The mission of Public Allies is to create a just and equitable society and the diverse leadership to sustain it. Founded in 1992, Public Allies develops leaders from a breadth of backgroundsㅡwith an earnest commitment to individuals from marginalized communitiesㅡto address our country’s most important challenges. We are guided by six core values we believe are essential to effective leadership: Diversity & Inclusion, Integrity, Focus on Assets, Collaboration, Continuous Learning, and Innovation.

At the core of our work is our flagship 10-month civic service apprenticeship that recruits high-potential young adults from under-resourced backgrounds and launches them into service-oriented leadership roles and careers in their own communities. Implemented in collaboration with AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service, the program operates in 12 sites across 11 states. Our apprentices, whom we call “Allies,” are diverse emerging leaders who are passionate about catalyzing their personal talents and interests to create a better future for their communities and the country.

To this end, Public Allies is now a network of nearly 10,000 equity-centered leaders developed over our 30-plus years of operation. Our AmeriCorps program feeds continuously into the growth of this network, which operates to serve those who have systematically been excluded from more traditional sources of support.