Consumer Federation of America

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization established in 1968 to represent and advance consumer interests through research, education, coalition work, and advocacy. It operates as a national federation rather than as a conventional commercial brand. Its members are consumer-oriented nonprofit organizations and other civic, cooperative, public-interest, and governmental groups that retain their own autonomy while collaborating through CFA on issues of national importance. CFA emerged from the Consumer Assembly, a national consumer forum first held in April 1966. The forum brought together consumer organizations, cooperatives, labor representatives, and other groups seeking stronger protections for the public. With encouragement from Esther Peterson, then the White House Consumer Adviser, representatives of almost 60 organizations decided to create a permanent federation. The new organization was formally launched in April 1968, and the Consumer Assembly became an ongoing annual conference linked to CFA’s annual meeting. The federation’s membership model is central to its identity. Member organizations elect CFA’s board, participate in policy deliberations, and vote on organizational resolutions. The membership has included national groups such as Consumers Union and U.S. PIRG, state and local consumer organizations, consumer-protection agencies, credit unions, rural electric cooperatives, and public-power organizations. CFA has described its network as comprising nearly 300 consumer-oriented nonprofits whose combined membership reaches approximately 50 million people; these figures are organizational claims and may change over time. CFA’s work focuses on public-interest questions where business practices, products, financial services, regulation, and government policy affect households. Its activities have included policy analysis, testimony and communications with public officials, public education, coalition advocacy, and scrutiny of corporate and regulatory conduct. Issues identified in its public descriptions include financial-services protections, credit-card regulation, investor safeguards, fuel-efficiency standards, food and drug safety, product safety, and the rights of consumers in dealings with businesses and government agencies. The organization has supported or advocated for measures including the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act, stronger corporate and investor protections associated with Sarbanes-Oxley, higher fuel-economy standards, expanded federal consumer-financial oversight, stronger Food and Drug Administration authority over food safety, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, and regulation of all-terrain vehicles. Its advocacy is generally associated with the modern U.S. consumer movement and is commonly characterized as liberal in the American political sense. CFA is funded through a mixture of member dues, charitable contributions, foundation grants, conference and event revenue, and other nonprofit sources. Historical support has included contributions and grants from Consumers Union and grants from national foundations. CFA also organized and manages America Saves, a financial-literacy and savings initiative that initially received support from the Ford Foundation and later from corporate foundations. The federation is not a publicly traded company and does not report a stock ticker. Its continuing role is to coordinate independent member organizations and give consumer interests a stronger collective voice in Congress, executive agencies, state legislatures, regulatory proceedings, courts, the media, and public debate.

The Consumer Federation of America developed out of the expanding U.S. consumer movement of the 1960s. Its immediate institutional predecessor was the Consumer Assembly, a national forum first convened in April 1966. The forum was designed to bring consumer organizations and allied public-interest groups together to discuss the need for stronger protections and coordinated action. Esther Peterson, serving as White House Consumer Adviser, encouraged the development of a permanent national organization. Representatives of nearly 60 consumer, cooperative, labor, and related groups subsequently agreed to establish CFA, which was formally launched in April 1968. From the beginning, CFA was designed as a federation rather than a centralized membership association. Its member groups remained independent, but they could work together on shared policy priorities. The Consumer Assembly became an annual conference held in connection with CFA’s annual meeting. At those meetings, members elect a board of roughly 40 to 43 directors and debate and vote on policy resolutions. This structure gives the organization a mechanism for developing common positions while preserving the distinct identities and local or sector-specific expertise of participating groups. CFA’s leadership has changed over time while its core mission has remained focused on consumer research, education, and advocacy. Erma Angevine served as the first executive director through 1973. She was followed by Carol Tucker Foreman, Kathleen O’Reilly, Stephen Brobeck, and Jack Gillis. Brobeck’s tenure lasted from 1980 through 2018, followed by Gillis from 2018 through 2022. Susan Weinstock became chief executive in 2022. Former U.S. Senator Howard Metzenbaum served as honorary chairman from 1995 to 2008. The federation’s policy agenda has covered a broad range of consumer concerns. In financial services, CFA has advocated stronger protections for credit-card users, expanded federal consumer-financial oversight, and safeguards for investors. In corporate governance and securities policy, it has supported measures associated with the Sarbanes-Oxley framework. It has also promoted higher fuel-economy standards, stronger authority and responsibility for the Food and Drug Administration in protecting the food supply, and product-safety legislation, including the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. These positions reflect CFA’s broader practice of examining how corporate conduct, regulatory systems, and public policy affect ordinary consumers. CFA’s operating model combines policy advocacy with research, communications, educational work, and coalition-building. It communicates with Congress, the White House, federal and state regulatory agencies, state legislatures, and courts. The organization also works with journalists, civic organizations, and its member network to scrutinize business practices, products, and services. Its membership has included national consumer organizations, state and local consumer groups, consumer-protection agencies, credit unions, rural electric cooperatives, and public-power organizations. CFA has stated that its member network includes nearly 300 consumer-oriented nonprofits representing a combined membership of about 50 million people. Funding has historically come from member dues, contributions, and grants. Consumers Union provided substantial annual support for many years, while foundations including Ford, Annie E. Casey, Rockefeller, Atlantic Philanthropies, and Heron have been identified as important sources of grant support over the organization’s history. Other support has included cy-près awards, the Consumer Assembly, an annual awards dinner, and issue conferences. CFA also organized and manages America Saves, a savings and financial-literacy initiative that received initial support from the Ford Foundation and later support principally from corporate foundations. CFA remains a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C. It is generally associated with the modern American consumer movement and is commonly described as liberal in the U.S. political context. It coexists with state and local federations, such as the Consumer Federation of California and other regional consumer organizations. Those groups advocate within narrower geographic areas, while CFA provides a national platform for coordinated consumer policy work.

