PND (12/21/99) -- Online Lobbying and Political Action

OMB Watch's Nonprofits' Policy & Technology Project (http://www.ombwatch.org/www/ombw/npt/)
The Nonprofits' Policy & Technology Project (NPT) is OMB Watch's three-year initiative to improve communications linkages within the nonprofit sector in order to strengthen public policy participation. The NPT site provides information about activities, resources, and project updates.

Netaction (http://www.netaction.org/)
Dedicated to promoting the use of the Internet for effective grassroots citizen action campaigns and to educating the public, policy makers, and the media about technology policy issues, the Netaction site provides an online training program (http://www.netaction.org/training/) on virtual activism, information about the organization's current projects, and links to helpful activism sites.

Center for Responsive Politics
(http://www.opensecrets.org/home/index.asp) A D.C.-based research group that tracks money in politics, and its effect on elections and public policy. The Center's site offers a searchable database of political donors and "soft money" donations; the site can also be searched by state and politician.

Project Vote Smart (http://www.vote-smart.org/)
Researches, tracks, and provides independent factual information on over 13,000 candidates and elected officials. The site offers a searchable database of voting records, campaign issue positions, performance evaluations by special interests, campaign contributions, previous experience, and contact information.