If you are an exceptional social entrepreneur or nonprofit leader engaged in building sustainable solutions to poverty and injustice in the United States, the Cordes Fellowship provides an opportunity to participate as a full Delegate at the Opportunity Collaboration USA (OC USA) in Port St. Lucie, Florida in May.
The purpose of the Cordes Fellowship is to open doors, minds and networks for emerging social entrepreneurs and nonprofit executives; enrich OC USA with new, emerging leaders; and infuse OC USA discussions with a diversity of perspectives.
At the Opportunity Collaboration, I honestly learned more in the past few days than in a semester in business school. - Cynthia Koenig, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Wello, USA.
Eligibility Criteria
Successful Cordes Fellowship applicants are high-impact, innovative, entrepreneurial for-profit and nonprofit executives with a demonstrated commitment to social justice and poverty alleviation. Like all Delegates, Cordes Fellows are catalytic leaders who, by their actions and accomplishments, evidence pragmatic vision, passionate tenacity, multi-sectoral thinking, adaptive leadership skills, non-ideological activism and a strong ethical grounding.
Financial need is a primary consideration. Applicants from both for-profit and nonprofit organizations with adequate resources are less likely to be considered. Additionally, please keep in mind that organizations may only receive a Fellowship once and awards are extended to just one senior leader per organization in any given year.
From my learnings at Opportunity Collaboration I felt confident that it was time to start sharing my story, so I’m now sharing it across a variety of mediums. Thank you so much once again for the OC opportunity, it really was a personal and professional game changer. - Adam Braun, Founder & Executive Director, Pencils of Promise, Cambodia.
Cordes Fellowship Terms & Conditions
Cordes Fellows receive a $2,200 award (partially covering their OC USA registration) and pay a $750 registration fee.
The Cordes Fellowship provides an all-inclusive shared-suite for 5 days, meals, full access to leadership programs, capacity building clinics, working discussion groups, agenda roles, organizational showcasing opportunities, pre- and post-event networking concierge services, transportation to and from Palm Beach Airport (PBI), internet fees, onsite recreation and resort fees. Most importantly, they will spend five 5 days connecting with over 400 of the most passionate leaders in the United States. Come prepared to share best practices, illuminate partnership opportunities or reveal a current passion or innovative idea!
All Cordes Fellows are responsible for their own roundtrip airfare and obtaining all necessary travel documents.
The Opportunity Collaboration was absolutely stunning! I was awestruck by the great insights on leading a superior management team and how to have good relations with donors, tackled in a brief, concise way. For the first time in my life, I flew in a plane, visited a foreign nation and attended a high-profile conference. It was a life-changing experience. Long live Opportunity Collaboration! – Wiclif Otieno, Director, Kito International, Kenya.
Application Process & Deadlines
Applications for 2018 Cordes Fellowships are now closed. Applications for 2019 Cordes Fellowships will be open from November 1, 2018 until January 31, 2019. Please check back during that time period for a link to the application.
All 2018 Cordes Fellowship applications submitted before January 31, 2018 will be notified via e-mail regarding the outcome of their application by March 31, 2018. Once notified, Fellows have 30 days to accept the Cordes Fellowship award by registering on the OC website.
Questions about your application or applying? Email fellowship@ocimpact.com