America's Promise
America's Promise is a U.S. nonprofit alliance that mobilizes cross-sector action to improve outcomes for children and young people.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
America's Promise is an American nonprofit alliance focused on helping children and young people receive the conditions needed to thrive. It emerged from the 1997 Presidents' Summit for America's Future, a bipartisan gathering convened by President Bill Clinton and former President George H. W. Bush in Philadelphia. Retired General Colin L. Powell chaired the summit and subsequently led a three-year national effort known as America's Promise – The Alliance for Youth. The organization is built around five fundamental resources, known as the Five Promises: caring adults who provide guidance and encouragement; safe places for learning and development; a healthy start supported by nutrition, health, and physical well-being; effective education that prepares young people for work and life; and opportunities to serve and contribute to their communities. The framework has remained the central organizing idea for the alliance's public education, research, convening, and partnership activities. America's Promise does not primarily operate as a direct-service youth provider. Instead, it acts as a convener, catalyst, and national communications platform for nonprofit organizations, schools, businesses, government agencies, foundations, faith-based groups, and community organizations. Its work has included public-awareness campaigns, national and local summits, research publications, partner coordination, and efforts to encourage measurable improvements in youth development and educational attainment. The alliance has worked with hundreds of organizations, including national youth-serving groups, education associations, corporations, and philanthropic institutions. The initial campaign adopted the goal of helping two million of the approximately fifteen million U.S. children considered at risk at the time by the year 2000. In 2000, Powell concluded that the effort should continue as a permanent nonprofit rather than end with the original campaign deadline. The organization later changed its name to America's Promise Alliance in 2004 to emphasize the role of its broad partner network. A major later focus was the national high-school dropout challenge. Following the 2006 publication of The Silent Epidemic, America's Promise launched a Dropout Prevention campaign in 2008. It convened more than one hundred summits across all fifty states, bringing together educators, employers, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, families, and young people. The effort was subsequently branded GradNation and expanded into research, community convening, state-level activation, and advocacy for higher graduation and postsecondary enrollment rates. America's Promise has also been associated with the annual Building a Grad Nation research series, produced with partner organizations. Leadership has included founding chair Colin Powell, former Montana governor Marc Racicot, former U.S. senator Harris Wofford, and Alma Powell, who chaired the board for many years. Marguerite Kondracke served as president and chief executive until 2012, followed by John S. Gomperts, who led the organization until 2020. Mike O'Brien is identified in the supplied reference material as the current chief executive. The alliance has also incorporated youth participation into governance through voting board seats for members between eighteen and twenty-four. America's Promise remains principally a civic and social-impact brand rather than a commercial product brand. Its identity is associated with youth opportunity, positive youth development, cross-sector collaboration, education improvement, mentoring, safe environments, health, and community service.
History
America's Promise originated in a bipartisan effort to organize national support for young people and civic service. In 1995, former Michigan governor George Romney proposed a summit bringing together living presidents and leaders from different sectors. Although Romney died before the event could take place, his idea was advanced by Harris Wofford and Bob Goodwin through the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Points of Light Foundation. President Bill Clinton subsequently presented the concept in his 1997 State of the Union address as an effort to mobilize citizens against problems affecting the country, especially those confronting children and youth. The Presidents' Summit for America's Future took place in Philadelphia in 1997. Clinton and former President George H. W. Bush co-convened the event, while retired General Colin Powell served as general chairman. Former presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford attended, and Nancy Reagan represented Ronald Reagan. Governors, mayors, community delegations, business leaders, nonprofit organizations, and public figures also participated. The summit produced a declaration centered on five resources that children need to become successful adults: caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, effective education, and opportunities to serve. Powell agreed to lead America's Promise – The Alliance for Youth in a three-year campaign intended to reach two million of the estimated fifteen million U.S. children considered at risk. The initiative sought to use national visibility and cross-sector commitments to expand mentoring, youth programming, education support, health services, employment opportunities, and community engagement. Some early observers questioned