Nonprofit and Public Interest Organization Fellow

THIS POSTING IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO APPLY TO THIS FELLOWSHIP, YOU MUST SUBMIT A FORMAL APPLICATION THROUGH https://www.aspentechpolicyhub.org/nonprofit-and-public-interest-fellows.... ANY APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED THROUGH OTHER MEANS (JOB BOARDS OR EMAILED RESUMES) WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

The Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Since its founding in 1949, the Institute has been driving change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most critical challenges facing communities in the United States and around the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners.

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Overview:

The Aspen Tech Policy Hub's (https://www.aspentechpolicyhub.org/) Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship (https://www.aspentechpolicyhub.org/) is a full-time, paid, in-person fellowship for public interest organizations with an optional final project to support public interest organizations in achieving policy impact. The required part of the fellowship, a full-time 3-week bootcamp, is tentatively scheduled for July 10-July 28, 2023, in the Bay Area. Fellows will have the option to take advantage of Hub staff support by working part-time and remotely on a final project from July 31-September 15, 2023.

The Hub is seeking US-based organizations working in the public interest – for instance, nonprofits, public benefit corporations, unions, or university centers – that want to build a capacity to change policy. To be eligible, your organization (or the unit within your organization that is applying) must not currently employ any policy or government relations staff or lobbyists and must have at least one leader available to join us as a fellow for 3 weeks in the Bay Area. We will prioritize admitting organizations focused on science, technology, cybersecurity, or a related field. We will also prioritize organizations that work directly with communities who face marginalization and/or that seek to tackle disparities around race and ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and other aspects of diversity.

Every organization will designate one primary leader to participate in the training program. A person positioned to succeed in this program would likely have at least 5 years of work experience, be a strong writer, and a desire to participate more meaningfully in policy. This person also should be well positioned within their organization to lead or help lead policy initiatives going forward. We know everyone is unique, so if you do not have those exact skills, you're still welcome to apply. If space permits, organizations may be able to send a second leader to the policy bootcamp free of charge.

Participants will be paid a $6,000 honoraria to defray costs of participating in the in-person fellowship (e.g., food and lodging). Out of town participants will also receive a small stipend to cover travel to the Bay Area.

Our program trains participants to engage in non-lobbying advocacy. We do not teach organizations to lobby or run political campaigns.

Hub staff will host informational webinars on March 23, April 5, and April 11, 2023. See here to register.

Curriculum:

The Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship will consist of two blocks: 1) a mandatory full-time in-person policy bootcamp that teaches fellows the basics of policymaking, including practical exercises; and (2) an optional final project. The policy bootcamp will be in the Bay Area from July 10-July 28, 2023. The optional project period will run from July 31-September 15, 2023.

The policy bootcamp will include:

• An orientation introducing fellows to the fellowship, to the other fellows, and to the policymaking process;

• Regular classes exploring what policy is, how to identify problems, defining alternatives, developing relevant outputs, and communicating to stakeholders; and

• Action-oriented practical exercises, such as ‘how to write a policy memo' or ‘how to give an elevator pitch', founded on real world problems provided by our partners.

In the optional part-time final project, fellows also will have the opportunity either to develop an advocacy plan for their organization, or to take on a substantive policy project in which they create at least one practical policy output—for instance, mock regulations, toolkits for policymakers, white papers, op-eds, or an app. We expect organizations to commit a minimum of 8-10 hours a week for this project phase from July 31 to September 15th if they choose to participate.

Application: Applications are open for the Summer 2023 Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship (https://www.aspentechpolicyhub.org/nonprofit-and-public-interest-fellows...) and are due on April 18, 2023. If you have questions about this program, please see our FAQ page (https://www.aspentechpolicyhub.org/apply/) or reach out to us at [email protected].

The Aspen Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all District and federal laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or protected veteran or disabled status and will not be discriminated against.

Individuals needing an accommodation to complete the job application can contact [email protected] or call (202) 736-5800.