Friends Committee on National Legislation

FCNL lobbies from a basis of spiritual and ethical purpose and seeks to change government policy and practice for the better, playing a key role in lobbying initiatives on Capitol Hill that focus on racial and economic justice, peace, stewardship of the environment, and election integrity.

FCNL’s lobbyists build extensive connections with congressional offices and conduct focused legislative campaigns on the following current priorities: peacebuilding, human rights, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, curtailing endless war, cutting Pentagon spending, justice reform, immigration reform, gun control, solutions to climate change, economic justice, and Native American issues. FCNL approaches each of these priorities by identifying, exposing, and working to eliminate institutional racism, sexism, and militarism in order to promote genuine equality of opportunity and communities in which everyone can safely live, learn, work, worship and love.

FCNL’s dedicated grassroots network brings constituent perspectives into congressional offices—both in Washington at two major lobbying events each year, and in local district offices. FCNL informs and educates its network through newsletters and collateral materials and activates its grassroots network through a robust website, email, and social media outreach.

FCNL’s national network includes people from many different faiths and backgrounds who are activists and donors. The organization is dedicated to growing the network with a particular emphasis on building effective relationships with members of Congress as a path to policy change. In the past three years, FCNL increased the number of in-person visits from its constituents to legislators by 50 percent. Headquartered on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., FCNL is governed by a General Committee of 190 Quakers from across the country and employs a staff of about 55, including 20 registered lobbyists.

FCNL has brought Quaker testimonies to bear on national policy throughout its 75-year history through Capitol Hill visits, grassroots lobbying, and educational initiatives. Its strategic direction in the coming years is to create a bigger presence for FCNL—through media and marketing, as well as through its growing and vibrant network of activists.

The FCNL Education Fund is the companion 501(c)(3) organization to FCNL, which is a 501(c)(4) lobbying organization. We have recently acquired a new organization, Friends Place on Capitol Hill, a guest house and learning center, which focuses on promoting civic engagement with youth and young adults.

The World We Seek:

We seek a world free of war and the threat of war

We seek a society with equity and justice for all

We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled

We seek an earth restored