For the past 20 years, the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute has trained thousands of young New Yorkers, a majority of them girls from underserved communities, in developing confidence and the critical skills needed to be effective and powerful leaders in all sectors of our society.
We achieved this through a highly effective summer series of three two-week intensive programs at Hunter College, and with our after and in-school programs in NYC public high schools during the school year.
All of our training is provided at no cost to our students. Although we receive $330,000 each year in funding from the City of New York, the cost of running our programs and organization has grown to double this amount. We try to fill the funding gap through private donations, but we now face a structural deficit of $150,000 each year.
Students and their parents have described our summer program as a life-changing experience. But without new funding sources, the Abzug Institute will, for the first time in 20 years, need to cancel our program for 150 young New Yorkers this summer.
Please consider donating to help the Abzug Institute keep our summer program open. And if you know any funders interested in the future of American women, please share this with them and please encourage them to donate.
THE FUTURE IS NOW.
We need your help to continue training dynamic and powerful young leaders who will carry forth the torch of leadership!
☆ EXCITING NEWS ☆
Watch the exciting Bella documentary airing nationwide on PBS Tuesday March 17 2026
“I wanted her to get elected because we desperately needed her voice”
BARBRA STREISAND
“She was blunt, she was candid, she was poking the beast”
HILLARY CLINTON
“She was there to make sure the doors were open for what came next”
NANCY PELOSI
Explore our Programs
In-school & after-school programs, intensive summer programs, and one day debate training programs throughout the year.
About BALI
The Bella Abzug Leadership Institute has proudly worked with female identified and gender expansive youth throughout NYC and the tri-state area since 2005