2025 Impact Report
that Works Today—
and Endures Tomorrow
Govern For America
This past year, we’ve seen a powerful contradiction: as the federal government retreats from its responsibilities, state and local governments have stepped up. In the face of shrinking budgets and growing pressure, public servants across the country have shown what it means to lead with courage and care.
While federal actions have made it harder for families to access basic services — from housing to healthcare to education — people have not turned away from government. Instead, they’ve turned toward it. They’re demanding better, not giving up. They’re standing with the public servants who are holding communities together, and they’re asking: what more is possible?
Govern For America was founded on the belief that government at its best is a force for good — and that local leadership is the proving ground for American democracy. Across the country, GFA Fellows are helping governments do more with less, often under hostile conditions. They’re simplifying access to public benefits, improving data systems, increasing transparency, and delivering real results for residents. They’re showing what’s possible when new leaders bring their lived experience, skill, and commitment to public service.
This is a moment of reckoning and of hope. State and local governments are not just where services happen — they’re where change begins. As national narratives grow more divisive, these governments are demonstrating how we can move forward together, grounded in the needs and values of our communities.
At GFA, we see this as our charge for 2025 and beyond: to invest in the next generation of public leaders who are rebuilding trust in government, one person, one policy, one system at a time. We believe that by supporting them, we can realize a bold vision — one where democracy delivers. Thank you for standing with us, and with the public servants working every day to make government work for everyone.
In service,
Octavia Abell
Shaping how government shows up today
This year, we launched the seventh cohort of the GFA Fellowship, bringing more than one hundred emerging leaders into government at a moment when public institutions are under strain. Fellows are expanding state and local capacity right now: accelerating $150 million in funding for educators, strengthening collaboration across health departments so fewer people go unserved, and bringing leaders together to protect under-resourced programs that matter today.
Mission
Govern For America’s mission is to build the next generation of public servants to create a more responsive government that better reflects and serves our communities.
Vision
We envision a world where public servants use their power in government and grounding in community to ensure public systems achieve greater opportunity for all people.
Fixing the Systems That Power Public Service
State and local public servants improve lives every day, but shrinking federal support has left them with fewer resources and growing demands. To sustain essential services and deliver what communities deserve, we must rebuild both the talent that powers public service and the systems they work within. Our public servants are stepping up, and we need our systems to amplify their impact — not limit it.
GFA has placed 103 Fellows across 45 agencies.
Issue areas Fellows work on
Most of the country lacks trust in government, and I want to be part of the solution.
How GFA Makes Government Work For Everyone
Through a two-year Fellowship, we connect emerging leaders to full-time government roles and equip them to navigate bureaucracy and drive better outcomes. Fellows bring fresh perspectives that enhance government effectiveness, helping agencies adapt to evolving challenges and better serve their communities.
Stephanie [’24 Fellow] is a big-picture thinker. She’s taken tools and templates from GFA’s training and brought them back to CDHS in ways the whole team can use. One of our employee engagement questions asks how connected staff feel to the impact of their work — an area my previous team really struggled with. [She] introduced the impact story tool from the Fellowship, and it helped our team see the rippling effects of their work more clearly. It’s become a valuable way for us to strengthen engagement and see how what we do truly makes a difference.
Who Are the Fellows?
The Difference Fellows Make
GFA Fellows strengthen the public systems that millions of residents rely on. In communities where government has been under-resourced or disconnected, they help close the gap, shaping policy, directing funding, and improving how services reach people. Their impact demonstrates how investing in public-sector talent creates better, more equitable outcomes for everyone.
Matthew Holden
The St. Louis region has faced a year of environmental and public health emergencies that revealed how difficult it can be for residents to access timely, coordinated health information. Matthew is leading a modernization of ThinkHealthSTL.org, enhancing a platform meant to help community organizations collaborate — because no single institution has the resources to meet the region’s health needs alone. Many public health and community-planning efforts are hindered by fragmented, hard-to-access or outdated data. By redesigning the site to improve usability, provide timely data, and expand awareness, Matthew and the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) team are strengthening how information flows between government and community members and helping the St. Louis region build a more connected, collaborative, and resilient public health system.
Melia Allan
Families who choose home birth in Connecticut often face delays in birth certificates, barriers to newborn screenings, and limited access to state services. At the Department of Public Health, Melia strengthened how the Midwifery Working Group collaborates with state programs by creating a new link to the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program. This connection is helping more infants born outside hospital systems get the screenings they need on time. As Melia connects the working group to additional health offices, they are changing how these programs share information and coordinate care — helping families experience government as a partner, not a barrier.
Sandy Gonzales
As a Principal Budget & Policy Analyst in Colorado’s Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting, Sandy helped direct over $1.2 billion toward essential programs in mental health, juvenile justice, and more. Seeing how misaligned processes were leaving agency leaders feeling disconnected and delaying critical funding, she took action. She brought agency CFOs together for the first time in a statewide summit to confront the problem. Sandy mobilized leadership to make the unprecedented gathering possible. The summit laid the foundation for a more transparent and equitable budget process, ensuring communities receive timely support where it’s needed most.
Jennifer Garcia Ruiz
Michigan is facing a staggering 178% surge in teacher vacancies, putting the education of thousands of children at risk. At the Department of Education, Jenny is tackling the challenge of getting more teachers into classrooms by streamlining and administering the state’s teacher grant programs. She removed bureaucratic roadblocks, improved support for applicants, and helped distribute $79 million to first-time teachers getting their teaching certification. That funding will bring more certified educators into Michigan’s schools, giving more children access to the stable, high-quality education they deserve.
