The Urban League of Rochester was founded in 1965 in the wake of racial unrest and riots that crippled the Rochester community. The Urban League of Rochester will celebrate 60 years of serving the Greater Rochester community in 2025. ULR’s mission is to enable African Americans, Latinos, the poor and other disadvantaged to secure economic self-reliance, parity 2 and power, and civil rights. It is an affiliate of the National Urban League, a leading civil rights organization. The agency is a community-based, nonprofit, providing advocacy and direct services to low-income and minority individuals within the Rochester metropolitan area with an emphasis on serving the most economically disadvantaged areas of Rochester. 

Today ULR directly serves over 4,500 individuals per year, reaches approximately 30,000 through outreach services, and operates over 25 programs in the areas of Equity and Advocacy, Youth Education and Development, Workforce Development, Family and Children Services, Entrepreneurship focusing on minority and women-owned businesses, Services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities, and Economic Development. Throughout its 59-year history, ULR has focused on working with the hardest-to-reach, lower income individuals and collaborating with the public, nonprofit, and private sectors to provide innovative culturally enriched and equity- based programs.

At its core, the Urban League of Rochester’s driving mission and vision centers around greater equity. We accomplish our mission through our people. Our people, our most valued resource, lead programs, services, and initiatives that prioritize women and people of color. The Urban League of Rochester offers extensive wraparound services; our relationships with governing entities, community leaders, and other organizations; and our advocacy work prioritize equity, access, and racial justice. Our vision for the future of the Urban League and for Rochester is encapsulated in our Equity and Advocacy initiatives which aim to uphold our civil rights origin, mobilize community, and dismantle systems of inequity and structural racism. Our goal is to develop a multipronged strategy to work towards a more equitable and inclusive community. 

The Urban League of Rochester is dedicated to making a positive impact across seven key areas: housing, youth education, workforce development, entrepreneurship, intellectual disabilities, family and children's services, and equity and advocacy. Notably, the Urban League takes pride in placing equity and advocacy at the forefront of its focus areas.