The Innocent Chukwuma African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (ICLTFP) 2023 for NGO founders ($3,000 stipend and Fully Funded to South Africa)

The Association for Research on Civil Society in Africa (AROCSA) in partnership with the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI), and support from Ford Foundation, is pleased to announce the 2023 call for applications to the Innocent Chukwuma African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (ICLTFP), formerly known as the African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (LTFP). 

The Africa Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (LFTP) began in 2018 under the moniker of the Nonprofit Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (NLTF Program), with support from the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) and the Ford Foundation. It was started due to the recognition of the urgent need for an NGO leadership transition program to aid sector leaders – civil society and NGO leaders – who are considering transitioning out of their positions in creating a supportive infrastructure.

The program’s chief purpose is thus to help sector leaders prepare and position their NGOs to be sustainable, vibrant, and continue to thrive after their exit from the organisation. It would enable both the leaders and organisations successfully make the shift, and in so doing create spaces for a new generation of leaders in the social sector to not only emerge but also have platforms to apply their creative and youthful energies. Transitioning leaders would develop succession plans within their own organisations, contemplate their personal transition plans, and preserve their knowledge and experience.

The objectives of LTFP in Africa are to:

1. Contribute to the process of establishing a supportive infrastructure for leadership transition within the NGO movement in Africa.
2. Promote creation of leadership spaces for next generation of leaders in African civil society to grown and strive.
3. Increase documentation of leadership experiences/reflections and renewal processes within civil society in Africa.

Timeframe
This iteration of the program will run for three months between March and May, 2023.

Eligibility

• Founder/Executive Director of an NGO in Africa, and from Africa, ‘actively’ seeking to transition away from their NGO/CSO.
• Approval from the board to take a sabbatical from work from March – May 2023
• Candidate must be above forty (40) years of age
• Candidate must have been in the executive leadership position for at least ten (10) years
• Candidate must be a full-time paid staff of the NGO
• Medical fitness certified by qualified medical doctor
  Notes

1. Transition for the program is defined in the context of “an NGO leader exiting the NGO in which he/she has been in its full employment and paid staff leadership position for at least 10 years, and moving into a different NGO, academia, business, government, or going into retirement.
2. Once an offer is made, participation may not be deferred.

Benefits

• Stipend: $3,000 covering living support and associated expenses for one month.
• Accommodation: one single furnished bedroom either in a studio/one bedroom, or shared apartment with other fellows for one month.
• Economy class return ticket from home country to host country for in-person learning sessions.
• Visa application fees.
• Travel Health Insurance

Method of Application
Applicants are required to apply for the Fellowship through the electronic application on the AROCSA
website. Applications must include the following:
I. Completed electronic application forms
II. Copy of current passport
III. Curriculum Vitae
IV. Two letters of recommendation (including one from the NGO Board Chair indicating that the board is aware and approves of the applicant’s participation in the fellowship)
V. 3-5 page (double space, 12pt font with one-inch margins) personal statement that includes, but not limited to, the reason for participating in the fellowship and anticipated fellowship objectives that the applicant seeks to achieve
*If selected, you will be required to complete and document a comprehensive assessment of your health status.

Timeline:

• September 23rd, 2022 Applications open
• November 11th, 2022, 5:00 PM WAT Application deadline (all materials must be submitted by this time)
• November 27, 2022 Selection process begins (reviews and Zoom interviews)
• December 16, 2022 Awardee Notification
• March 1 – 31, 2023 In-person Fellowship
• April 1 – May 20, 2023 Remote facilitated career planning and documentation
• May 23 – 27, 2023 Fellow presentations
• May 30, 2023 Fellowship debriefs

Application Deadline: November 11th, 2022

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage