What is Public Allies?

Public Allies’ mission is to advance new leadership to strengthen communities, non-profits and civic participation.  Public Allies is an AmeriCorps program that identifies talented young adults from diverse backgrounds and prepares them for careers working for community and social change. Allies serve 10-month, paid apprenticeships at local nonprofits and participate in a rigorous and rewarding leadership development program with a diverse group of peers who are also of and working within their home community.

 

Public Allies was founded in 1992 to serve as a pipeline for a new generation of diverse young leaders to begin careers working for community and social change.  Public Allies is regarded as having a comprehensive program model that blends community service, nonprofit capacity building, civic engagement and leadership development with best practice evaluation processes.

 

Public Allies supports young adults concerned about their communities, by providing the support, training and hands-on service opportunities to become the next generation of engaged, equipped and empowered community and nonprofit leaders. We meet community priorities by providing enthusiastic young adults to provide full-time service at community and faith-based organizations that identify how we can best help them meet educational, community, economic, and health outcomes. We also build the capacity of nonprofit organizations by increasing volunteers, increasing collaboration with other organizations, improving personnel management, and other support that helps them enhance and expand their services. Finally, we meet the civic participation goals of the community by preparing young leaders to act as catalysts for the involvement of others, especially by recruiting volunteers from the communities they serve.

 

What is the focus of Public Allies?

Public Allies focuses on the following areas:

• Strengthen communities. Allies directly impact issues such as youth development, community development, public health, civic participation, and economic development in their communities;
• Strengthen nonprofits. Allies build the capacity of local nonprofit organizations by creating, improving, and expanding services offered, bringing new resources and relationships to the organizations and training the next generation of future nonprofit leaders; and
• Strengthen civic participation. Allies catalyze community involvement on important issues, and upon completing our program, they join a network of resourceful, collaborative leaders who continue to strengthen their communities, work for social change, and engage the participation of others for years to come.

What Are Partner Organizations?

Public Allies supports young, diverse leaders to strengthen communities, nonprofits and civic participation.  To achieve this mission, Public Allies partners with not-for-profit organizations (Partner Organizations) to provide diverse young adults (Allies) with ten-month apprenticeships that help advance their leadership while they make a tangible difference in their communities.  Allies serve at the Partner Organizations four days a week for ten months and work on projects that have a direct and measurable impact on children, families and communities.

Beyond their Partner Organization apprenticeships, Allies come together one day each week to build their leadership and professional capacities, create a learning community with fellow Allies, and work with a team of Allies on a community-based project.  Public Allies subsidizes the stipend and benefits paid to Allies by Partner Organizations.

The following are requirements for serving as Partner Organizations with Public Allies:

• Non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations, schools, government agencies, and foundations (including corporate) in the communities we currently serve are invited to apply.
• Partner Organizations must provide an Ally with a position in their agency that provides direct community service or increases their organization’s capacity to provide direct community service.
• The positions must provide the Ally with significant responsibilities for a project with measurable goals, and the Partner Organization must provide direct supervision, coaching, and other learning opportunities for their Ally to achieve those goals.
• Allies may not do the following during their hours of service or while associating themselves with Public Allies, AmeriCorps, or the Partner Organization: (a) influence legislation, which includes lobbying, leading petition drives, or writing elected officials about legislation; (b) participate in partisan political activities, including voter registration; (c) organize demonstrations, protests, strikes, or boycotts; (d) assist, promote, or deter union organizing; (e) proselytize a religious faith, conduct worship services, or lead mandatory religious activities; or (f) have their duties primarily include fundraising, research, or secretarial/clerical duties.
• At the end of the program, each Ally must account for at least 1,700 hours of service and learning through the Partner Organization and Public Allies.
• Partner Organizations provide each Ally with a stipend between $1,250 and $1,800 per month for their service; the total stipend paid to the Ally for 10 months of service is $15,000.  Public Allies will contribute a portion of the stipend cost to the organization.
• Through AmeriCorps, Public Allies provides health insurance, child-care, and a $5,350 education award to the Ally upon completion of the program.

 

What do Partner Organizations Get?

Participation in the program will allow you to provide a young adult with a transformative learning experience while creating, expanding, or improving a program at your agency. More than 80% of our graduates continue careers in public service and 92% of our Allies met or exceeded their service goals last year.

