But we’re also a media, advocacy, and outreach organization, because we know that taking an idea from conception to implementation requires a lot more than research. It’s this commitment to communicating and organizing that sets us apart from conventional think tanks.
Metaphorically, NPI can be thought of as a Swiss Army knife for the progressive movement. We’re a multifaceted organization that has been built to move quickly and effectively. Ingenuity is in our DNA. We’re funded and supported by activists who want to invest in permanent infrastructure, not just win the next election. Our goal is to empower activists to become thought leaders, mastering the reframing skills needed to liberate our public discourse from right wing demagoguery.
We invite you to learn more about who we are and what we do.
Our Values
Progressive values are traditional American values, values that we are proud of.
We believe in a more perfect Union that guarantees freedom, liberty, equality, and opportunity for all of its citizens, with laws and rules rooted in our core values of empathy and mutual responsibility. We believe in an America that prizes dissent and independent thinking as patriotic.
We believe that the people and the planet are more important than profit. In the words of the old Native American proverb: We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. We believe that taxes are investments that allow us to pool our resources to afford the essential public services we need. And we believe the laws we adopt as a society should make us healthier, cleaner, and safer.
Too often, decisions are driven by greed as opposed to what it is in the public interest or supported by science. At NPI, we believe we must liberate our politics from the grip of big money.
Our values shape and guide our views on the major issues that face our country today. We support policy directions and specific policies (whether proposed through our system of representative government or directly to the people by initiative) that embody our values.
See recent positions we’ve taken on ballot measures and legislative bills in our Advocacy section.
Our Projects and Publications
Besides our core website, our online presence includes the following projects and publications:
Become a member
Our work would not be possible without the support of our members, who donate annually or monthly to sustain our research and advocacy. Help revolutionize grassroots politics by becoming a member of the Northwest Progressive Institute today.
As one way of saying thank you for investing in our work, we offer the following benefits of membership.
- Activist: Members who donate $25 per year receive the opportunity to join NPI’s monthly Thought Leadership Briefings, held via Zoom. Each briefing begins with update from NPI’s staff and board on the latest significant research findings from NPI and other trusted sources on national and local issues, and concludes with a Q&A.
- Advocate: Members who donate $50 per year receive an exclusive invitation to participate in quarterly Activism Matters seminars (held jointly with the Northwest Progressive Foundation) plus access to NPI’s monthly Grassroots Leadership Briefings.
- Sustainer: Members who donate $100 per year receive discounted admission to all ticketed NPI events (like our Spring Fundraising Gala), plus exclusive invitations to participate in quarterly Activism Matters seminars and access to NPI’s monthly Grassroots Leadership Briefings.
- Champion: Members who donate $250 per year or more receive a new book twice a year as part of NPI’s Staff Book Club, accompanied by a one-page guide explaining how we use the book to advance our work, plus exclusive invitations to participate in quarterly Activism Matters seminars, discounted admission to all ticketed NPI events, and access to NPI’s monthly Grassroots Leadership Briefings.
Becoming a member of NPI is easy. We offer two ways to pay dues: online via credit card or by check through U.S. Mail. If you choose the latter option, our website will generate a completed membership form for you that you can print out and enclose with your check.