Start Your Own PTI Group
The model is free to copy; that is the point of it.
The Public Trust Initiative is a local civic organization — not a campaign, not a party — for residents who want to understand how their local government is structured and to present clear, practical ideas for improving it. It begins where political action actually begins: at the local level, in town board and council rooms, during public comment, on the record.
What You Need
1 · A Public Group
Facebook works. Name it for your area: “Public Trust Initiative — [Your Town/County].”
2 · The Mission
Copy ours: strengthen public trust by presenting clear, structured, community-focused ideas that help residents understand, navigate, and improve local governance.
3 · The Seven Rules
Copy ours: Respectful discussion only · No campaigning · No candidate promotion · No partisan content · Civic improvement only · Structural ideas welcome · Peaceful engagement required.
4 · Three Membership Questions
At the door: what part of local governance do you want explained; do you agree to the rules; where do you live.
5 · The Habit
Attend your local board meetings. Listen first. Take notes. Publish plain-language summaries. When you present an idea, present it in public comment, in writing, peacefully and factually.
The Three Layers
Public Layer
The group: discussion, education, questions, resources.
Core Layer
Your documents: mission, rules, concepts, meeting summaries. Keep them public.
Engagement Layer
The meetings: show up, speak on the record, hand over materials.
What It Never Becomes
Not a campaign. Not a candidate vehicle. Not a partisan club. The moment a PTI group campaigns, it stops being PTI. The power of the model is that officials can trust its register: peaceful, factual, improvement-focused — every time.
Credit
Take the model freely. A line of credit costs nothing and keeps the network legible: “Modeled on the Public Trust Initiative, founded in Waukesha, Wisconsin.” Then make it yours — your town’s rooms, your town’s records, your neighbors in the chairs.