Apply to the Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship

Applications are closed for the Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship.
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Our Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship is a full-time in-person fellowship with an optional final project to support public interest organizations in achieving policy impact. The fellowship will consist of two blocks: 1) a mandatory full-time policy bootcamp that teaches fellows the basics of policymaking, including practical exercises (July 10-July 28, 2023, in the Bay Area); and 2) an optional final project (July 31-September 15, 2023, remote). 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.

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. Out of town participants will also receive a small stipend to cover travel to the Bay Area. If space permits, organizations may be able to send a second leader to the policy bootcamp free of charge.

Please note that our program provides non-lobbying advocacy training. We do not teach participants 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.

Eligibility

For the Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship, we are looking for applicants with the following characteristics:

1 – Organizations that apply should be public interest organizations with at least one leader available to join us as a fellow for 3 weeks in the Bay Area.

Applicants must be US-based organizations working in the public interest – for instance, nonprofits, public benefit corporations, unions, or university centers. Applicants must also have at least one leader available to join us in the Bay Area full-time and in-person from July 10-July 28, 2023. Participants will be paid a $6,000 honoraria to defray costs of participating in the in-person fellowship. If space permits, organizations may be able to send a second leader to the policy bootcamp free of charge.

2 – Organizations that apply should be focused on science, technology, cybersecurity, or a related field and/or should operate with a social justice lens.

Hub programs focus on training STEM professionals to do policy. Therefore, we will give preferential admission to organizations that focus 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.

3 – Organizations that apply must not currently employ any policy or government relations staff or lobbyists.

Our Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship is for organizations (or units within organizations) that currently do not have any policy capacity but want to build a capacity to impact policy. Therefore, we ask that applicants do not have current policy or government relations staff or contracted policy or lobbying support.

The leader that will represent your organization must also meet the following eligibility requirements for the fellowship:

Leaders must be at least 21 years of age by the start of the program.
Leaders must be fluent in English.
Leaders must be able to make a full commitment to the in-person 3-week fellowship, with programming 9-5pm daily as well as occasional evening events. The fellowship will be in the Bay Area from July 10-July 28, 2023.
Applicant(s) must have legal status to work and reside in the United States.

Leaders 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.

FAQ

We will update the following FAQs as we receive additional questions about our program. If your question is not answered here or in the materials above, please contact aspentechpolicyhub@aspeninstitute.org.

General

What is policy?

Great question, and one we will be exploring through much of the program. In general, policy is defined as a “course or principle of action adopted or proposed by an organization or individual.” It is a set of rules that an organization or individual agrees to follow. Both governments and companies (and many other actors) set policies, and those policies have the potential to affect all of our lives. The goal of this program will be to expose your organization to the value of policymaking, and to teach your organization how to use impact policy yourself.

Why are you launching this fellowship?

The Hub is launching our Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship to support organizations working in the public interest in achieving policy impact. Our past programs have trained individuals on how to have policy impact, and we’re excited to pilot this fellowship to scale our impact beyond individuals to organizations.

What types of organizations are eligible for this fellowship?

To be eligible for this fellowship, you must either be a registered, tax-exempt non-profit organization or an organization that works in the public interest. If you are not registered as a non-profit organization, you will be asked in the application how your organization benefits the public interest.

Example organizations might include a university research center focused on cybersecurity, a public benefit organization focused on building tech tools for government, or a digital literacy nonprofit. Please note that these examples are just meant to be illustrative- if your organization does not fit into these categories, you should still apply!

My unit is part of a larger university or non-profit that has policy/government affairs staff, but my individual unit does not have policy/government affairs staff. Is my organization eligible to apply?

Yes, you are still eligible to apply so long as your unit does not engage in significant policy work yourselves or spend significant time coordinating with your government affairs/policy team. However, we ask that in the application you please note that your larger organization has policy staff, but your individual unit does not, and explain why your existing policy staff cannot provide you with similar training.

Do you teach organizations how to lobby?

No, this program does not teach organizations how to lobby. We teach organizations on how to impact policy through non-lobbying advocacy.

Do you teach individuals how to run political campaigns?

No, this program does not teach individuals how to run political campaigns.

I am an individual interested in this training and not currently part of a nonprofit organization or public benefit corporation. Can I still apply to this program?

This program is specifically meant for nonprofits and organizations serving in the public interest. If you are an individual interested in our policy training, please sign up for our mailing list to learn more about future policy training opportunities.

Fellowship Logistics

What is the exact timing of the fellowship?

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

Will this program be full-time or part-time?

The mandatory bootcamp will be full-time (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm PT with occasional evening events), and the optional final project will be part-time (you can expect to contribute roughly 8-10 hours per week on your final project).

Will this fellowship be run in person or remotely?

The mandatory bootcamp will be in-person in the Bay Area. If you choose to do the final project, you will work on it remotely.

How will you keep an in-person fellowship cohort safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?

We plan to carefully track case counts and risk in order to determine whether a fellowship cohort can safely be run in person for any part of the program. If we decide to convene in person, we will follow all state and county-level guidance for COVID-19, such as wearing masks and social distancing. If we determine that we cannot run the program in-person safely, we will move all programming to a remote, online format.

How much funding do accepted organizations receive?

Can the leader representing my organization continue to work in their job during the fellowship?

The Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship bootcamp is intensive, and the programming is similar to that required for a full time student, with classes from 9am-5pm PT Monday-Friday and occasional evening events during the 3 weeks. We expect your full attention and attendance during those hours. If you opt to do the final project, we expect that you’ll put 8-10 hours a week into working on your final project.

Who should my organization designate as the leader to participate in the bootcamp?

If space permits, organizations may be able to send a second leader to the policy bootcamp free of charge. Note we unfortunately will only be able to pay a single $6,000 stipend per organization.

Application Process

The leader I want to represent my organization is on a visa. Are they eligible to represent my organization as a fellow?

It depends. Legal Permanent Residents are definitely eligible to represent organizations, as are those on visas that have no restrictions on where they can work. H-1Bs and other visas tied to employers may be more complex. Please contact us to discuss your situation (with the caveat that we are unable to give you immigration advice.) Please note that we are unable to sponsor visas for this program.

The leader I want to represent my organization is a student/recently graduated. Are they eligible to represent my organization as a fellow?

You are able to represent your organization so long as you are 21 and meet all the other criteria listed in the eligibility section.

My organization would like to join your fellowship to learn more about having policy impact, but my organization does not focus on science, technology, cybersecurity, or a related field. Can my organization still apply?

You are welcome to apply. This being said, given our subject matter focus, we may prioritize admitting organizations with experience in science, technology, cybersecurity, or a related field.

My organization does not operate with a social justice lens. Is my organization still eligible to apply to this program?

You are welcome to apply. That being said, we may prioritize admitting organizations that work directly with communities who face marginalization and/or that seek to tackle disparities around race and ethnicity, age, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and other aspects of diversity.

What is the application timeline?

Applications are due on Thursday, April 27 at 11:59PM PT. We tentatively plan to notify finalists by the end of May, and make decisions by early June following Zoom interviews.