WHAT IS THE FELLOWSHIP?
Across the Gulf Coast, community organizers are revitalizing their communities. In the wake of hurricane destruction, despite tremendous obstacles and limited resources, community organizers are vital in bringing hope and opportunity back to the region.
     The Gulf Coast Fellowship is designed to nourish and sustain these organizers in their professional and personal health. It offers a paid stipend, ongoing personal and professional development consultations, and access to a vibrant network of community organizers and philanthropists working across the Gulf.

     In its first year, more than 200 applications were received for 17 fellowships. Click here to read about the 2009 Fellows. The selection committee thanks all the applicants for their important work in building a better, more just America.

     The Gulf Coast Fellowship was co-created by Jewish Funds for Justice, Twenty-First Century Foundation, and Gulf Coast Fund for Ecological Health and Community Renewal. Together, these institutional partners work to spotlight the compelling stories of Gulf Coast leaders, in turn widening national involvement in rebuilding the region. This effort is being made possible by the generous contribution of the Ford Foundation.

 

WHO SHOULD APPLY?
The Gulf Coast Fellowship for Community Transformation supports the work of local community leaders in the Gulf Coast. Community organizers dedicated to racial and economic justice who are already working in the region are invited to apply. Rather than stipulating programmatic requirements, the Gulf Coast Fellowship for Community Transformation meets fellows where they are in their lives, professionally and personally, to help sustain their valuable work.

 

WHAT WILL FELLOWS RECEIVE?
Gulf Coast Fellowships are awarded for two-year terms, with fellows receiving a yearly stipend of $20,000.

     Fellows also receive personal and professional development consultations, with the goal of ensuring the sustainability of their work. To that end, fellows also attend an annual retreat, the content of which will be determined through a needs-assessment with each individual fellow.

     The Fellowship serves as a platform for fellows to build new relationships and partnerships not only across the Gulf Coast, but across the country.