She served as president of Common Cause, a non-partisan watchdog group based in Washington, D.C.[1][2][3] She also founded Photovoices International, where she directed projects in China and Indonesia.

In 1992, she earned a bachelor’s degree at American University in Washington D.C.[1] Three years later, she succeeded Fred Wertheimer to serve as Common Cause's president and chief executive.

The photographs and stories provided information to conservation organizations, scientists, and government officials about biodiversity and the interaction between local communities and cultures and the environment and natural resources.

McBride Norton designed the Photovoices project to engage local people and communities in decisions that affect their lives.

She directed Photovoices projects in 5 areas in Northwest Yunnan, working with local villages and the Chinese government at every level.

In 2005, Ann McBride Norton received the Fulbright Masaryk Fellowship and taught "The Role of Advocacy and Public Engagement in Emerging Democracies' at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.