The WKKF Community Leadership Network is an 18-month fellowship program for leaders working to transform conditions for children and families at the local and national levels, to connect, grow and lead transformational change toward a more equitable society. Programming and benefits include:

• Six in-person gatherings, three virtual sessions and other engaged learning opportunities facilitated by the Center for Creative Leadership, WKKF and our partners. (Note: Travel expenses, lodging and meals connected to these events and other meetings are paid by the program.)
• Knowledge- and skill-building opportunities focused on leadership, systems change, racial equity and racial healing, community engagement and networking, and leading in place.
• Intentional assessment and self-reflection to understand your leadership identity and chart your journey to showing up more fully, compassionately and effectively.
• Individualized coaching to guide personal and professional development and help fellows get the most out of the program.
• Peer learning and community networking experiences to apply new knowledge and skills to collaborative action in communities and child-serving ecosystems.
• Connection with a powerful community of leaders – both within the fellowship class and with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Global Fellows Network of more than 1,200 change agents around the world.
• A stipend of $20,000 (taxable) to offset potential loss of income, dependent care or other costs to enable your full participation in the fellowship or to use for additional professional development and/or other purposes to support your professional/personal growth and well-being.

The fellowship is an 18-month program. Class four runs from January 2026 through June 2027. Specific time commitments of the program include:

• Participating in six in-person, multi-day gatherings, plus three virtual sessions. (Meetings will rotate to different locations around the U.S.).
• Devoting an additional six to 12 hours each month for completing individual assessments, participating in training or cohort meetings and/or working with your professional leadership coach.
• Collaboratively working with your cohort to put new knowledge and skills into action as part of community networking experiences.
• Showing up and contributing to fostering an inclusive and cohesive fellowship community where everyone feels seen and belongs.
• Journaling about your leadership journey throughout the program, as well as communicating about your fellowship experience at least quarterly, to extend the learning and impact with broader audiences.

Applications for class four open on Aug. 5, 2025. We’re looking for leaders who are at a pivotal moment in their careers to benefit from this type of leadership development and network program, and who are:

• Passionate about bringing the best of yourself to create equitable conditions for children, families and communities.
• Invested locally in your community, with a desire to connect with others in your city, state and beyond to work collectively for greater impact.
• Intentional about deepening your understanding of systems level thinking, community engagement and collective leadership to drive transformational change in communities.
• Engaged in one or more of the following disciplines: academia, business, faith, government, nonprofit or philanthropy or other sectors impacting children, families and communities.
• Experienced in early childhood education, health, food systems, workforce development, family economic security, systems change or other fields that advance children’s well-being.
• Residing in one of WKKF’s priority places in the U.S., including Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico or New Orleans.
• We will also have a U.S, national cohort comprised of leaders from communities across the country. We’re especially interested in supporting leaders in Tribal and rural communities. Note: For this class, only applicants in the contiguous United States (“Lower 48”) or bordering Tribal nations are eligible. Applicants from Alaska, Hawaii and other U.S. territories are not eligible.
• Eager to join the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Global Fellows Network of 1,200+ for ongoing connection, collaborative learning and collective action.
• 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. Previous fellows have ranged in ages from 21 to 65.

Candidates may reside in any state within the United States or Tribal nations. We will convene cohorts for WKKF’s four priority places: Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico or New Orleans. In these places, we have a long history of building relationships, investing in infrastructure and making grants that can be leveraged and fortified through the expansion of the WKKF Community Leadership Network. There will also be a U.S. national cohort of leaders from communities across the country.

We’re especially interested in supporting leaders in Tribal and rural communities. We’re eager to strengthen networks of leaders that reach across sectors, cultures and geographies to enhance our work together on behalf of children, families and communities.

*Note: For this class, only applicants residing in the contiguous United States (“Lower 48”) or bordering Tribal nations are eligible. Applicants from Alaska, Hawaii and other U.S. territories are not eligible.

Yes. The Center for Creative Leadership and W.K. Kellogg Foundation are both 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 bridge divides to bring people together toward solutions. We’re looking for a class of fellows with diverse political perspectives, but a shared passion for advancing the well-being of children, families and communities.

Yes. Elected officials will 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 how to remove barriers and address the systems, policies, practices and beliefs that get in the way of the health, education and economic well-being of children, families and communities.

Neither the fellows nor their employers pay fees to participate. The primary investment you’ll be making is in time and engagement. Travel expenses, lodging, and meals connected to events and meetings will be covered by the program. In addition, each fellow receives a stipend of $20,000 (considered taxable income by the IRS).

The application for class four opens Aug. 5, 2025. Explore the website and materials to see if the WKKF Community Leadership Network might be right for you.

At the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, we believe people have the inherent capacity to solve their own problems and, for 95 years, we have invested in nurturing local leaders to engage communities in improving opportunities 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.

The Center for Creative Leadership® (CCL), one of the most transformational leadership organizations in the world, has been a partner with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for many years. With support from the Kellogg Foundation, CCL offers the WKKF Community Leadership Network–an innovative opportunity for local leaders to connect, grow and lead change that creates the conditions for all children, families and communities to thrive.

CCL leverages more than 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, systemic organizational and social change.

WKKF Community Leadership Network fellows become part of the Global Fellows Network, which spans 44 countries and includes 1,200+ leaders who have participated in one of WKKF’s 17 fellowship programs. This network is the living legacy of Will Keith Kellogg, who believed that leaders in and from communities are the key to sustainable change.

The Global Fellows Network is administered by WKKF to support ongoing connection, collaborative learning and collective action. The network facilitates opportunities to meet and partner with other leaders; share ideas and innovative approaches; and work together to accelerate change that benefits children, families and communities.

Class four fellows have the opportunity to draw on this network while in the program and long afterwards.

You can encourage them to visit the website to learn more and apply.

“For me, the fellowship has been full of such great lessons of self-mastery. It has given me the tools and the confidence to be able to do a lot of internal work. To feel more confident, to be able to be in spaces that are not necessarily comfortable, and to be comfortable seeking out differences.” –Class Three Fellow, Michigan Cohort

“The fellowship has given us an opportunity to come together as leaders and have a space for one another. And also to think through what we are trying to accomplish for our children and how we do that together, as opposed to in siloes.” –Class Two Fellow, New Mexico Cohort

“When we are healers ourselves, as leaders, then we can spread that healing to more people as we try to build racial solidarity and racial equity in the United States and abroad.” –Class Two Fellow, New Orleans Cohort

“The fellowship really opened me up to understanding that it’s not just about serving our local population, but about championing racial equity and changing systems in place.” –Class One Fellow