The Ford Fund Fellowship is a virtual program designed to equip 10 advanced social entrepreneurs with the skills, resources, and experience to scale the ventures and community initiatives they are building. Each Ford Fund Fellow will learn advanced skills in entrepreneurship and leadership, garner experience, and build a global network of Mentors, Master Course Teachers, and peers, as they lay the foundation to empower many more youth and transform their communities.
Each Fellow will receive $1,000 (USD) in Seed Funding to grow their ventures and initiatives.
The year-long Fellowship will be delivered in a virtual format. Synchronous activities will take place between 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM U.S. Mountain Time. The time commitment for the two-week Accelerator is approximately 20-25 hours per week, which includes class time and outside-of-class work. The time commitment for the remainder of the Fellowship, excluding leading a Basecamp, is approximately 10 hours per month. Fellows should also plan to spend 160-200 hours over 2-3 months to organize and lead a Basecamp in their community.
Requirements
- This virtual program is for advanced, next-generation social entrepreneurs and community leaders building ventures that create impactful and scalable innovations. Ideal applicants will demonstrate a proven track record of innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership in their community.
- Ford Fund Fellowship is looking for applicants from the following countries: United States, China, Mexico, South Africa, and Kenya.
- You must be able to commit to the intensive 2-week Accelerator (July 19th – July 30th) and the part-time, year-long Fellowship program (July 2021-July 2022).
- There is no cost to attend the program thanks to the generous support of Ford Fund.
Program Structure
The Fellowship begins with a virtual two-week intensive Accelerator that will focus on:
Building Community
Community is one of the pillars of the Fellowship experience. A diverse cohort of young leaders and entrepreneurs form partnerships, collaborations, and further their growth and impact as leaders in their community.
Skill Development
Including fundraising, team building, transformative communication, growth mindset, courage, resilience, creativity, and leadership. Fellows will be guided through the process of overcoming key challenges faced during the process of becoming transformative leaders and entrepreneurs.
Basecamp Training
Each Fellow is trained and receives a stipend and logistical support to lead a three-day training (called Basecamp) in their home community to empower at least 30 additional entrepreneurial leaders per Fellow.
After the two week Accelerator, each Fellow will join a year-long Fellowship, which includes:
- Leading a Basecamp in their respective community. A stipend will be given for logistical and administrative costs.
- Joining a monthly All Hands on Deck meeting that includes skill development workshops and opportunities to build community amongst the cohort.
- Receiving $1,000 (USD) in Seed Funding to launch/grow their ventures and initiatives.
- Regularly attending Master Courses with the world’s leading entrepreneurs and practitioners. Past Master Course Teachers include recognized leaders of Nobel Peace Prize winning movements, the youngest person to run for U.S. Congress, and the inventor of Google’s self-driving car.
- Joining a pod with other Fellows from their respective regions and checking in regularly with each other via one-on-one meetings.
Application Deadline: July 9th 2021
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