Committee of Seventy
Mission: To open up and improve the voting process and political culture, to engage citizens in the process of making important decisions about the future, to help to elect qualified public officials, and to assist them to make government work better.
As an independent and nonpartisan organization established in 1904, the Committee of Seventy advocates for a better government in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. By offering unbiased information, Seventy helps people understand local government and political culture, as well as encourages informed participation in elections and the political process. The organization often advocates around critical issues related to good government, including elections and voting, campaign finance, ethics and transparency, redistricting, and various other government reforms.
Year Founded: 1905 • (215) 557-3600 • futureofthecity@seventy.org • seventy.org
Current Democracy Work
Committee of Seventy strongly believes that campaign spending should be transparent, require strict and frequent donation disclosure, and have clear campaign fundraising guidelines. Although significant progress in curbing the influence of money in local government has been made in recent years, rules and enforcement authority at the state-level continue to be lax.
Recent Successes
Committee of Seventy was a key advocate involved in the passage of a host of ethics, campaign finance and pay-to-play laws in the City of Philadelphia during the early 2000’s. A new independent Board of Ethics with resources and power to enforce the new rules was also installed. Shortly later, the organization helped prompt a ban on cash gifts and ultra-rich pension bonuses for elected officials and city employees in Philadelphia.Most recently, Seventy has called for the elimination of three elected City Commissioners whose sole job is to oversee city elections and occupy an office with a long record of corruption and patronage. Seventy helped launch the Better Philadelphia Elections Coalition in the spring of 2016, calling for professional and appointed leadership of the election process, a reform that would have to take place by amending the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter.
Your Entry Points
Apply for the Election Ambassador Corps, a program offering area high school students the opportunity to observe polling places, and learn about the electoral process. Get involved in the Election Innovation Challenge, which invites students to submit their ideas for improving the election process and voter turnout. Apply for a Public Policy Internship to gain experience in projects that aim to grow the Seventy and increase the impact of its policy work in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.