Project On Government Oversight

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We are extremely pleased by Omidyar Network’s recognition of POGO’s success and potential. Omidyar Network’s grant will allow POGO to strengthen our investigative operations in several important areas and to further engage and enable citizens to hold their government accountable.


— Danielle Brian, POGO Executive Director

Founded in 1981, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is an independent nonprofit that investigates and exposes corruption and other misconduct in order to achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government.

Why We Invested

POGO is a highly respected and effective government watchdog.  The organization also excels at developing constructive relationships with elected officials and has a strong record of shaping policy reform and influencing behavior.

Omidyar Network’s support will enable POGO to strengthen its investigative operations in several important areas, including national security, contractor oversight, public health, and financial sector oversight.  POGO will also use the funding to encourage U.S. citizens to become more engaged with its work in order to amplify the organization’s impact.
 

Impact
  • In 2002, POGO started its Federal Contractor Misconduct Database (FCMD), a web-based resource designed to track the conduct of the federal government’s largest contractors.  POGO’s database inspired the federal government to create its own contractor responsibility database.
  • For years, POGO has worked with government officials on both sides of the aisle to investigate and halt the production of the F-22 jet, the costly Pentagon project that had been criticized for years as exceeding the nation’s security needs.  In 2009, the Senate voted 58-40 to halt production of the F-22, leading the House to strip funds for the jets.
  • In a September 2008 report, POGO highlighted problems with Royalty-In-Kind (RIK), the government's program to collect royalty payments from companies drilling for natural resources on federal lands. POGO saw one of its top recommendations implemented when Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the end of the RIK program in September 2009.