How GFA Empowers Fellows
The Fellowship begins with Summer Institute, a week-long bootcamp where Fellows build community and strengthen the skills they’ll need to lead in a complex public sector. It centers a community-first mindset, pushing Fellows to reflect on their lived experiences and build stronger ties to the people they serve. Throughout the Fellowship, quarterly trainings deepen that learning, with industry expert-led sessions on GFA’s 9 Public Sector Leadership Competencies.
Since I’ve been in the Fellowship, I’ve really learned the skills to hear what people are saying — to intake it, to understand it, and take that feedback and implement change from it. It’s been really beneficial for me to gain those skills and know that I’m having a direct impact on the community I care about.
Building Talent Pipelines
For the second year in a row, a record number of emerging leaders have applied to join the Fellowship and launch careers as public servants. Our recruitment process is driven by human connection. Candidates meet the people behind the Fellowship through info sessions, panels, and one-on-one conversations, and every GFA staff member plays a role in reviewing applications. The result is a guided, human pathway into public service.
I enjoyed working with GFA and connecting them with our students to learn more about their amazing work and fellowship programs. We truly appreciate how GFA helps connect a new generation of leaders who are passionate about government service and help address the challenges we face in the public sector and see the impact of positive change these new leaders can make!
Where I’m from, public service isn’t always the obvious path — but GFA made it feel accessible and meaningful. Their recruitment and matching process helped me see how my skills could translate into impact. They didn’t just place me in a role — they helped me find one that aligned with my values and gave me the confidence to step into government with purpose.
Our vision of what government can be
For too many Americans, government is still falling short. GFA Fellows help fill urgent gaps on under-resourced teams, but the work ahead demands more than crisis response. If we want our government to deliver big promises, we need to build institutions with the expertise, talent pipelines, and systems to serve people reliably and equitably. Our vision is a government where residents can access clear information, receive timely support, and trust that the systems around them will hold up when challenges come and go.
Leadership That Endures
The GFA Fellowship is more than just a foot in the door. Fellowship programs like GFA’s significantly increase the likelihood that emerging leaders stay in government longer, making them powerful engines for long-term impact. Research this year from The People Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School showed that individuals who enter government through a fellowship like GFA’s are 30 percentage points more likely to stay in public service eight years later.
The success we've seen with Govern For America Fellows like Stephanie [’24 Fellow] transitioning into permanent roles at CDHS demonstrates the high-quality candidates that GFA is able to attract and develop. The Fellows gain valuable experience that prepares them to excel in government roles, and we've been able to retain that talent by bringing them on board full-time. GFA's Fellowship has got the attention of leadership and is helping us build a pipeline of future leaders for our agency.
Harrison MacRae
As Pennsylvania’s Director of Emerging Technologies, Harrison led the state’s first generative AI pilot, testing how AI can strengthen the public workforce. Employees across HR saved an average of 90 minutes each day, freeing them to focus on higher-impact work. Grounded in his Fellowship experience improving employee experiences in Missouri, Harrison brings a people-first approach to tech innovation. He joined Governor Shapiro at Carnegie Mellon University to unveil the pilot’s findings earlier this year, highlighting his commitment to using technology ethically and intentionally to serve the public.
Crystal Foretia
For decades, Maryland sent hundreds of Black children to segregated reform schools for minor offenses. Many died in custody and were buried in unmarked graves. That legacy persists today, as Black youth are still charged as adults at disproportionately high rates. Crystal led research that uncovered a long-forgotten cemetery for Black boys who died in state custody, prompting a statewide reckoning with this history. The Washington Post highlighted her work and its ripple effects — from new staff training to a commitment from the Maryland Senate’s Judicial Proceedings Committee to hold briefings. Crystal’s leadership is pushing Maryland toward a more equitable juvenile justice system.
Jordan Ta
Across Colorado, communities depend on state emergency systems when disasters strike. Yet rising costs and resource gaps have made it difficult to maintain stockpiles and reach rural and underserved areas. As a Budget & Policy Analyst in the Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting, Jordan helped secure $1.6 million for emergency stockpiles and identified efficiencies that saved the state $150,000 from their annual appropriation. His work is improving access to critical resources so rural and vulnerable communities aren’t left behind in crisis, helping Colorado build a more resilient and equitable safety net.
From Individual to Institutional Impact
Leadership matters, but leaders can only succeed when institutions are built to support them. That’s why we’re scaling the Fellowship mindset beyond individuals and into agencies, using what we’ve learned to equip institutions with the systems and tools that lead to stronger outcomes. Guided by seven years of developing the next generation of public-sector talent, we’re expanding this work to help governments meet today’s challenges and build durable, people-centered systems for the future.
Govern For America is sending us wonderful, high-caliber people to work in government. I've worked with GFA Fellows in the Governor's Budget Office as well as here at CDHS, and both were exceptional and impactful in their roles. It's clear that GFA is identifying and developing top talent that is making a real difference in our agency and the communities we serve.
Our Partners
We’re grateful to the partners who make our work possible, helping us build a government that works for all of us.
GFA Board of Directors
Financials
Revenue
| Foundations | $1,318,929 |
| Individuals | $163,413 |
| Program Services | $171,000 |
| Other | $249 |
| Total | $1,653,591 |
Expenses
| Programs | $1,232,270 |
| Operations | $403,759 |
| Fundraising | $208,958 |
| Total | $1,844,987 |
Join the Movement
Effective government starts with people-centered leadership. When you invest in emerging leaders, you help communities get the services and support they deserve. Join us in expanding the GFA Fellowship and building the workforce our public institutions need to serve everyone, everywhere.
Let’s stay connected
Thank you!
