INPIRG organization lacks support, funding

The IU chapter of Indiana Public Interest Research Group currently lacks the necessary student body support to maintain its pledge.

INPIRG is a nonprofit, student-run and student-funded organization that works on different public interest issues.

“We work to raise money for and relieve hunger and homelessness, cut wasteful government subsidies for junk food, get corporate money out of politics, lower textbook prices, advocate renters’ rights, educate students about sustainability and start recycling programs both off and on campus,” said Rachel Bond, intern on the democracy campaign for INPIRG.

For INPIRG to continue on campus, the organization must have support from 10 percent of the student body. Bond said the group is having trouble getting enough support because IU’s enrollment has gone up by 10 percent since INPIRG started the pledge drive last semester.

“We’re getting more pledges than ever, but it isn’t enough due to the increase in enrollment,” Bond said. “We were only 311 pledges short of 10 percent last semester.”

Last semester, INPIRG gained 2,022 pledges of $10 each. It plans to do another pledge drive this semester to get the rest of the needed support from the student body.

“We are also meeting with organizations and faculty in order to get signed statements of support, which basically say that they want us to stay on campus and that the administration should let us continue our work,” Bond said. “We will also be meeting with the dean of students to show evidence of our support and the good work we do so that we can keep our pledge.”

Dean of Students Harold “Pete” Goldsmith said options are being discussed in regard to the student group and its future activities.

“I asked Steve Veldkamp, the assistant dean of students and director of the Office of Student Life and Learning, to work with the INPIRG leadership to chart a course for the best way forward,” Goldsmith said. “I know he has talked with them, and they have
discussed options.”

If INPIRG does not receive the necessary student support, Bond said students would be the ones missing out.

“Even though most people wouldn’t notice if INPIRG was gone, a lot of important work would go undone,” Bond said. “The volunteers and interns at INPIRG would miss working and doing these important things on behalf of their campus.”