2022 Community Revitalization Fellowship FAQ’s
Who should apply?
The ideal application team is organized by an institutional partner—community foundations, land bank authorities, or any established nonprofit organization with a 501(c)3 designation—with a demonstrated commitment to addressing community and economic development challenges. The ideal application team also includes six individual fellows who are actively working in revitalization and/or creative placemaking efforts on vacant or problem properties, preferably outside of their professional work.
All applicants must be from a small or midsized community (population of 300,000 or less) in the United States or Puerto Rico. Communities can be urban, suburban, or rural municipalities. Priority will be given to communities where vacancy, abandonment, and disinvestment most severely impacts communities of color.
Can you explain the 300,000 population limit?
If your city’s total population is greater than 300,000, you are not eligible for this program. That means if the neighborhood you hope to target has a population of approximately 50,000, but your city’s total population is 600,000, but you are not eligible to participate in the fellowship.
If a community is unincorporated, what population is used to determine eligibility?
If your community is unincorporated, we will use the population of the county to determine eligibility.
Who can be an "institutional partner"?
Community foundations, land bank authorities, or any established nonprofit organization with a 501(c)3 designation with experience in revitalization and a deep commitment to resident engagement and racial equity, are invited to apply.
What role will the institutional partner play in the application process?
The institutional partner will serve as the lead applicant and point of contact for the Community Revitalization Fellowship. They will be responsible for gathering and submitting all application materials, and will provide support, mentorship, and logistical help to their community’s cohort of fellows during the course of the fellowship.
Where can I find the application?
When are applications due?
Applications are due no later than Friday, February 25th at 5:00 p.m. EST. Applications and any questions about the application process can be sent to crf@communityprogress.org.
When will you announce the selected applicants?
We will announce selected applicants by April 8, 2022.
About the Learning Exchanges
Where will the three learning exchanges take place?
One learning exchange will take place in each of the three communities accepted into the fellowship.
When are the Learning Exchanges?
The tentative dates for the learning exchanges are as follows:
- June 23-26, 2022
- Jan 27-29, 2023 (alternative date: March 3-5, 2023)
- April 28-30, 2023 (alternative date: May 5-7, 2023)
Dates will be confirmed after the cohort communities are selected. Applicants should anticipate a one- or two-night overnight stay for each of the two learning exchanges that require travel.
About Participating in the Fellowship
How much does it cost to participate in the Community Revitalization Fellowship?
Thanks to the generous support from the Oak Foundation, tuition is on us! Travel, lodging, and on-site meals are also included.
What if a fellow included on our application can no longer participate?
If a proposed fellow who was included in the team’s accepted application package can no longer participate in the fellowship, the institutional partner may propose another participant to take their place. The institutional partner should submit a new Resident Leader Questionnaire (included in the application) for the new fellow. Please note this is different than if a participating Fellow cannot attend one of the learning exchanges (see question 13, below).
I am an enrolled fellow, but I can’t make a learning exchange. Can someone else attend in my place?
Your presence will be missed! The Community Revitalization Fellowship is committed to investing in people. Participants will be guided through trainings that build on one another during the course of the fellowship. Therefore, a replacement cannot be sent in your absence.
Can fellows come from different neighborhoods across a community?
Yes. Each cohort should comprise grassroots community leaders representing a diverse range of skills, connections, and neighborhoods across the community.
Can potential fellows work in the community that is applying to participate in the fellowship? For example, can fellows be employees of community development corporations or local government?
Community Progress expects that most or all fellows will be engaged in their neighborhoods as volunteers, not as career professionals. Those who work on revitalization issues through their jobs may be part of a cohort, as long as they are also residents of the community. However, this program’s primary aim is to serve people who are engaged in vacant property projects, neighborhood revitalization, and creative placemaking in a volunteer capacity.
Do the fellows need to have an established history of working together?
No, fellows do not need to know each other prior to participating in this fellowship. One of the goals of the fellowship is to strengthen relationships within participating communities.
Can youth be part of the community cohort?
All fellows must be 18 years of age or older. If youth are involved in the local project that a participating community would like to highlight as part of the learning exchange, we will work with the cohort to determine an appropriate role for those youth during the learning exchange.
About Stipends for Fellows and Funding for Institutional Partners in the Fellowship
How and when will stipends for fellows be paid?
Fellows will receive a $230 stipend for each learning exchange they attend, up to $690 total. Stipends will be delivered as a check by mail or a direct deposit after each of the learning exchanges.
When will institutional partners receive their funding?
The institutional partner will receive $14,000 in funding as part of their participation in CRF. The $4,000 institutional partners support will be provided in three equal installments, after the completion of each learning exchange. The remaining $10,000 will be provided at the conclusion of the program.
Are there any restrictions for the use of the $14,000 in funds for the institution partners?
$4,000 can be used by the institutional partner to reimburse for time spent on providing guidance, mentorship, and logistical support to the cohort. The remaining $10,000 should be used to support arts, culture, and creative placemaking on problem properties. We have intentionally left the description of the use of these funds flexible because we know that each community has specific needs. However, we do ask the institutional partner to share in thier application their ideas for how these funds can best support the goals of this program.
About the Revitalization Workshop
What is the difference between the Virtual Revitalization Workshop and the learning exchanges?
The learning exchanges are reserved for the six fellows from each community. The Virtual Revitalization Workshop is an opportunity for a broader group of community stakeholders to build their knowledge, helping to extend the momentum of the Community Revitalization Fellowship into the broader community. The workshops will be approximately two hours long and hosted towards the end of the fellowship.
Additional Questions
How can I learn more about what you’ll look for in application?
The full application document has much more information about what we’ll look for in successful applications.
In addition, all organizations and individuals who are considering applying for the fellowship are encouraged to watch the informational webinar.
Who do I contact with questions?
Any additional questions can be sent to crf@communityprogress.org
Thank you so much for your interest in the 2022-23 Community Revitalization Fellowship. We look forward to seeing your application!