Become an Ally

Change your life, change your community, and eventually even change the world!

With Public Allies, you can make a career out of making a difference.

Everyone leads—including diverse young leaders like you. Join Public Allies in changing the face and practice of leadership in your community. We’re looking for diverse people who are at least 17 years of age, and who have at least a high school diploma or GED and are committed to creating social change.

Why join Public Allies?

It’s the real thing. Diversity is not just an ideal to us. Social change is not just a social concept. You are not just another idealistic young person. Community is not just where you work, it’s where you live.

In short, we at Public Allies walk the talk. On average, Allies are 67% people of color, 60% women, 50% college graduates (including some with graduate degrees), and 15% LGBT. Allies are homegrown and more diverse than other service and leadership programs. Public Allies recruits from the communities we serve, creating a community-based leadership pipeline and developing leaders who may work in their communities for years to come. Public Allies values commitment and leadership potential more than educational background or relevant work history. The diversity of our Ally network is our greatest strength, so all are welcome. 

It’s rewarding. You can change your life while changing your community… and earning a paycheck. As an Ally, you’ll be a member of AmeriCorps and receive a stipend and benefits for your service. Allies earn a stipend of $1,300 to $1,500 per month, and they receive health care, child care, interest-free student loan deferments, and a $5,550 education award to pay back student loans or pay for future education.

And you never stop being an Ally… after your 10-month service at Public Allies, we’ll help you identify and pursue your career and educational goals. Our Alumni programs can help secure additional education support and connect with employers. We even sponsor trips to Washington, D.C. to learn about advocacy on Capitol Hill, provide grants for innovative projects, and offer other forms of support.

It achieves results. More than 3,000 Public Allies Alumni are making careers out of making a difference. More than 95% of Allies say they would participate again if they could, and over 80% of Alumni continue to work in the nonprofit and public sectors. More than 95% of Allies have met or exceeded their service goals, helping tens of thousands of children, adults and families achieve greater education, health, economic security, and participation in the civic life of their communities.