• 2022

  Susan Weinstock becomes chief executive

  [1]Consumer Federation of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  Susan Weinstock succeeded Jack Gillis as CFA’s chief executive.

• 2018

  Jack Gillis becomes executive director

  [1]Consumer Federation of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  Jack Gillis succeeded Stephen Brobeck as executive director.

• 1995

  Howard Metzenbaum becomes honorary chairman

  [1]Consumer Federation of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  Retired Senator Howard Metzenbaum began serving as CFA’s honorary chairman.

• 1980

  Stephen Brobeck becomes executive director

  [1]Consumer Federation of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  Stephen Brobeck began a long tenure leading CFA’s national consumer advocacy work.

• 1973

  Carol Tucker Foreman begins executive-director tenure

  [1]Consumer Federation of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  Carol Tucker Foreman succeeded founding executive director Erma Angevine.

• 1968

  Consumer Federation of America founded

  [1]Consumer Federation of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  Representatives of nearly 60 consumer, cooperative, labor, and related organizations formally launched CFA as a permanent national federation.

• 1966

  First Consumer Assembly

  [1]Consumer Federation of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  A national consumer forum brought together groups seeking stronger consumer protections and later provided the institutional basis for CFA.

A national, nonprofit consumer-advocacy federation that amplifies the policy influence of independent consumer organizations and promotes stronger protections for households, investors, and the public.

• Research

  Consumer policy research

  CFA produces and disseminates analysis of consumer-facing markets, business practices, products, services, and public policy. The work is intended to inform member organizations, policymakers, journalists, regulators, and the wider public rather than to function as a commercial product line.

• Conference and member forum · 1966

  Consumer Assembly

  The Consumer Assembly is CFA’s recurring national forum for consumer organizations and allied groups. It originated in 1966 and became associated with CFA’s annual meeting, providing a venue for discussion, coalition-building, and consideration of shared policy resolutions.

• Financial education initiative

  America Saves

  America Saves is a savings and financial-literacy initiative organized and managed by CFA. Its support initially came from the Ford Foundation and later relied mainly on corporate foundations. The initiative extends CFA’s consumer mission into household financial behavior and savings education.

• Advocacy · 1968

  Public-interest advocacy

  CFA advocates before Congress, the White House, federal and state agencies, state legislatures, and courts. Its positions have addressed financial services, investor protection, fuel economy, food and drug safety, product safety, and other issues affecting consumers.

• Consumer financial protection advocacy

  United States

  CFA has advocated a dedicated Consumer Financial Protection Agency and stronger federal safeguards for consumers using financial products and services.

  Source
• Credit-card consumer protections

  United States

  The federation supported stronger protections for credit-card users, including advocacy associated with passage of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act.

  Outcome. The cited source identifies passage of the CARD Act as a policy outcome supported by CFA.

  Source
• Fuel-efficiency standards

  United States

  CFA has advocated higher corporate average fuel economy standards as a consumer and public-interest measure.

  Source
• Food and product safety advocacy

  United States

  CFA has supported stronger Food and Drug Administration responsibility for food safety and product-safety laws, including the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and all-terrain-vehicle regulation.

  Source

• 1968

  Create a permanent national consumer federationStrategy

  Background

  Consumer groups participating in the Consumer Assembly sought a durable structure capable of coordinating consumer advocacy beyond an occasional forum.

  Action taken

  Representatives formally launched CFA as a member federation, while retaining the Consumer Assembly as an annual forum.

  Aftermath

  The organization established a national platform through which autonomous member groups could develop shared policy positions.

  Source

• Advocate for dedicated consumer-financial oversightStrategy

  Background

  CFA identified financial products and services as an area requiring stronger consumer safeguards and public oversight.

  Action taken

  The federation advocated creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency and related financial protections.

  Source

• Support broad product and food-safety regulationStrategy

  Background

  CFA treated unsafe products and weaknesses in food-safety oversight as national consumer concerns.

  Action taken

  It supported stronger FDA authority, product-safety legislation, and regulation of all-terrain vehicles.

  Source

1. 1Consumer Federation of Americaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Consumer Federation of America official websiteconsumerfed.org