New American Leaders

At NAL, we train first and second generation Americans and anyone who identifies closely with the immigrant experience to become candidates and campaign staff. We support a national elected officials network and champion policies that create a more equitable, inclusive democracy. NAL emphasizes the assets that immigrants bring to the political process-- their lived experiences, community connections, and commitment to American democracy.

Since 2010, we have recruited a broad intersection of ethnicities and identities so that our elected government can be a true reflection of the US population. Our programs promote collaboration and create a sense of belonging, which can be critical to convincing political newcomers, especially women, to run.

With a rapidly expanding network of over 1,500 leaders, NAL ensures that diverse, community-based trailblazers have the tools they need to be effective at all levels of the political process.

New American Leaders prepares leaders from immigrant communities to run for office, win, and lead. We provide a menu of trainings designed to emphasize the assets that immigrants bring to the political process—their lived experiences, their community connections, and their commitment to American democracy. We invest in alumni over time, first by inspiring them to see themselves in office, then providing ongoing support, to help them enter the political arena at state and local levels and build up political capital over time. Once in office, elected officials rely on the organization as a networking hub and for leadership development. New American Leaders is also challenging assumptions about who should lead our democracy by amplifying New American elected officials' contributions, issuing original research, and bringing thought leadership to the national conversation.

New American Leaders has been building a movement for over a decade to ensure that New Americans are included, represented, and engaged in our democracy. The organizational values of authenticity, inclusivity, and accountability are practiced in the team, taught to candidates, and expected of elected officials. New American Leaders’ diverse staff and trainers with broad political experience and deep connections to immigrant communities makes it uniquely qualified to prepare the next generation of the nation's leaders.

NAL is the only national nonprofit that trains immigrants and those who identify with the immigrant experience to run, win, and lead in elected office. Since 2010, NAL has trained almost 1,500 people across the country, with nearly 200 serving in elected or appointed positions. Combined with the work of our c4 affiliate, New American Leaders Action Fund, NAL has created a powerful partnership to guarantee New American leadership in politics.

We train community advocates how to draw from their immigrant stories and engage voters to succeed at the ballot box. A network of state and local elected officials inspire and mentor our alums, and together they form a new political infrastructure to win progressive policies and sustain immigrant power.

NAL’s strength lies in our network of BIPOC leaders eager to transform democracy. The restart of in-person convenings in 2022 was a burst of energy. From our small group trainings to networking events in New York, Denver, Las Vegas, and Dearborn, our alums cherished the opportunity to exchange ideas and plan their next steps for running for office.