Nonprofit and Public Interest Policy Training Fellowship

Full-time, 3-week, in-person fellowship with an optional final project to support public interest organizations in achieving policy impact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship is a full-time, paid, in-person fellowship for public interest organizations with an optional final project to support public interest organizations in achieving policy impact. The required part of the fellowship, a full-time 3-week bootcamp, is tentatively scheduled for July 10-July 28, 2023, in the Bay Area. Fellows will have the option to take advantage of Hub staff support by working part-time and remotely on a final project from July 31-September 15, 2023.

NEW! Admitted organizations will be given the opportunity to pitch a project at the completion of the bootcamp, and the nonprofit with the best project will receive up to $50,000 to support that work. Applications are now due on April 27 to give all interested organizations the opportunity to apply.

We are seeking US-based organizations working in the public interest – for instance, nonprofits, public benefit corporations, unions, or university centers – that want to build a capacity to change policy. To be eligible, your organization (or the unit within your organization that is applying) must not currently employ any policy or government relations staff or lobbyists and must have at least one leader available to join us as a fellow for 3 weeks in the Bay Area. We will prioritize admitting organizations focused on science, technology, cybersecurity, or a related field. We will also prioritize organizations that work directly with communities who face marginalization and/or that seek to tackle disparities around race and ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and other aspects of diversity.

Every organization will designate one primary leader to participate in the training program. A person positioned to succeed in this program would likely have at least 5 years of work experience, be a strong writer, and a desire to participate more meaningfully in policy. This person also should be well positioned within their organization to lead or help lead policy initiatives going forward. We know everyone is unique, so if you do not have those exact skills, you’re still welcome to apply.  If space permits, organizations may be able to send a second leader to the policy bootcamp free of charge.

Participants will be paid a $6,000 honoraria to defray costs of participating in the in-person fellowship (e.g., food and lodging). Out of town participants will also receive a small stipend to cover travel to the Bay Area.

Our program trains participants to engage in non-lobbying advocacy. We do not teach organizations to lobby or run political campaigns.

Hub staff hosted informational webinars for prospective applicants on March 23, April 5, and April 11, 2023. View the recording of the April 11 webinar here. 

The Curriculum

The Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship will consist of two blocks: 1) a mandatory full-time in-person policy bootcamp that teaches fellows the basics of policymaking, including practical exercises; and (2) an optional final project. The policy bootcamp will be in the Bay Area from July 10-July 28, 2023. The optional project period will run from July 31-September 15, 2023.

The policy bootcamp will include:

  • An orientation introducing fellows to the fellowship, to the other fellows, and to the policymaking process;
  • Regular classes exploring what policy is, how to identify problems, defining alternatives, developing relevant outputs, and communicating to stakeholders; and
  • Action-oriented practical exercises, such as ‘how to write a policy memo’ or ‘how to give an elevator pitch’, founded on real world problems provided by our partners.

After completing the bootcamp, organizations will be given the opportunity to pitch a policy impact project to the Hub team, and the nonprofit with the best project will receive up to $50,000 to support that work.

In the optional part-time final project, fellows also will have the opportunity either to develop an advocacy plan for their organization, or to take on a substantive policy project in which they create at least one practical policy output—for instance, mock regulations, toolkits for policymakers, white papers, op-eds, or an app. We expect organizations to commit a minimum of 8-10 hours a week for this project phase from July 31 to September 15th if they choose to participate.

Application

Applications are no longer open for the Summer 2023 Nonprofit and Public Interest Policy Fellowship. If you are still interested in this program, please reach out to us at aspentechpolicyhub@aspeninstitute.org.

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