Ignite Fellowship

IGNITE Fellowship Program Description

The IGNITE Fellowship for Women of Color in the Social Sector is a nine-month leadership development program for mid-career women of color leaders in nonprofit organizations across the United States.

The program offers Fellows exposure to best practices, processes for building personal and organizational leadership, and opportunities to build and strengthen core management capacities.

In keeping with the mission of the People of Color Leadership Network, the program is located in a social sector context and approached from an appreciative stance – valuing and uplifting the assets each Fellow brings. Furthermore, Fellows have the space to explore facets of their own identity while examining the intersection of identity and leadership.

Program Sponsorship

The IGNITE Fellowship is made possible in part through generous support from American Express. One of American Express' three platforms for its philanthropy is Developing New Leaders for Tomorrow. Under this giving initiative, which recognizes the significance of strong leadership in the nonprofit sector, American Express is making grants focused on training high potential emerging leaders to tackle important issues in the 21st century. Learn more here

The Experience

IGNITE Fellows can expect to engage in action-oriented, peer-to-peer and experiential learning sessions that leverage both theory and practice to foster:

Self Mastery through Reflective Practice: Fellows will acquire the disciplined practice of reflection required to ground leadership in their values while discovering unique strengths, challenges, preferences and tendencies.
Knowledge of Practical Leadership Frameworks: Fellows will explore new approaches and practical steps to set direction, facilitate alignment, foster commitment and achieve results in a changing environment.
Senior Management Competencies: Fellows will work to increase their organization’s impact by enhancing core managerial skills such as coaching/supervision; branding; and fundraising/board development.
Powerful Professional Networks: Fellows will develop strategies for strengthening and amplifying their professional networks while cultivating new relationships within the fellowship cohort.

Kick-off Institute

The nine-month IGNITE fellowship begins with a five-day leadership institute designed to expose fellows to the work of leading-edge social sector organizations, foster connectivity among the fellowship cohort, offer a restorative space for fellows to build leadership capacity, and set the stage for future learning sessions over the course of the fellowship. The Institute draws on the best of New York City as a dynamic hub for nonprofit innovation and also offers a space for reflection and rejuvenation.

The institute runs from Thursday, August 1 through Tuesday, August 6, 2013, and all applicants must attend the full institute to participate in the fellowship. It begins with convenings in New York City, followed by a four-day intensive program at the newly renovated Hyatt Regency Greenwich in Old Greenwich, CT.

Fellowship Program

Over nine months from August 2013 through April 2014, fellows will participate in ongoing peer mentoring, coaching and webinars to work toward personal and professional leadership goals with the support of cohort members and fellowship managers.

The curriculum is designed to deepen Fellows' leadership practice, provide support as they advance, and equip them with management competencies that enhance the effectiveness of their organizations.