whether the campaign could document achievement of its ambitious numerical goal. Later assessments nevertheless credited the initiative with increasing attention, energy, and funding for positive youth development, while also noting that many outcomes were difficult to attribute to one coordinating organization. When the original 2000 deadline arrived, Powell argued that ending the effort would be premature. America's Promise therefore continued as a nonprofit alliance. Powell remained board chair until 2001, when he left to become U.S. secretary of state. Marc Racicot and Harris Wofford subsequently held chair roles, and Alma Powell became chair in 2004. That same year, the organization changed its name to America's Promise Alliance, signaling that its partner network was central to its operating model. The alliance's activities broadened from the original national promise campaign to research, public education, convening, and partner coordination. It developed relationships with hundreds of national and local organizations across business, education, government, philanthropy, faith communities, and youth services. Rather than replacing those groups' direct work, America's Promise positioned itself as a coordinating institution that helps partners interpret evidence, set shared goals, and organize local action. Education and graduation became a particularly important focus. A 2006 study, The Silent Epidemic, publicized the scale and causes of high-school dropout in the United States. In response, America's Promise launched a Dropout Prevention campaign in 2008 and helped organize 105 summits in all fifty states through 2010. More than 33,000 participants, including educators, employers, nonprofit leaders, public officials, families, and young people, took part. The summits aimed to make the dropout problem more visible and encourage local collaborations. The campaign later became GradNation. In 2009, the alliance commissioned a guidebook presenting research and practical approaches for communities seeking to raise graduation rates. Beginning in 2010, America's Promise worked with the Alliance for Excellent Education, Civic Enterprises, and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University on the Building a Grad Nation research series. The campaign adopted goals of reaching a 90 percent national on-time graduation rate and increasing postsecondary enrollment by 2020, while also drawing attention to schools with persistently low graduation rates. The organization continued to use community and state summits as mechanisms for local activation. In 2013, it committed to supporting one hundred GradNation Community Summits over three years, and in 2015 it launched a state-activation initiative intended to support state-level efforts. Its leadership changed over time from Marguerite Kondracke to John S. Gomperts and then Mike O'Brien. The board also introduced voting youth seats for members aged eighteen to twenty-four, reflecting an effort to include young people in institutional governance. As of the supplied reference material, America's Promise remains an active national nonprofit alliance focused on making the Five Promises more available to children and youth.
- 2020
Mike O'Brien becomes chief executive
[1]Mike O'Brien succeeded John S. Gomperts as CEO.
- 2015
GradNation State Activation initiative
[1]The alliance introduced a state-level effort intended to support coordinated action to improve graduation outcomes.
- 2013
GradNation Community Summits commitment
[1]America's Promise committed to helping partners convene one hundred community summits over three years.
- 2010
GradNation campaign established
[1]The campaign adopted national graduation and postsecondary enrollment objectives and began the Building a Grad Nation research partnership.
- 2008
Dropout Prevention campaign launched
[1]America's Promise began a nationwide effort to increase awareness and stimulate community action on high-school completion.
- 2006
The Silent Epidemic draws attention to dropout rates
[1]Research by Civic Enterprises and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation helped make the high-school dropout challenge a central national issue.
- 2004
Name changed to America's Promise Alliance
[1]The new name emphasized the alliance's network of partner organizations.
- 2000
Continuation as a permanent nonprofit
[1]The organization continued after the original three-year campaign rather than ending with its initial target date.
- 1997
Presidents' Summit for America's Future
[1]The Philadelphia summit launched America's Promise and established the Five Promises and the Two Million by 2000 objective.
- 1995
Proposal for a bipartisan national summit
[1]George Romney proposed bringing presidents and leaders from multiple sectors together around citizen service and youth issues; the idea was later advanced by Harris Wofford and Bob Goodwin.
Products and positioning
A national nonprofit convener and advocacy platform that coordinates public, private, nonprofit, education, and community stakeholders around youth well-being and educational attainment.
Youth-development framework · 1997
The Five Promises
America's Promise's foundational framework identifies five conditions associated with positive youth development: caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, effective education, and opportunities to serve. The framework guides the alliance's public messaging, partnership work, research agenda, and community convening. It is not a commercial product; it functions as a shared language for organizations working to improve young people's well-being and prospects.
