Are you interested in becoming a Community Leadership Institute fellow?

Sage Leaders’ Community Leadership Institute (CLI) is a fellowship program that resources, educates, and places emerging leaders from communities of color and low-income communities to serve on strategic municipal boards and commissions.

Launched in 2015, the six-month fellowship trains emerging leaders in issues such as housing, land use, transit, climate, and economic development. Graduates learn the nuts and bolts of local government processes, such as municipal budgeting, parliamentary procedures, and lawmaking, as well as advocacy, storytelling, and communication skills.

After graduation, the fellows apply for and are placed on strategic boards, commissions, and task forces at the city and county level. Through participation, CLI alums have the opportunity to move forward a racial equity agenda at a government level by asking critical questions about who benefits and who is burdened by policy decisions and offering solutions that integrate community participation and perspectives as part of the decision-making process.

 

2024 - 2025 Community Leadership Institute (King And Pierce CountIES)

Location: In-person in Seattle, WA (Open to all applicants in King and Pierce Counties or can attend in person in Seattle, WA)

Dates: September 2024 to April 2025

Contact: Francis Abugbilla

Application Timeline: March 11 to May 3, 2024 at 11:59 pm PST

 

Attend an Information Session to learn more about the fellowship:

Program Requirements

Who participates in the fellowship?

Community members who are representative of, and accountable to, communities of color, especially the African American population, the immigrant and refugee population, the LGBTQIA population, and the low-income population of Washington state.

Required Qualifications

  • Be interested in civic engagement, careers in community leadership or public office, and/or have knowledge or experience related to race and social justice.

  • Be at least 18 years of age

  • Attend all monthly trainings and events & commit to serving on a board or commission after completion of the program. The Community Leadership Institute will launch in September 2024 and end in April 2025. Workshops take place every first Saturday of the month (8:30 am - 5:00 pm) and every fourth Wednesday (6:00 pm - 8:00 pm) via Zoom. All fellows are given a stipend for participation in the program.

  • Meet the residency requirements of the board or commission you are interested in sitting on (i.e., if you are aiming for a Renton seat, you must live in Renton. If you are looking for a Pierce County seat, you must live anywhere in Pierce County). 

Preferred Proficiencies

  • Lived experience related to the social justice issues that affect communities of color and low income communities

  • Proficient written and oral skills

  • Deep dedication and commitment to social justice work

  • Connection to a community/base (i.e.: faith group, ethnic based group, union membership, neighborhood group, issue based book club, etc.)

  • Willingness and ability to make the time commitment to serve on a board or commission post CLI graduation (i.e. some boards and commissions meet monthly, some meet during the day, and most are not financially resourced)

  • Rooted in racial justice, intersectionality, community perspective, relatability to the work

  • Have aspirations to work for the city, run a union, run a community organization, etc.

  • Can commit fully to the CLI program

To Apply

Materials Required

  • Application profile

  • Two professional references

  • Essay

  • Either a record of professional/education experience or current resume

  • Optional: video submission (in addition to/or instead of the other materials)

 

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is May 3, 2024 at 11:59 pm PST. If you have questions regarding the application or need help filling it out, please contact Francis Abugbilla. 

Timeline

Applicants selected for interviews will be notified by May 31, 2024. 

Interviews will be conducted by Sage staff and the CLI Advisory Committee from June 12 to July 12, 2024.

We will notify the final cohort by July 25 to August 10, 2024.