Applications for Host Orgs are CLOSED for 2022 – 2024!

Overview

Community Impact Fellowship is a cohort-based 24-month long structured, hands-on learning experience for leaders of color that blends training with observation, reflection, roleplays, 1 on 1 mentorship, 1 on 1 coaching, and opportunities to apply or investigate what they learn. Fellows are expected to attend all trainings, then learn and practice concepts introduced with greater depth at their host organizations. Community Impact Fellowship Program will be held in-person (when it is safe to do so) or virtually.
As a fellowship partner, you will receive a full-time staff member as a fellow and get capacity building support. This includes hands-on support to your organization from two staff members on a regular basis while providing continuous professional development opportunities to the fellow.

For fellows, the Community Impact Fellowship Program consists of:

• Four retreats across the two years (2.5 days on average)
• Three times a week for 1 month 7.5 hours Leadership Institute training sessions
• Once a month 7.5 hour Leadership Development training session
• Once a month 2 hour practice labs / lunch n’ learns
• Once a month 1-on-1 1 hour coaching session with an RVC staff member
• Once a month 1-on-1 1 hour session with a mentor
• Additional professional development opportunities to either shadow people or attend specialized training topics or conferences

After the institute, the average number of hours a fellow will devote to the fellowship program will be: 13 – 14 hours / month. This includes training, meetings with a coach & a mentor, at least 2 – 3 hours to work on blogs, and explore what they’ve learned in training at their organization. Reflections/Blogs will occur at least once or twice a year. Keep this in mind as you imagine what kind of position you can craft for a fellow.

For host organizations, the Community Impact Fellowship Program consists of:

• Once a month check-ins for the first 6 months of partnership with a fellowship staff member. After the 6 months, we will move to quarterly check-ins
• Once a month check-ins with Capacity Building Lead to support organizational capacity building projects
• Quarterly gatherings with the other host organizations to learn, build, and share with each other
• Quarterly trainings around supervision and other important organizational development aspects
• 5-month onboarding process with monthly trainings

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Fellowship Program the Right Fit for my Organization?

An application to host a fellow with us takes time and energy! Before beginning to apply, take this quick self assessment to check if this partnership is a good fit for your organization. If you answered “no” to any of these questions, this partnership isn’t the right fit for you.

1. The majority of our staff & leadership (board & executive positions) are BIPOC identified.
2. We have at least one paid staff member (with a minimum of 30 hrs/wk) available to supervise a fellow by implementing at least 30 min weekly check-ins.
3. We are invested in the sector/field/community we’re working in, and envision continuing to work there for at least the next 2 years.
4. We can offer a meaningful, challenging, and career-building opportunities that supports a fellow’s professional development and personal growth.
5. We feel full alignment with RVC’s commitment and values around leadership: Transformational, Adaptive, Just, and Community. To learn more, read this: “A Paradigm-shifting Leadership Model”.
6. We are ready and excited to build organizational capacity and committed to transformation.
7. We are prepared to codesign a plan with a Capacity Building Lead that will involve working regularly with our staff and board.
8. We understand the time commitment and, to the best of my knowledge, will be able to commit to the full program.
9. We are ready and excited to invest in building relationships with the fellow, RVC staff, and other host organizations.

Which Organizations are Eligible to Host an RVC Fellow?
RVC partners with a diverse range of organizations led by communities of color every two years. The following is what we are looking for when we discuss a partnership to host a Community Impact Fellow and receive capacity building services:

• Majority of staff & leadership (board & executive positions) are BIPOC (60-75%^)
• Offer meaningful, challenging, and career-building opportunities that support a fellow’s professional development and personal growth
• Provide strong and consistent supervision, mentorship, and space for fellows to connect and build a robust network.
  • Organizations need a minimum of 30 hrs/wk paid staff supervising the fellow
  • Supervisor must commit to weekly check-ins with fellows for at least 30 min
  • Be ready to build organizational capacity and committed to transformation
• Be located in the greater Seattle area
• Commitment to RVC Values of Leadership (Just, Community, Transformational, and Adaptive) & organizational change work

In order to establish deep commitment from partners, host organizations pay a fee based on organizational budget size. The fee covers fellow salary, administrative costs, and towards capacity building support services.

Fee per fellow per year, depending on the organization’s operating budget, ranges from $5,000 to $30,000.

What Types of Positions can RVC Fellows Take on?
RVC aims to provide critical capacity building support to host organization through our fellows at manager or director levels. Thus we prioritize five key areas of responsibility for fellows to undertake:

• Operations (finance, human resources, IT, office management, legal/risk)
• Development (grant writing, donor cultivation and management, fundraising, events, and communication)
• Program (program development, delivery, and management)
• Advocacy & Policy (campaigns, policy analysis, communications, and strategy)
• Community Organizing (community organization and engagement, communication, organizing campaigns/mobilizations, events)

Past and current fellows have held significant responsibilities within their host organization, such as operations and development managers, communications and strategic initiatives managers, campaign organizers, program and community engagement coordinators, and fund development managers. When considering positions for fellows, please consider the above five areas of responsibilities.

How are Host Organizations Selected?
The process to become a partner takes quite a lot of review! We like to get to know our prospective partners as best we can to ensure that our fellows will have the best support possible. Not everyone goes through all of these steps whether that’s a choice of the organization or RVC.

1. Info Session (1.5 hrs – Optional, but highly recommended)
2. Initial Meeting w/ Flo Sum (30 min)
3. Document Requests via Email
   • Current/ Draft Mission/ Vision Statement
   • Current/ Draft By-laws (if applicable)
   • Staff/ Volunteer Roster
   • Board/ Advisory Committee Roster and Past Minutes
   • Current/ Draft/ Past Budgets
   • Current/ Draft/ Past Fundraising Plans (if applicable)
   • Annual Financial Reports ie balance sheet, profit and loss, budget vs actuals (if applicable)
4. Mini Org Assessment Meeting/s (Two 2-hour meetings or one 3-hour meeting)
   • This partnership requires a lot of trust and information sharing in order for the RVC team to do our best with you. There will be a ton of questions about your organization and what you hope for in the future. And the invitation is open to ask questions to us as well!
5. Post Mini Org Assessment Requests
   • 2 – 3 community references for organization and leadership (example)
   • Any of the above document requests
6. Feedback Loops
   • It’s important for us to get feedback from RVC staff to raise any additional questions we may not have seen through this process.
7. Notification

Who Reviews the Applications?
“Applications” will be reviewed by members of the Fellowship and Capacity Building team.
Can I attend an information session to learn more?

Yes! Join us for an information session on:

• To be scheduled when we recruit for next cohort.

Ready to partner?

Attend an info session or schedule a time with Flo Sum at [email protected]

If, after reading all the information on this page, you still have questions about the Community Impact Fellowship Program, contact Flo at [email protected]