The Legacy of Donald K. Ross

Donald K. Ross passed away on May 14, 2022. One of the original “Nader’s Raiders,” Donald was the “father” of the Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs). It was Donald’s genius to see that a better world could be created by harnessing the energy, idealism, and smarts of college students. Not only could public policies be improved, but also the experience of civic engagement would make these younger adults better citizens. Action for a Change, a book co-written by Donald and Ralph Nader, offered a blueprint for college student activism, with a formula that focused on accomplishments, bite-sized policy victories that could cascade into fundamental changes in governance. His book soon led to the establishment of dozens of PIRGs in states across the country.

Donald’s vision soon turned into personal practical application when, in 1973, he became the first Executive Director of NYPIRG. From a handful of staff and dozens of student volunteers working on college campuses, he transformed NYPIRG into one of New York’s leading environmental and consumer advocacy organizations. His work taking on the nuclear power industry after the near catastrophic Three Mile Island partial meltdown put NYPIRG on the national stage, with massive rallies in Washington DC and New York City.

Among the many policy successes, Donald’s work touched the lives of hundreds of college students. For many of these individuals, Donald’s work led to life-changing career experiences. And as his vision was played out across the country, thousands of students’ lives were transformed. Essentially, NYPIRG became an “advocacy graduate school” for political organizers who went on to run state and national groups.

After he left NYPIRG in 1982, he went on to work at the Rockefeller Family Fund, helped establish the Environmental Grantmakers Association (which has grown to over 200 member foundations around the world), served as Executive Director of Tortuga Foundation, and partnered with the MacArthur Foundation. In these roles, Donald successfully advocated for philanthropic organizations to take a more active role in shaping policy — from protecting public lands in Alaska, to safeguarding drinking water, to reforming the juvenile justice system.

Donald also chaired Greenpeace USA, and founded the law firm Malkin & Ross, as well as M+RSS, a consulting firm that was instrumental in winning hundreds of policy victories over the years, helping nonprofits and communities successfully organize in the public interest against Big Oil, Big Tobacco, and other well-funded industry lobbyists. Donald’s work was prolific, and his work helped to launch or sustain hundreds of organizations across the globe. He was a modern-day Johnny Appleseed, creating a legacy of work that is surpassed by few. For those of us who worked with Donald, we owe more than we can express to him and his work.