PCP began as a project of The Family Institute of Cambridge with additional financial support from its founding members. In 1996, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation provided the organization's first major grant, which allowed it to gain 501(c)(3) status and become a separate nonprofit organization. Since that time, PCP's work has been supported by numerous grants from foundations, as well as the U.S. Institute of Peace. Click here to see a list of foundations who have supported PCP.

Because of its commitment to making dialogue available to anyone who needs it, the Public Conversations Project offers many of its services on a sliding scale, provides scholarships for its workshops, and makes its resources available online free of charge. Often, PCP works closely with its clients to secure grant funding for projects.

Through a membership community started in 2007 and called The PCP exCHANGE, active friends and supporters provide valuable resources and in return receive significant benefits, such as access to select PCP materials, services, and events. exCHANGE members decide what to contribute from a menu of choices that includes making a media connection, opening doors to a new funding source, hosting a social or educational event, or making a significant donation. This community offers the opportunity to contribute—in a unique way—to the long-term success of the Public Conversations Project.