The Community Fellows Program (CFP) aims to ground emerging nonprofit and community leaders in the systemic context of social change work and 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 (Meet current faculty here) 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. Meet our current CFP class here!
We also accept nominations for Community Fellows.
Applications for our New York City 2023-2024 Community Fellows Program are currently being accepted on a rolling basis.
We are no longer accepting new applications for our New England 2023-2024 Community Fellows Program at this time. Please sign up for our newsletter to be informed about our upcoming classes and application deadlines.
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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 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.
