The Open Society Foundations is currently accepting applications for the Leadership in Government Fellowships Program to support former senior-level government staff in the United States who have recently left public service and have played a significant role in advancing social change from within government in the United States at the city, county, tribal, state, and federal levels.
Donor Name: Open Society Foundations
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Fellowship
Deadline: 01/31/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The Leadership in Government Fellowships support outstanding individuals who have played a significant role in advancing social change from within government in the United States and its territories at the city, county, tribal, state and federal levels. The Fellowships will allow recent government leaders to reflect on their public service, expand their network and knowledge, and insert their unique perspectives and expertise into the public dialogue. For the purposes of this solicitation of proposals, they refer to the selected individual grantees as fellows. Fellows will undertake a project of their choosing that will help them promote a richer and more nuanced understanding of the opportunities for making and implementing change from inside of government and, in turn, give them the chance to promote specific policy ideas beyond their former jurisdictions. The Leadership in Government Fellowships will consider proposals for projects that align with the overall goal of building a multi-racial, pro-democracy alliance with enough political, economic, and cultural power to advance an open society at home and abroad.
The Open Society Foundation is interested in public sector leaders that have a deep interest in using this fellowship opportunity to reflect on their time in government and to undertake a project that advances policy ideas and inserts their unique perspectives about making change from within government into the public dialogue.
The Topic of the Project
Open Society—U.S. supports efforts to advance equality, fairness, and justice, with a focus on the most marginalized communities and the most significant threats to open society in the United States. Open Society—U.S. is committed to building a vibrant, inclusive, and more just society in the United States. They combine grantmaking, advocacy, fellowships and field office work to create a single entity dedicated to promoting full participation in the nation’s civic, political, and economic life—particularly for communities that are historically marginalized—and to ensure that the core institutions of civil society are effective, equitable, and accountable to the public.
The issues they work on have included the following:
- ending mass incarceration, making police departments more accountable to the communities they serve, challenging the death penalty, and replacing youth justice policies that stigmatize and suppress with policies that safeguard the rights of children and young people;
- promoting drug policies that ensure access to treatment and address drug use—and the health, mental health, and social needs it creates—within the context of communities rather than the criminal justice system
- promoting fairness and equality for all people in the United States by removing barriers to full participation in economic, social, and civic life for all;
- seeking to reduce the racial wealth gap and change the national racial narrative;
- strengthening the capacity of community and legal organizations that work to promote the rights of immigrants, safeguarding them against unjust attack, and promoting their full participation in American life;
- supporting high-quality journalism to help hold powerful institutions accountable, protecting the public interest on matters of media and information policy, reducing various forms of corruption and the undue influence of money in politics, empowering communities to combat multiple forms of voter suppression, and advancing reforms safeguarding the independence of state and federal courts;
- promoting the rule of law, defending civil liberties and human rights; and
- promoting economic opportunity for all, reducing income equality, establishing fairness in the workplace, and advancing fair housing and lending policies.
Fellowship Award
- Fellows will receive a stipend in a general range of $110,000 to $150,000 depending on percentage of time committed to the project. Projects are either 12 or 18 months in duration.
- These grant amounts are all-inclusive—that is, they are intended to cover a fellow’s living expenses, project-related expenses, travel, conference fees, health insurance, etc.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Leadership in Government Fellowships seek fellowship applicants who have served in senior-level, full-time government positions in the United States and its territories. The ideal candidates are public servants who have recently completed their time in government (or within the last two years) or will have completed their term prior to the beginning of their fellowship and have served in the chief executive role or senior management of their agency or office.
- Ideally, applicants see themselves serving as change agents within government in the future or are looking to apply their public service experience to an advocacy career. People of all political parties or ideologies are encouraged to apply, especially those who can challenge the thinking and approach to social change.
- Successful applicants will demonstrate the following qualities: a keen interest in reflecting on their government service; a passion for solving problems and implementing policy; a desire to advance ideas beyond their former jurisdictions; and a desire to inject their work into the public dialogue. Applicants should also have an interest in engaging constructively with the grantee network, and in furthering Open Society—U.S.’s strategic goal of building and supporting a multi-racial democracy.
For more information, visit OSF.
