The American Consumer Council''s (ACC) mission is to educate and guide American consumers in the purchase of safe, reliable products and services, and to serve as a voice for consumer advocacy and economic wellness in the United States. In 2009, ACC surpassed 86,000 members in North America. ACC is also the administrator of the Green C™ Certification program which certifies and recognizes deserving companies and organizations for their commitment to environmental compliance and corporate social responsibility. 

ACC was established in 1987 as part of the California Consumer Council (www.calconsumercouncil.org) and, in 1992, became a separate nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(C)(3) foundation registered in the State of California.

ACC fulfills its mission in three ways. First, ACC sponsors the Green C™ Certification Program to encourage companies and organizations to practice environmental compliance and corporate social responsibility. Secondly, ACC partners with several nonprofit credit unions across America to educate consumers on financial literacy and promote economic wellness for our members. In cooperation with our network of credit unions, ACC recruits members and encourages its members to make sound purchasing decisions that will benefit consumer-friendly companies and American-based businesses. We achieve this through our education and training programs and the quarterly Voice of the Consumer newsletters. Thirdly, ACC supports a network of 25 state and regional consumer councils across the United States. Through our consumer councils, we champion local consumer issues and recognize deserving companies and organizations that offer outstanding products and services and strengthen their local communities through corporate support programs and volunteerism.

ACC is proud of its relationship with credit unions which are nonprofit, membership organizations that have a proven track record for community service and a strong commitment to their member-customers. Through credit unions, ACC has been able to reach hundreds of thousands of consumers and encourage them to become consumer advocates and environmental stewards.

ACC is not a consumer hotline, consumer-complaint bureau, or government regulatory organization. ACC has adopted a more proactive approach with companies and organizations that provide products/services to consumers. Our approach is to recognize and promote popular products/services based on consumer acceptance, reliability, and a proven track record of performance. By encouraging consumers to support those companies that manufacture and sell safe, reliable products/services, ACC believes it can give these companies a competitive edge and, in turn, challenge their competitors to improve their performance and reliability standards. ACC believes that in the long-term this approach is more effective than lawsuits, complaints, and additional regulation.

How ACC Benefits American Consumers

ACC has built its reputation for championing consumer advocacy by encouraging manufacturers and service-based companies to make safe, reliable products that American consumers can trust and recommend to their friends and neighbors. While there are many different approaches one can use to encourage companies to become consumer-centric, ACC has found the most effective approach is to harness our combined economic power to encourage companies to manufacture and sell safe, reliable products. In those instances when a company or industry is found to have abused consumers or offered a product/service that is harmful to consumers or the environment, ACC has brought the full force of its economic muscle and media relations to persuade consumers not to support those businesses. In this era of social networking and rapid global communication, ACC’s approach to enforcing high standards on behalf of consumers has proven to be extremely effective.

Governance

The American Consumer Council is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. Under its bylaws, ACC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of representatives from its membership and sponsoring member organizations. ACC is managed by a professional staff based in San Diego, CA.