Alston Bannerman Sabbatical Fellowship for Community Organizers of Color

Posted by on January 23, 2011

Alston Bannerman Sabbatical Fellowship Invites Applications for Community Organizers of Color
Deadline: April 5, 2011

The Alston Bannerman Sabbatical Fellowship honors and supports longtime organizers of color by giving them the resources to take time out for reflection and renewal. Fellows each receive $25,000 to take sabbaticals for three months or more.

To qualify for a fellowship, an applicant must be a person of color, have more than ten years of community organizing experience, be committed to social change work in communities of color, and live in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Beyond the basic eligibility criteria, the program seeks applicants whose work attacks root causes of inequity by organizing those affected to take collective strategic action; challenges the systems that perpetrate injustice and effects institutional and structural change; builds community capacity for democratic participation and develops grassroots leadership; acknowledges the cultural values of the community; creates accountable participatory structures in which community members have decision-making power; and contributes to building a movement for social change by making connections between issues, developing alliances with other constituencies, and collaborating with other organizations.

The program distinguishes between organizing, services, and advocacy, and does not make awards to individuals who exclusively provide services, such as substance abuse counseling, afterschool programs, or shelter for the homeless; or who advocate on behalf of a community without directly involving the members of that community in asserting their own interests and choosing their own leadership. However, applicants who provide services or engage in advocacy as a companion to organizing will not be disqualified.

Both paid and unpaid leaders are eligible to apply.

Fellowship recipients will be required to stop their day-to-day work activities for at least three consecutive months and devote that time to activities that are substantially different from their normal routine. Fellows must begin their sabbaticals within one year of receiving the award, and are expected to attend pre- and post-sabbatical retreats.

Visit the Center for Social Inclusion Web site for complete program guidelines and application procedures.

http://www.centerforsocialinclusion.org/fellows_news/?url=apply-for-the-2011-alston-bannerman-sabbatical-fellowship-1