In times of dysfunction on a national level, reform and renewal has often arisen from a new generation of leadership at the local level. Lead For America aims to build a leadership force of our nation’s most outstanding young people – those committed to serving the places they call home and to stitching our country back together by building bridges across lines of difference. We believe that there is common ground, mutual respect, and friendship to be found through shared commitment to place and to service.

Since 2018, Lead For America has created more than 200 paid, full-time fellowships for outstanding young leaders nationwide. In 2021, LFA launched its largest cohort yet of 115 Fellows, and became one of the earliest stage organizations to ever receive full funding of a national service program through AmeriCorps. LFA has been featured prominently in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, CBS This Morning, and Forbes. All told, LFA has raised more than $10 million in just three years to launch the civic leadership careers of hundreds – soon to be thousands – of our nation’s most outstanding young people. LFA is proud that 100% of alumni remain committed to careers in public service and civic leadership, and nearly 90% remain committed to the communities they call home.