Our Common Purpose
The Leadership Conference’s founders came together in 1950 out of the belief that the fight for civil rights could not be won by one group alone, but needed to be waged in coalition.
Our members — which have grown from 30 civil and human rights organizations at our founding to more than 200 today — differ in size, scope, and structure. But what transcends our differences and unites The Leadership Conference coalition is our enduring common purpose: full equality for all.
That common purpose gave our leaders the wisdom to see that civil rights are women’s rights and LGBTQ rights and immigrant rights and workers’ rights and disability rights and human rights. That common purpose is our coalition’s inheritance. It is a living legacy that binds us together — in cause and community.
Together, we are more than the sum of our parts. We not only convene and direct the power of our coalition members — we magnify it. Through the generations, we have worked to realize a nation that celebrates the voices and power of the people. We continue that work today.
“The struggle of civil rights cannot be won by any one group acting by or for itself alone, but only through a coalition of groups that share a common commitment to equal justice and equal opportunity for everyone.”
– Arnold Aronson, co-founder
Join Our Coalition
For more information on how to become a member, please contact Lisa Haywood, director of membership services and events. Please note that to be eligible for membership, an organization must share The Leadership Conference’s values and vision for a just and fair democracy, be national in scope, and conduct an ongoing civil rights program.
Who We Are
0-9 A-E F-J K-O P-T U-Z
0-9
9to5, National Association of Working Women
A
A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI)
AAUW (formerly known as the American Association of University Women)
African American Policy Forum (AAPF)
The Advocates for Human Rights
Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN)
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity
American Association for Justice
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, AFL-CIO
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
American Jewish Committee (AJC)
American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO (APWU)
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA)
Americans for Financial Reform (AFR)
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Arab American Institute Foundation (AAIF)
Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS)
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)
Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) – AFL-CIO
The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc.
Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE)
The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)
B
Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law
C
Center for Constitutional Rights
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Center for Public Representation (CPR)
Center for Reproductive Rights
Center for Responsible Lending (CRL)
Center for Victims of Torture (CVT)
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
The National Community Action Partnership (NCAP)
Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD)
Constitutional Accountability Center
Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA)
D
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)
E
End Citizens United Action Fund
Equally American Legal Defense and Education Fund
F
Fair Elections Center (The Center)
Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF)
Friends Committee on National Legislation
G
H
Hadassah (The Women’s Zionist Organization of America)
Hindu American Foundation (HAF)
I
Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)
International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA)
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA)
International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America
In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda
Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc.
J
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA)
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
K
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
L
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)
Laborers’ International Union of North America
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG)
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
League of Women Voters of The United States (LWV)
M
MacArthur Justice Center (MJC)
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)
Movement Advancement Project (MAP)
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
N
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO)
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD)
National Association of Human Rights Workers (NAHRW)
National Association of Neighborhoods
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI)
National Black Justice Collective
National Center for Law and Economic Justice
National Center for Learning Disabilities
National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)
National Center for Parent Leadership, Advocacy, & Community Empowerment (National Place)
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
National College Attainment Network
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
National Consumer Law Center (NCLC)
National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)
National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S. (NCC)
National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW)
National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)
National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)
National Disability Institute (NDI)
National Disability Rights Network
National Down Syndrome Congress
National Education Association (NEA)
National Employment Law Project (NELP)
National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA)
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC)
National Housing Law Project (NHLP)
National Indian Education Association
National Immigration Law Center
National Korean American Service and Education Consortium
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA)
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Organization for Women (NOW)
National Partnership for Women & Families
Native American Rights Fund (NARF)
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
New Jersey Institute for Social Justice (NJISJ)
O
OCA (formerly known as Organization of Chinese Americans)
Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
P
Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)
Parents as Teachers National Center
PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.
Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC)
Project on Government Oversight (POGO)
R
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC)
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
S
SAGE/Advocacy & Services for LGBT Elders
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)
T
The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS)
Tobacco Free Kids Action Fund (TFKAF)
Transportation Learning Center
U
UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza)
United Church of Christ, Washington DC Office (Formerly known as Justice & Witness Ministries of the United Church of Christ)
United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)
United Methodist Church-General Board of Church & Society
United Mine Workers of America, AFL-CIO (UMWA)
United Steelworkers of America (USW)
V
The Voter Participation Center