The Community Fellows Program (CFP) aims to ground emerging nonprofit and community leaders in the systemic context of social change work to develop key management and leadership skills.
BECAUSE REPRESENTATION MATTERS
Built from community organizing values and frameworks, CFP invests in the next generation of high potential, emerging social sector and community leaders. CFP students advance their leadership skills, increase their social capital, and are embedded in a robust professional network to propel their careers forward.
There is no tuition. CFP is a fully-funded, academic-year fellowship engaging leaders poised to meaningfully advance social justice and their leadership and become part of a growing network of change leaders.
It’s more than a class. It’s a community. CFP includes:
- Twice-per-month Management Seminars covering a range of topics in organizational leadership, including social justice and systems change, community organizing, personal brand building, fundraising, networking, developing your leadership narrative, healing and self-care, and much more.
- Monthly Practice Seminar facilitated by Senior Fellows and conducted in small groups that engage in action-oriented problem-solving regarding specific leadership and management challenges confronted by students and their organizations.
- Overnight retreat that allows for group connection and cohesion and the beginning of Fellows’ exploration of the connection between leadership and achieving community and social justice.
- Intensive exploration of values and discussion of the impact of power and privilege on individuals, the nonprofit and public sectors, and society.
- Access to additional resources through the Institute’s network. This includes learning from other leaders in the sector, current students, alumni, faculty members, community partners, and funders.
Who are the Community Fellows?
We actively seek to inform and advance a leadership pipeline that reflects our communities and strengthens inclusion and belonging in the learning experience.
CFP is a good fit for high potential, emerging leaders committed to social justice and seeking to expand their management acumen. This fellowship is an opportunity to learn about organizing and justice for earlier career professionals who are:
- Committed to and actively working within nonprofit, organizing or public sector careers
- Passionate about social justice, racial and gender equity work, and community change
- Looking to build their personal and community leadership skills
The primary goal of CFP is to advance the careers and influence of community and proximate leaders who can drive missions forward with values at the center. We are committed to advancing diverse leaders, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) and women, into leadership roles and encourage prospective students of all backgrounds who are focused on justice to apply. Social change requires all of us.
Applications for our Community Fellows Program are currently closed. Please sign up for our mailing list to be notified when we open applications.
Program Update
Community Fellows Program Currently Undergoing Strategic Reimagining
The Community Fellows Program (CFP) is currently undergoing a strategic reimagining to better serve early-career movement leaders and activists in this ever-changing climate. This intentional pause in applications for the 2024-25 cycle will allow us to thoughtfully reshape and strengthen the program, ensuring it remains deeply aligned with our mission and values of equity and justice.
While we won’t be accepting applications for the 2024-25 Community Fellows Program, we will continue to serve early-career leaders through our RISE Fellowship Program. We continue to accept applications for our Core Certificate Program for managers, directors, and executives, and please remember that our Leadership Learning Series remains free and open to the public, so we hope you will join us for an exciting set of webinars this year.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we work towards an even more impactful Community Fellows experience in the future.
Amplifying All Voices
The focus of CFP is to support rising social impact leaders across fields including activists, artists, and community organizers to bring their skills into organizational leadership roles. While we emphasize advancing BIPOC leaders, and typically 80-90% of Community Fellows identify as BIPOC, we encourage all early-career leaders to apply.
Meet this year's classCFP AlumnusTo be heard, to be seen, to be welcomed fully as ourselves – as whole people with histories, and traumas, and joys, and hope – is incredibly beautiful.