Education campaign · 2010
GradNation
GradNation is a national campaign addressing high-school dropout and graduation outcomes. It grew out of America's Promise's Dropout Prevention campaign and combines public awareness, research, summits, state activation, and local collaboration. Its stated goals included a 90 percent on-time national high-school graduation rate and increased postsecondary enrollment, with special attention to persistently underperforming schools and communities.
Research report series · 2010
Building a Grad Nation
Building a Grad Nation is an annual research series produced by America's Promise and partner organizations including the Alliance for Excellent Education, Civic Enterprises, and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University. The reports examine national and local graduation trends, persistent low-performing schools, disparities, and strategies for improving high-school completion.
Marketing campaigns
- 2010GradNation
United States
The renamed and expanded campaign pursued higher on-time graduation and postsecondary enrollment, supported by research, local summits, state initiatives, and partner organizations.
Outcome. The campaign continued through community and state activation efforts and contributed to sustained national attention to graduation-rate improvement.
- 2008Dropout Prevention campaign
United States
America's Promise organized a national response to the high-school dropout crisis and convened 105 summits across all fifty states through 2010.
Outcome. More than 33,000 people participated. A Duke University analysis found that the summits increased public awareness and helped stimulate new programs and collaborations.
- 1997Two Million by 2000
United States
The founding national campaign sought to improve the lives of two million children and young people considered at risk by coordinating commitments from government, business, nonprofit, education, and community organizations.
Outcome. The campaign's precise impact was difficult to document, but later analysis credited its visibility and mobilization with increasing attention and resources devoted to youth development. The organization continued beyond 2000.
Brand decisions
2010
Set GradNation graduation and enrollment goalsStrategyBackground
The alliance and its partners sought a sustained national response to low graduation rates and schools with severe dropout problems.
Action taken
GradNation adopted a goal of a 90 percent on-time national graduation rate and increased postsecondary enrollment by 2020.
Aftermath
The goal became the organizing target for reports, summits, local partnerships, and state activation work.
2008
Launch the Dropout Prevention campaignStrategyBackground
Research published in 2006 highlighted the scale and causes of the U.S. high-school dropout problem.
Action taken
America's Promise launched a national campaign centered on summits, awareness, collaboration, and community action.
Aftermath
The effort later became GradNation and expanded into research and state and community activation.
2004
Adopt the America's Promise Alliance nameStrategyBackground
The organization increasingly operated through a broad network of nonprofit, business, government, education, philanthropic, and community partners.
Action taken
It changed its name from America's Promise – The Alliance for Youth to America's Promise Alliance.
Aftermath
The rebrand placed collaboration and partner capacity at the center of the organization's identity.
2000
Continue as a permanent nonprofitStrategyBackground
The original America's Promise campaign was designed around a three-year effort ending in 2000.
Action taken
Colin Powell chose to maintain the organization and its youth-focused work after the initial campaign deadline.
Aftermath
America's Promise developed into a continuing national alliance rather than a time-limited campaign.
Recent events
- 2020
Mike O'Brien becomes chief executive[1]
Leadership change
Mike O'Brien succeeded John S. Gomperts as chief executive of America's Promise.
- 2010
Dropout Prevention campaign expands as GradNation[1]
Campaign · Other
America's Promise and partner organizations established GradNation goals focused on improving the national on-time high-school graduation rate and postsecondary enrollment.
- 2008
America's Promise begins the Dropout Prevention campaign[1]
Campaign
The alliance launched a national campaign responding to research that drew attention to high-school dropout rates and the barriers facing students.
- 2004
Organization adopts the America's Promise Alliance name[1]
Other
The organization changed its name to America's Promise Alliance to highlight the role of its network of partner organizations.
- 2000
America's Promise continues as a permanent nonprofit[1]
Other
After the original campaign deadline, Colin Powell determined that the organization should continue its youth-development work rather than close.
- 1997
America's Promise launches a national youth alliance after the Presidents' Summit[1]
Other
The Philadelphia Presidents' Summit for America's Future led to the formation of America's Promise – The Alliance for Youth and its initial Two Million by 2000 campaign.
Sources2 sources
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