The Chicago Community Trust Fellowship Application Process

Eligibility

Candidates for the Trust Fellowship must have a demonstrated commitment to, and passion for, their field and must be currently employed full-time in the nonprofit or public sector in the metropolitan Chicago region, which includes Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.

Past recipients of Trust Fellowships, professionals from academic institutions and employees or board members of The Chicago Community Trust and its affiliates are not eligible to apply.

The Trust offers two fellowship tracks, one for Emerging Leaders and one for Experienced Leaders.

Emerging Leader requirements:

Program, budget and supervisory responsibility appropriate to the scale of the organization
At least five years of professional working experience and at least two years of management experience
A track record of accomplishments which demonstrates leadership ability and potential for professional growth
Endorsement from his/her organization's leader

Experienced Leader requirements:

Membership in an organization's senior leadership team with responsibilities for organizational strategic planning, program/budget and personnel management
At least 15 years of professional working experience and 10 years of management experience
A working relationship with the board of directors
Endorsement from his/her organization's leader or board chair

Fellowship Amounts

Emerging leaders: up to $30,000
Experienced leaders: up to $60,000
Award may fund salary and benefits during a leave of absence from work, costs related to academic courses, coaching or learning from other practitioners

Application Deadline

Applications for the 2013 Fellowship are due by Friday, June 15 at 11:59 p.m.

How to Apply

1. Application

Individuals who wish to apply must complete an online application. To begin your application, create a new account for the online application system.

Note: If your organization has applied for a Trust grant within the past six months, you may log in using your existing username and password. On your dashboard, look for the "Apply" link at left to begin.

Special: Informational session

Please note that this session has been reschduled.

The Trust will hold a Q & A session on Thursday, May 24 from 9:00 to 11:00am at The Chicago Community Trust, 225 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2200 in Chicago. If you have been to the Trust's office before, please note our new address. You can RSVP for this information session by email to Elizabeth Weldon at Please bring a photo ID and check in at the building's security desk.

2. Application review and selection

Applications will be reviewed by a screening committee to determine which applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal for the Fellowship. The Trust will notify all applicants of the results via email in mid-July.

3. Proposal submission and evaluation

Selected individuals will receive instructions on the full proposal requirements. Applicants will be asked to provide details of their professional development plans. The selection committee will review the proposals and select applicants to be interviewed.

4. Interview and final selection

Finalist interviews by the selection committee will take place in early October. The Trust will then notify applicants of the results. The fellowship year will run from January 1 to December 31, 2013.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about the fellowship after reviewing the Frequently Asked Questions, please contact Janice Pacheco at 312.616.7600 ext. 132 or