UC Berkeley — Nancy Pelosi Institute for Representative Democracy Support the Nancy Pelosi Institute

“The work of democracy is never finished, and securing its future is our greatest calling. I am honored to partner with UC Berkeley to strengthen our democracy and build a more just future for all.”

— Nancy Pelosi

The Nancy Pelosi Institute at UC Berkeley

The Nancy Pelosi Institute’s mission is to strengthen our democracy. It will honor and carry on the legacy of Speaker Pelosi, the first Californian and first woman to serve as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Launched in this year of our country’s 250th anniversary, this non-partisan institute will prepare the next generation of civic leaders and advance entrepreneurial, evidence-based solutions to America’s pressing problems.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the women of the 116th Congress gathered on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in 2019. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is presenting a signed flag from Bakhmut defenders to Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a Joint Meeting of Congress in Washington, D.C.. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, surrounded by children, raises the gavel on the first day of the 110th Congress in 2007.

Supporting the Nancy Pelosi Institute at UC Berkeley

We are grateful to the many people who provide support for the work of the Pelosi Institute — thank you.

Join Us

Your support for the Nancy Pelosi Institute enables us to develop evidence-based solutions to America’s pressing problems and create the next generation of civic leaders, for California and for the country.

Support the Nancy Pelosi Institute

If you would like information about making a gift through your estate plans or other exceptional gift in support of the Pelosi Institute, please contact the Pelosi Institute staff.

Four Pillars

Drawing from Speaker Pelosi’s historic career, the Pelosi Institute’s activities are built upon four pillars:

  1. Strengthening America’s Democratic Institutions

    Speaker Nancy Pelosi, wearing a mask, presides over the certification of the 2020 election after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
    Certifying the 2020 election after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021

  2. Overcoming America’s Greatest Challenges

    Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Obama embrace, surrounded by legislators, after passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.
    Passing the Affordable Care Act, 2010

  3. Promoting Human Rights and Civil Rights at Home and Abroad

    Speaker Nancy Pelosi and two colleagues unfurl a protest banner in Tiananmen Square, 1991.
    Unfurling a protest banner in Tiananmen Square, 1991

  4. Ensuring Representative and Diverse Political Leadership

    Speaker Nancy Pelosi shakes hands with President George W. Bush, acknowledged as the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House during the 2007 State of the Union.
    The first woman to serve as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives: acknowledged during President George W. Bush’s State of the Union Speech, 2007

These pillars support bold initiatives focused on women’s political leadership, the institutions of our democracy, AI & democratic innovation, city & local government, global dignity, and more.

Impact

UC Berkeley’s faculty focused on American democracy are consistently ranked as the very best in the world. Founded upon the Pelosi Institute’s pillars, the Pelosi Institute will create and scale up faculty-led initiatives that strengthen our democracy. More California legislators and California local officials graduate from UC Berkeley than any other institution of higher education. The Pelosi Institute will seek to prepare 500 students for public service every year through classes, transformative career-building opportunities, and research assistantships in Berkeley’s home state and beyond. We are uniquely positioned to make an impact given that our student body of over 33,000 undergraduates is among the most diverse in the world, and includes many groups who are underrepresented in our politics: