New York City Community Fellowship Program

Guidelines  |  Grantee List

Note: The 2005 application deadline has passed. Finalists for the 2005 NYC Community Fellowships will be announced on Friday, June 3, 2005. Please check back in late 2005 for information on the 2006 deadline and application.

The Open Society Institute (OSI) established the Community Fellowships Program to encourage and support individuals who are creating innovative public interest projects that address critical social issues. The goal of the program is to provide individuals with an opportunity to apply their leadership in community-led projects that empower and improve the quality of public life. The program identifies and supports social change agents who engage their passion, ingenuity, and dynamism to remove social barriers by creating new opportunities for disadvantaged and marginalized communities. The program invests in viable public service projects that support social equity among all members of society. Community fellows work in a wide range of social change activities including, but not limited to, organizing, service delivery, and advocacy. Fellows have created projects in such diverse areas as health, the arts, workers' rights, civic participation, education, and economic justice. Fellows become a part of a growing network of service leaders exchanging ideas and resources to stimulate public discourse on progressive social issues.

Since 1997, the Community Fellowships Program has supported over 135 public service leaders in New York City and Baltimore. (OSI-Baltimore operates a separate fellowships program; for further information, please consult their website at www.soros.org/baltimore.) Fellows have demonstrated tremendous tenacity and leadership by raising the level of awareness of public service in marginalized communities throughout New York City. Fellows have received numerous acknowledgements of their efforts to transform communities and have inspired a new alliance of community-based leadership.

Fellowship Network

Each fellow is important to the development of our network of community activists. The fellowship network is made up of current and previously funded fellows who share resources and ideas on developing communities and sustaining their public interest projects. Fellows have worked in collaborative projects and coalitions to foster relationships across issue areas and institutions to enrich the social justice community of New York City. All fellows become members of the network and are eligible to attend conferences and various technical assistance workshops. The network continues to grow by enhancing the social capital of emerging leaders through informal peer-to-peer exchanges and OSI supported workshops.

Fellowship Award

Each year the fellowships program enables up to 10 individuals to develop their projects in New York City during an 18-month period. The fellowship award consists of the following:

• A $48,750 stipend over 18-months. The stipend may be used to support the project and/or fellow; fellows are strongly encouraged to seek other contributions to support their work during the fellowship.
• A start-up grant in the amount of $2,000 for project support.
• A travel grant to cover expenses to two OSI-sponsored conferences during the fellowship period.
• Financial contributions towards graduate school debt payments.
• Consideration on a case-by-case basis of health insurance coverage.
• Continued access to resources and workshops available through the fellowship network.
• Technical assistance support through the annual community fellows conference.

Hosting Organization

Applicants are not required to have a hosting organization in order to apply for a fellowship. The fellowship is awarded to individuals to employ their vision and skills in creating a project. A hosting organization provides an opportunity for a new project to gain entry or access to available resources, such as space, technology, and/or networks. We understand that social change does not occur in a vacuum and it requires community support to launch a new public interest project. Hosting organizations provide an opportunity for fellows to operate within a facility and gain access to community networks to assist in launching a new project. OSI encourages hosting organizations to provide in-kind contributions such as medical benefits, work space, and necessary overhead expenses. Applicants should consider the project's need for a hosting organization.

Eligibility Requirements

OSI encourages applicants:

• from a range of community experiences;
• from disadvantaged communities; and
• in later stages of their professional career or who are recent graduates.

Applicants:

• may come from any field, such as education, law, the arts, public service, and health;
• may chose to create a public interest project in any social issue area;
• need not be from New York City but must perform their fellowship project in New York City; and
• must be legally able to work in the United States in order to accept the fellowship offer.

Applicants should anticipate beginning their fellowship project no later than September 12, 2005. He or she may chose to work with or without a hosting organization. If the applicant intends to work with a hosting organization, support must be secured before submitting a proposal. Individuals currently receiving wages or a salary for the proposed project from a hosting organization are ineligible to apply.

