In the early 1990s, a group of concerned Californians (including William R. Hewlett) decided that there should be a policy research institution dedicated to providing both wise counsel and expertise on the issues and events that were of great concern to the residents of the state. With a sizable gift of $70 million, the Public Policy Institute of California was formally created in 1994, and since that time they have continued their research with great vigor, along with disseminating their findings to the broader public. Visitors to the Institute's homepage can look over their reports listed by topic area, such as demography, education, or political participation. Scholars and policy analysts will appreciate the "Data Depot" area which includes information on the natural resource budget over the past three decades and information on the federal transit grants provided to different parts of the state.