The WKKF Community Leadership Network is an 18-month fellowship program for local leaders to connect, grow and lead transformational change on behalf of children, families and communities. Programming and benefits include:

• Knowledge- and skill-building trainings focused on leadership, racial equity and racial healing, community engagement and networking, and leading in place.
• Five, multi-day gatherings, and a series of other engaged learning opportunities facilitated by the Center for Creative Leadership, WKKF and other partners. Travel expenses, lodging, and meals connected to these events and other meetings are paid by the program.
• Individualized coaching to guide personal and professional development and help fellows get the most out of the program.
• A three-month, place-based culminating project experience to apply new knowledge and skills in developing a strategic plan and leading collaborative action in communities.
• Connection with a community of leaders – both within the fellowship class of 60 and with an extensive network of 1,700+ alumni – all working to advance equity.
• A stipend of $25,000 (taxable) and an opportunity to participate in an international summit with the Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance (KFLA) network.

The fellowship is 18 months. The current Class Two will run from March 2019 through August 2020. Specific time commitments include:

• Participating in five, multi-day gatherings, plus a two-day closing. (Meetings rotate to different locations around the U.S.)
• Devoting four to 12 hours each month to additional training, cohort meetings and/or individual work with a coach.
• Collaboratively leading a place-based culminating project that builds throughout the program and is fully executed in the last three months, putting new knowledge and skills into action.
• Being part of and contributing to fostering a supportive, collaborative fellowship community throughout the program.
• Documenting and communicating about your fellowship experience quarterly to extend the learning and impact with broader audiences.
• Collaborating with CCL and WKKF to help shape current class programming, as well as evaluating and providing input for future classes.

We seek to recruit a diverse class of fellows who are:

• Passionate about improving opportunities for children, families and communities.
• At a pivotal moment in their careers to benefit from this type of leadership development and network program.
• Intentional about deepening their understanding of racial equity and racial healing to create transformational change in communities.
• Representative of a broad range of disciplines, such as academia, business, faith, government, nonprofit or philanthropy.
• Experienced or interested in early childhood education, health, food systems, workforce development, family economic security, racial equity or other fields that advance children’s well-being.
• Residing in the U.S. (Class Two includes five cohorts of fellows – four from WKKF’s priority places of Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans, and one national U.S. cohort.)
• Have basic knowledge of and access to a computer with Office systems, email and Internet.

We look for candidates who have high potential to be a transformational leader, and are at a pivotal moment in their careers to benefit from this type of leadership development program and network. Candidates must have at least five years of relevant professional experience.

Candidates must reside in the U.S. Class Two is made up of four cohorts from WKKF’s priority communities of Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans, as well as one national cohort.

Yes. The Center for Creative Leadership and W.K. Kellogg Foundation are non-partisan, non-political organizations. A key focus of the WKKF Community Leadership Network program is for fellows to learn how to navigate differences and bring people together toward solutions. We look for fellows with diverse political perspectives, but a shared passion for advancing the well-being of children, families and communities.

Yes. Elected officials gain critical knowledge and skills to address today’s governance challenges and lead transformational change in communities. The WKKF Community Leadership Network program is for all types of leaders – providing opportunities to understand the embedded racism in our systems and structures, and to learn practical approaches for engaging and bringing communities together toward solutions.

We’ll be recruiting for the next class in 2020. Now is the time to explore the website and materials to see if the WKKF Community Leadership Network might be right for you. Also, please check back for periodic updates on what the current class of fellows is learning.

Neither the fellows nor their employers pay fees to participate. The primary investment you make is in time. Travel expenses, lodging and meals connected to events and meetings are covered by the program. Fellows receive a stipend of $25,000 (considered taxable income by the IRS) and an opportunity to participate in an international summit with the Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance (KFLA) network.

The alumni network is the Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance (KFLA), which was started in 2002 by past fellows to support ongoing learning, connection and collective action. KFLA includes fellows from 15 different Kellogg Foundation leadership programs and spans continents, languages and sectors. KFLA provides resources, best practices and news, as well as hosts webinars, interactive roundtables and events for learning and collaboration. WKKF Community Leadership Network fellows will have the opportunity to draw on these resources while in the program and afterwards.

At the Kellogg Foundation, we believe people have the inherent capacity to solve their own problems and, for more than 90 years, we have invested in nurturing local leaders to engage communities in improving opportunity for children and families. The WKKF Community Leadership Network is a continuation of the Kellogg Foundation’s commitment to support local leaders and foster collaborative action toward a more equitable society.

As a world-class leadership development program, the WKKF Community Leadership Network will equip the next generation of leaders to bridge the divides in our society and build a more equitable future for all.

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) has been a partner with the Kellogg Foundation for many years, supporting the leadership development of foundation staff. With support from the Kellogg Foundation, CCL – one of the most transformational leadership organizations in the world – is now managing the WKKF Community Leadership Network. CCL leverages nearly 50 years of leadership development experience in service to positively transforming the way leaders and organizations confront the difficult challenges of our time. CCL’s programs incorporate their proven, cutting-edge leadership research, while engaging each individuals’ priorities and goals. Their participants receive the tools to rise above the limitations and challenges that get in the way of creating meaningful and systemic organizational and social change.