The Voice for Open Government in the District

  • Message from the Coalition President

    Welcome to the DC Open Government Coalition. We are volunteers dedicated to your right to know what the D.C. government is up to. We believe access to public meetings and records sparks a healthy and more robust democracy. We educate, advocate and empower access to information as we strive toward our vision: D.C. transparent. Let us know how we can help. — Kirsten Mitchell 

    About DC OGC

  • Learn about Open Government

    Want to learn more about how to navigate open government issues, get records from the D.C. government and attend government meetings? The D.C. Open Government Coalition offers training sessions for anyone in the community. They are free! And can be tailored to your specific needs. Get in touch with us to learn more.

    Email DC OGC

  • Visit Our Blog

    Learn more about current issues and open government challenges at our blog.

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  • Updates

    If you want to know what we've been up to as we advocate for greater openness in the District of Columbia, click below. You can learn about our testimony, training, and public statements urging the District government to be more transparent!

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“Whose Information Is It, Anyway?” Mark your calendars for D.C. Open Government Coalition’s annual celebration of Sunshine Week from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday March 19, 2026 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G S
DCOGC 2025 Wrapped 🎧 
From educating reporters on arrest data to fighting secret government meetings, this year was about showing up for transparency — even when it wasn’t easy. We protected public archives, defended access to informati
✨ Meet Miranda ✨ DCOGC’s VP & Chair of Community Outreach, Miranda Spivack is an award-winning investigative journalist and author of Backroom Deals in Our Backyards. She leads our open government training initiatives—helping the pub
FOIA is basically Kermit with the tea — quiet, unbothered, and ready to spill the real story as soon as you ask. 👀☕ Because transparency isn’t drama… it’s accountability. And the receipts? FOIA’s got them. Every. Sin
It’s wild how something as “small” as FOIA ends up propping up all of democratic government and society. Pull out transparency, and the whole thing wobbles. Keep it strong, and everything else stands taller. Our right t
Open government means more than transparency — it means accountability, participation, and real two-way communication between the public and the institutions that serve them. At DCOGC, we work to ensure residents have the access they deserve t
Meet Tom Susman — a trailblazer in open government. As the ABA’s Strategic Advisor for Governmental Affairs and Global Programs, Tom brings decades of leadership in FOIA, transparency, and public access. He’s litigated major FOIA ca
Turkey, stuffing, transparency… the essentials. 🦃 Here’s to a holiday season filled with openness, accountability, and an informed D.C. community! #OpenGov #DCTransparency #CivicEngagement
Meet Kirsten Mitchell, a D.C. resident of 26 years and career-long champion of public access. After a career in journalism, she helped launch the federal FOIA Ombuds office at the National Archives and continues to advance open government through her