Sunlight Foundation

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Video: Using technology to increase government transparency in the U.S.

Sunlight and Omidyar Network share a fundamental belief in the value of transparency, the potential for new technologies to connect individuals to information and to others who share their interests, and the ability for citizens to influence issues that impact their lives.


— Ellen Miller, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Sunlight Foundation

Sunlight Foundation develops and supports technology that makes information about Congress and the federal government more accessible to the American public.

Why We Invested

Sunlight Foundation leverages the Internet to ensure greater transparency and accountability in government, reduce corruption in politics, and foster public trust in the institutions of democracy.

A nonprofit based in Washington D.C., Sunlight Foundation develops and supports technology to improve access to existing information and digitize new information about governmental activities. It relies on technology to connect individuals to information, like-minded people, and organizations so that they can foster transparency in the political system and take action on the issues that matter to them.

Impact
  • Sponsored FedSpending.org, the first searchable website of all federal grants and contracts
  • Co-created OpenCongress.org, a resource for citizens to track issues, bills, and lawmaker activities
  • Hundreds of journalists, reporters, and bloggers trained to use its tools and databases to find government data on political activity
  • In June 2009, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded to Sunlight's recommendations and instructed administrators to post online how House members spend federal funds allocated to support expenses such as staff salaries, official travel, and administrative supplies