In a city as complex and diverse as ours, it isn’t just the mayor and chief executives who shape our future. At Coro, we believe that meaningful change must also come from people in business and communities, schools and unions, government and nonprofits, who have the conviction and ideas to do more.

Since 1984, no other group has put this insight into practice more successfully than Coro. We are a community of more than 4,000 graduates who, through our single and collaborative efforts, make the city great.

Graduates come away from Coro with a deeper understanding of how the city works, the leadership skills to change it, and a network of engaged and influential alumni to help them reach their goals. They are part of a collaborative community with a shared belief that a single person, with the right knowledge, skills, and network, is what will make New York a better place for all who live and work here.

History

W. Donald Fletcher and Van Duyn Dodge met in 1940, while working on a political campaign in San Francisco, California. While working side by side, the two had deep discussions about the political process, specifically what they could do to improve politics and government. They believed that in order to effect change, they would need to cultivate a new generation of leaders – and they developed a vision of educational discovery that would create more citizen leaders. 

That vision led to the creation of the Coro Foundation on October 12, 1942. Over the intervening decades, Coro’s work has grown and diversified to include programs for youth, recent college graduates, and mid-career professionals. And since 1984, Coro New York has successfully put this insight into practice. We are a community of nearly 3000 graduates who, through our collaborative efforts, work to build a better society.

Mission

Through high-impact programming, we empower diverse leaders from across sectors with the tools necessary to create a more equitable, inclusive, and innovative society.

Vision

To create a diverse network of high-potential leaders prepared to drive meaningful change across various communities and sectors.