Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
About PSA
Why is PSA necessary?
- Over the last decade, it has become clear that we must come together in a nonpartisan way to address the growing threats facing current and former public servants – and their families – at every level of government, including threats of violence, harassment, intimidation, and attacks on privacy.
- PSA launched to provide those who serve with the support they deserve. We believe both in transparency and accountability, and that public servants deserve many of the types of protections and support that exist across private industry.
- Americans deserve a high-functioning government that enhances our daily lives, plans for the future, and responds to emergencies. This is only possible if public servants are able to serve without fear of harassment, intimidation, or unwarranted interference, while being held to the highest standards.
What does PSA do?
- PSA is a prevention, crisis response, and resilience platform for current and former public servants at every level of government, regardless of political affiliation.
- Through our online platform, current and former public servants receive free and affordable tools and services to:
- Prevent and mitigate security, legal, and financial risks
- Preserve and protect their right to privacy
- Respond to and rebuild from crises
- Enhance their well-being and resilience, including through career support
How does PSA work?
- Click here to explore the tools and services available through our platform.
Who does PSA serve?
- PSA serves current and former public servants at any level of government, regardless of political affiliation. This includes current and former employees of the federal executive, judicial, and legislative branches, as well as state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.
- We serve those who serve or have served the American people. Whether you’re a current or former civil servant or political appointee, active-duty member of the military, veteran, law enforcement official, judge, elected official, public health official, emergency responder, or have served our country in other ways, we have your back.
How does PSA protect its users’ data?
- PSA’s Privacy Policy describes how we collect, store, and use personal information. This policy is periodically updated.
- PSA has conducted an independent third-party cybersecurity audit and we rigorously protect our users’ information through robust internal policies and cybersecurity safeguards.
- Third-party services offered through PSA have their own privacy policies that you should review. As described in our terms of service, PSV does not endorse and is not responsible for the contents of any third-party sites and your use of those sites is subject to their respective terms of use.
If I am a current federal executive, legislative, or judicial branch employee, how do the government ethics restrictions and gift rules apply to me as a PSA user?
- PSA is available to federal executive branch employees as described in the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch at 5 C.F.R. Part 2635. As federal agencies may have additional restrictions, you should consult with appropriate legal counsel, ethics officers, or designated agency ethics officials for gifts/ethics matters within your agency/organization.
- Individuals who are current members or employees of the federal judicial or legislative branches should consult their respective ethics rules and ethics officials prior to becoming a PSA user.
- To become a PSA user, you will be required to confirm that you have reviewed PSA’s product offerings and acceptance of the products does not violate any of your agency/organization internal ethics or compliance policies or any applicable federal, state, or local laws.
If I am a current state, local, tribal, or territorial employee, how do the government ethics restrictions and gift rules apply to me as a PSA user?
- Each agency has its own applicable rules and restrictions. You should consult with your designated agency ethics officer for guidance on your individual ethics obligations and responsibilities.
- To become a PSA user, you will be required to confirm that you have reviewed PSA’s product offerings and acceptance of the products does not violate any of your agency/organization internal ethics or compliance policies or any applicable federal, state, or local laws.
Can my children, partner, spouse, and/or other family members join PSA?
- To become a PSA user, you must be a current or former public servant, as described in our website disclaimer. Some of our third-party service providers, however, offer discounted services to others beyond the PSA user at their discretion, and we defer to such service providers to describe the parameters and conditions applicable to their discounted services.
Is PSA a response to the current Administration’s government agenda?
- No. PSA was created to address three urgent trends that have been building for more than a decade and materially increased the costs of serving:
- An alarming rise in threats, harassment, and intimidation directed at public servants at all levels of government regardless of political affiliation
- Dangerous selected outrage about who is impacted by these threats
- Lack of scalable support to address these threats
- We are a nonpartisan organization that believes in common-sense reform. However, that reform is not created through threats of violence, harassment, intimidation, or unwarranted interference. Yet today, thousands of public servants — and their families — are experiencing exactly that. This is dangerous no matter who holds power.
- PSA is a long-term commitment to providing those who serve with the support they deserve.
What are PSA users paying for and why does PSA charge fees?
- PSA user fees cover a portion of our administrative costs to help our organization sustainably grow, and fee waivers are granted upon request. As these waivers may trigger certain ethics disclosures for certain government officials, current officials should consult with their designated agency ethics officer for guidance on individual ethics obligations and responsibilities. To request a waiver, click here.
- Through PSA, our users can access expert-vetted, high-quality services at a fraction of the market rate. We do not have the budget to subsidize the remaining costs of these services. However, as we scale, we expect costs to continue to decrease.
- PSA is first and foremost a mission-based organization. We will always strive to keep fees as low as possible.
Does PSA get paid for connecting its users with third-party services?
- No. PSA does not receive referral fees from the third-party services that we offer on our platform, which are selected using objective criteria.
Is PSA a nonprofit? What does it do with the profit it generates?
- No. PSA is a private company, and user fees are not tax-deductible.
- PSA reinvests profit back into the organization, including to lower per-user costs.
What is the Foundation for Powering Public Service?
- PSA partners with several organizations – including the Foundation for Powering Public Service (FPPS), a 501(c)(3) fiscally sponsored project of Global Impact – to advance its charitable and/or educational activities.
- Through FPPS, anyone can access a range of free educational resources at PoweringPublicService.org.
Who leads PSA?
- Our team is comprised of former public servants who have worked on behalf of the American people across a broad range of roles.
- We are advised by a bipartisan group of experts, including attorneys, business leaders, and current and former law enforcement officials.
Don’t see an answer to your question? Reach out at [email protected]