Applicants must demonstrate that the project is autonomous and does not replicate already existing program models. Fellowship awards cannot be used to supplant funding for activities or projects that are already being implemented by the hosting organization or any other group. Research projects and scholarly work will not be considered for fellowships.

Program Interest

The fellowships program remains open to various public interest projects that create positive social change. The program has supported diverse social issues and will continue to fund individuals who have a willingness to serve communities. Specifically we look for projects that:

• build social equity for marginalized communities;
• encourage community members to be active in the project's mission and goal;
• work with other organizations to bring about social change;
• develop an advisory committee and personal mentors to enhance the project's viability; and promote social justice and open societies.

Applicants

The fellowships program seeks applicants from diverse backgrounds and communities who wish to employ their skills in creating innovative public interest projects. The fellowships program is open to all individuals who wish to use their skills to transform and empower communities. Individuals interested in applying should demonstrate a solid background of working with the proposed community they wish to serve. As community leaders, applicants should demonstrate the following characteristics:

• creativity, passion, and commitment to creating positive social change;
• deep connections with community stakeholders and supportive networks;
• new perspectives in addressing public interest issues;
• interest in bringing community issues and concerns into public debate/discourse;
• abilities to face challenges with critical thinking and community involvement; and
• willingness to contribute to and participate in the fellowship network.

Timeline

Review and Selection Process

Four members of our reading committee will read each proposal. The reading committee consists of community activists, social change practitioners, educators, and members of the nonprofit sector whose experiences reflect the diverse pool of submitted proposals. The reading committee is responsible for nominating 20 finalists who will be invited for in-person interviews with our selection committee.

The selection committee will interview each finalist and nominate up to 10 individuals for fellowship awards. To be considered for a fellowship award, applicants must attend the interview session with the selection committee. Selection is based on the applicant's competence and commitment to the community, the need for the proposed project, the responsiveness of the project to the community involved, and the capacity of the individual to implement the project. The project must have a sound implementation and governance plan along with a budget for the 18-month fellowship period. The project should either demonstrate long-term sustainability or a comprehensive conclusion after the fellowship period.

2005 Community Fellowships Proposal Guidelines

Applicants must provide an original proposal and four additional copies of all required proposal contents. Proposals must be attached in the upper left corner; please avoid using staples, folders, or plastic covers when assembling the proposal. Faxes, e-mails, or late applications will not be considered. Supportive materials, such as photographs, reports, books, and videos, cannot be reviewed with your proposal.

Please assemble the proposal in the following order:

1. The completed application coversheet

2. A six-to-ten page, double-spaced proposal in 12-point type with one-inch margins that includes the following information (in order):

• Mission Statement: Prepare a one-paragraph mission statement describing the objectives and goals of the proposed project; please indicate the desired social change you hope to accomplish.
• Project Description: Describe in detail the social need of your proposed project. Provide a concise description of the project's methods and activities to accomplish the goal of the project. Please provide detailed information on where and whom the project will serve, and how the project will stimulate positive social change. Please provide supportive information (i.e. data, personal narratives) explaining why this work is important to the community.
• Community Ties: Explain in detail your experience with the community to be served and why this work and community is important to you.
• Effectiveness: Describe how you will evaluate the effectiveness of your proposed project.
• Timeline: Show within an 18-month timeline your project's activities and expected outcomes.

3. A one-page budget explaining project support including anticipated and confirmed funding.

4. A one-to-two page resume or CV.

5. Two letters of recommendation, no more than two pages each.

6. A letter of support from the hosting organization explaining how your project will be autonomous and supported. Include a letter of incorporation from the sponsoring organization indicating its 501(c)(3) status.

Completed proposals should be sent directly to:
Sheila Harris, Program Associate
Open Society Institute
New York City Community Fellowships Program
400 West 59th Street
New York, New York 10019