From my understanding EWG is one of the most successful non-profits for lobbying on the Hill. Compared to other organizations they do a great job getting through and meeting with officials as well as getting representatives to support their legislation. This is in large part because of their success reaching their base through social media, etc. Dark Waters the movie was a great boost for them as well as having celebrity support. It has a big impact as an organization and was the first group to bring attention to PFAS at the national level.
Minpunten
Not really a downside, but I also think it's important to note that EWG is a really ethical organization and always working towards bettering itself - the CEO Ken Cook is genuinely such a sweet person. In discussions about the company's investment portfolio employees brought up ethical conflicts with EWG investing in Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola, etc. which to me signaled an engaged, caring workforce. They also had DEI meetings and hired a consultant pertaining to that too. Everyone was very accepting of employees using they/them pronouns, having piercings and such, which was a very liberating environment.
My time there was great! I loved my team and learned a lot. The best part was waking up and being part of work I believed in—you can't always say that, which was pretty amazing.
Minpunten
I think it's more of an NGO thing than specific to EWG, but there isn't always an incentive to get work done quickly. Though lots of emphasis is placed on high-quality, which is good.