February 5, 2010
2010 ALSTON BANNERMAN SABBATICAL APPLICATION January 15, 2010
2010 DEADLINE FOR SABBATICAL FELLOWSHIPS IS APRIL 13 September 9, 2009
2009 ALSTON BANNERMAN FELLOWS SELECTED!

February 5, 2010
2010 ALSTON BANNERMAN SABBATICAL APPLICATION We are accepting applications now for the 2010 Alston Bannerman Sabbatical Fellowship.Download application here.

Applications must be postmarked by April 13, 2009

CRITERIA

To qualify for an Alston Bannerman Sabbatical Fellowship, you must:

• be a person of color


• have more than 10 years of community organizing experience


• be committed to social change work in communities of color


• live in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa or U.S. Virgin Islands

Beyond the basic eligibility criteria, the Alston Bannerman 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;


• contributes to building a movement for social change by making connections between issues, developing alliances with other constituencies, and collaborating with other organizations.

The Alston Bannerman Program distinguishes between organizing, services, and advocacy and believes that organizing low-income people at the grassroots level is an indispensible part of successful social change.

The Program does not make awards to individuals:

• who exclusively provide services, such as substance abuse counseling, after-school programs, HIV-AIDS outreach 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.

We do recognize, however, that organizations and leaders combine services, advocacy, and organizing. Providing services as a companion to organizing will not disqualify an applicant for the Sabbatical Fellowship. Similarly, we know that cultural work can be part of an organizing process. In such cases, applicants must demonstrate that their work has a direct and close connection to organizing, leadership development and democratic participation.

We also recognize that organizing is a full-time job for some, but for others it is voluntary work done outside of their employment. Both paid and unpaid leaders are eligible to apply.

REQUIREMENTS

• Fellows are 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 are expected to attend pre- and post-sabbatical retreats.


• Fellows must begin their sabbaticals within one year of the awarding of the Fellowship.


• Fellows must report on their sabbaticals within four months of their completion and describe what they did, what they learned on sabbatical that will improve their leadership, and what impact the sabbatical has had on their work.

SELECTION PROCESS & TIMELINE

• Applications must be postmarked by April 13, 2009


• Applicants not selected as finalists are notified by mail.


• Finalists are notified and interviewed by telephone.

Fellows are selected by the end of July.