What is "Public Campaign" and where do they fit in election reform movement?

[philb]

According to their website:

Public Campaign is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to sweeping reform that aims to dramatically reduce the role of big special interest money in American politics. Public Campaign is laying the foundation for reform by working with a broad range of organizations, including community groups around the country that are fighting for change in their states and national organizations whose members are not fairly represented under the current system. Together we are building a network of national and state-based efforts to create a powerful national force for federal and state campaign reform.

http://www.publicampaign.org/

Anyone know the primary backers and goals of this organization?
How are they like or different from Common Cause, who are longer established with apparently similar goals?

[nicknameless]

1. I'd never heard of them before.

From their website:
http://www.publicampaign.org/about


http://www.publicampaign.org/about/directors-funders
Directors and Funders

Public Campaign Board of Directors

Hon. Richard Romero
Albuquerque, NM


Dan Petegorsky, Secretary/Treasurer
Executive Director
Western States Center
Portland, OR


George Christie, Chairman
Executive Director
Dirigo Alliance
Portland, ME


Whitney North Seymour, Jr.
Landy & Seymour
New York, NY


Becky Glass
Director
Midwest States Center
Prairie Farm, WI


David Smith
DEMOS
New York, NY


Joan Mandle, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Democracy Matters
Hamilton, NY


William McNary
President
US Action
Chicago, IL


Funding for Public Campaign is provided by the following foundations:

The Penney Family Fund

Open Society Institute

Carnegie Corporation of New York

The Schumann Center for Media and Democracy

The Compton Foundation, Inc.

The Columbia Foundation

Arkay Foundation

Educational Foundation of America

Proteus Fund

Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Solidago Foundation

The Tides Foundation

[Eric J in MN]

3. I haven't heard of any of those people. NT

NT

[rumpel]

2. Good question

needs some more research.

The "funds", appear to be part of the socially responsible invesment circle. Funding companies that are environmentally conscious, respect labor rights (also overseas)
etc.
on edit: meaning only doing trade with suppliers overseas, which are responsible towards the treatment of their labor force and environment.

[OnTheOtherHand]

4. Public Campaign is focused on public financing

Common Cause engages a wide range of issues -- financing, ethics, media, voting rights, voting machines.... Public Campaign is (as far as I can tell) all about campaign finance, specifically public campaign financing. Common Cause has cooperated with Public Campaign on that issue.