• Our financial support will allow you to hire a motivated, energetic staff person who can work on projects you might not otherwise be able to undertake. Most Partner Organizations end up paying around minimum wage for their Allies. 93% of Ally projects are being sustained by their Partner Organizations this year.
• You will meet outstanding young adults you might not normally reach through your standard employee search process. 97% of our Partner Organizations reported that their Ally was better than or equal to their average new hire. More than half of our Partner Organizations are so satisfied that they offer their Allies jobs upon completion of our program.
• Through weekly trainings, team service projects, and individual development plans, your Ally will acquire skills, tools, networks, and knowledge that will improve their effectiveness in the community and bring new resources to their service. 75% of our Partner Organizations report that they have accessed new collaborations or resources through their Allies.
• The supportive role of Public Allies staff in the partnership will be an enormous asset in maximizing communication and the effectiveness of your Ally. 98% of our Partner Organizations rated the overall effectiveness of the Public Allies program average or above average.

 

Public Allies provides our nonprofit partners with:

• Recruitment and selection of talented and diverse candidates and coordination of the apprenticeship matching process
• Ally coaching and support through a robust leadership development curriculum, personalized coaching, structured evaluation and reporting, and other supports
• Contribution of 20% to 35% of the Ally stipend (depending on site), plus health care, child care and a $5,350 education award – all provided through our affiliation with AmeriCorps.

 

In return, Partner Organizations provide:

• A positive and supportive work environment
• A well-defined position with significant responsibilities and measurable service objectives that can be achieved working 32 hours per week for ten months
• 65% to 80% of Ally stipend and FICA taxes (depending on site)
• Direct Ally supervision, support, and reporting on service objectives

 

What exactly will the Allies do?

The Allies will be placed in ten-month apprenticeships with community-based organizations and participate in weekly, full-day training and reflection sessions and team service projects to develop concrete leadership skills.  In addition, Allies will work to share resources and facilitate collaborations between diverse individual organizations and communities.

The Allies work at their Partner Organizations four days a week for ten months. (Public Allies programs begin September 1 and continue through the end of June).

Currently, Public Allies sites across the country serve in a variety of issue areas: 30% work in the field of youth development, 26% serve in the field of education, 20% work in the field of community and/or economic development, 4% work in housing, 4% work environmental projects, and 11% work to meet other human needs.

 

What is the Application Process and Timeline?

Partner Organizations and Public Allies complete an application (applications can be accessed at www.publicallies.org, or by contacting INRC at 920-0330).  If you are from an organization and interested in becoming a Public Allies Partner Organization, the deadline for applications is June 15, 2011.

If selected, the agencies and Allies participate in interviews with Public Allies staff.  The 2011 timeline for Public Allies Indianapolis is the following:

 

If selected, the agencies and Allies participate in interviews with Public Allies staff. The 2011 timeline for Public Allies Indianapolis is the following: 2011 Public Allies Indianapolis Public Ally Application Timeline

• May 15: Public Ally Applications are due.  
• May 16-27: Round 1 interviews.
• May 30: Interviewees notified of invitation to group interview.
• June 15: Public Ally Applicant Group Interviews and final selections made.
• July 11: Public Ally Organizational Fair.
• September 1: Apprenticeships start. 

2011 Public Allies Indianapolis Partner Organization Application Timeline

• June 15: Partner Organization Applications are due.
• July 1: Partner Organization Applicant site visits are complete. 
• July 11: Public Ally Organizational Fair.
• September 1: Apprenticeships start.

How much does it cost to host a Public Ally at my organization?

To host an Ally, the following financial commitment is required:

PARTNER ORGANIZATION TOTAL CONTRIBUTION: $11,370 ($1,137 per month).

* Public Allies are placed on the Partner Organization’s payroll and are to receive a check twice a month or every two weeks, depending upon your agency’s payment schedule.

• A Public Ally works 32 hours per week (Monday-Thursday) for the Partner Organization. They attend trainings and participate in service project planning and reflection activities with their fellow Public Allies on Fridays.
• Public Allies Indianapolis will provide health coverage for the Ally.
• Public Allies Indianapolis will provide child care for those that meet our eligibility requirements.