The Women of Color (WOC) LeadStrong Fellowship was created with the purpose of elevating and strengthening the vision, voice, power, and leadership of Black, Indigenous, women of color working for social and racial equity and justice in the social sector.  The LeadStrong Fellowship, launched in January 2019, confronted years of unmet needs, unsustainable practices, and a call to challenge the systems of oppression inside and outside the nonprofit sector. Disrupted in 2020 during COVID-19, political turmoil, and racial tension, we launched the WOC Health and Well-being Survey to capture in real-time how our cohort members weathered these storms. It is also a direct response to the cumulative toll that limited resources, inadequate support, and continued social stressors have on the underrepresented and often neglected population of women of color leaders within the social sector who are serving larger marginalized communities. Stress, declining mental health, and burnout are all adverse health outcomes that served as the backdrop to this study. The pilot cohort demonstrated the importance of having a support system uniquely designed for the realities of our society that harm people of color, as well as equip them with the tools to dismantle these oppressive structures. Women of color’s well-being should be acknowledged and recognized as necessary for effective and sustainable change. 

READ: "Women of Color LeadStrong Health and Well-being Survey Snapshot" about why the program was created and how it is designed.  

The curriculum for our 2027 Emerging Women of Color cohort was developed specifically for nonprofit leaders who identify as Black, Indigenous, women of color or women of the global majority. We understand that there are many identities held as women and that includes Two Spirit/IndigeQueer, gender non-conforming, nonbinary, and transgender women. If you would like to speak more about the space that we co-create, please email us at leadstrong@leaderspring.org, or join us at a Meet & Greet or Ask Me Anything

We believe that leadership is a set of practices and qualities anyone can cultivate and grow, it is a practice beyond titles or job descriptions. An emerging leader might be someone who hasn’t had many formal opportunities to express their leadership but still practice leadership in the places and roles they can. They might be frontline workers who have cultivated a grassroots leadership role within their communities and/or in their organizations. Emerging leaders may be leading in their communities, places of worship, volunteering, or neighborhoods. They may be emerging visionaries or managers, imaging beyond the present structure into the potential of their leadership to think beyond themselves in service of collective liberation, healing and growth. Emerging leaders are people who may not have a “traditional leadership” role or title, like Manager or Director, but they practice being in service to their community through the development of self-awareness, skills, and passion. We intend this opportunity for people who have not had access to many leadership opportunities.

Yes, applicant should live in the Bay Area and their organizations should be part of the San Francisco Bay Area social sector. Applicants must be committed to participate in person for monthly day-long Leader Circles in San Francisco or the East Bay, and the opening and closing retreats held in Northern California. We have observed that living in the Bay Area creates more ease and consistency in participation.   

Applications are reviewed by a panel of LeaderSpring Center's staff and alumni. We review for applicant eligibility and plan to invite up to 30 applicants to a virtual 60 minute interview. Applicants are invited to the Fellowship based on their applications and interviews alignment with the intended outcomes of the cohort. 

If this program doesn’t fit into your schedule this round and you would like to be considered for future cohorts, please fill out this general inquiry form. Please pass this to anyone else in your network you think would benefit from this program! Feel free to email us at leadstrong@leaderspring.org or attend a Meet and Greet or Ask Me Anything session if you have questions.