Consumer Advocacy Group PIAC May Shut Down Due to Cash Crisis

In an email sent out last week, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) said that they will have to shut down if they don’t raise enough funds before the end of the year.

PIAC has advocated for Canadian consumers, most notably battling cable and wireless carriers over their absurd rates and business practices. The group has also advocated in other sectors, including financial services and airlines. The email reads:

“This crisis has been caused by factors generally affecting all public interest groups, such as: increased scrutiny of public interest interventions before regulatory boards; flat or falling government funding for consumer research; donor fatigue; unfunded consultation inundation; and increased CRA scrutiny.”

PIAC is waiting on about $150,000 in cost claims from the CRTC. The group needs about $50,000 by February to pay its staff and a total of $200,000 to be deficit free.

Please help save PIAC by donating online at: https://t.co/LqSCDyQRnA. Original email message here: https://t.co/g1O9qsVtwN https://t.co/ex8bWjVoXq

— PIAC (@CanadaPIAC) November 9, 2017

The group is largely funded by cost recovery programs for consumer groups. However, they are now turning their attention to boosting donations, which accounts for 1% of its annual income.