Understanding the Barr Fellowship for Civic Leaders

The Barr Fellowship is a program designed to support and recognize exceptional civic leaders in Massachusetts. It offers a unique opportunity for individuals and their organizations to grow, develop, and strengthen their impact. This fellowship aims to foster resilience, enhance leadership skills, and build supportive organizational cultures. By investing in these leaders, the Barr Foundation seeks to advance social sector work across the state.

What is the Barr Fellowship?

The Barr Fellowship is a program that identifies and supports leaders in the social sector. It has been running since 2005, with new cohorts being invited every few years. Over the years, it has supported 80 leaders from various backgrounds and fields. The program focuses on providing leaders with the resources and support they need to thrive, both personally and professionally. It also encourages them to develop healthy organizational cultures that value leadership at all levels.

Goals of the Fellowship

The Barr Fellowship has several key objectives for its participants and their organizations. Firstly, it aims to help civic leaders experience greater resilience, renewal, and a clearer sense of purpose. This personal development is crucial for long-term sustainability in demanding roles. Secondly, the fellowship seeks to cultivate collaborative leadership capacities and skills among participants. This involves learning to work more effectively with others and building stronger teams.

A third goal is to help leaders develop healthy operating cultures within their organizations. This means creating environments where leadership is recognized and invested in at every level, not just at the top. Finally, the fellowship aims to grow the networks that leaders can rely on and activate to achieve shared goals. These connections are vital for collaboration and mutual support within the social sector.

Program Components

The Barr Fellowship is structured to provide a well-rounded experience over approximately 15 months. A significant part of the program involves cohort connection and learning opportunities, with scheduled programming taking up about 16 days. These sessions are designed for peer learning and networking.

Financially, the fellowship provides a $75,000 grant to the organization of the selected fellow. This grant has a dual purpose: $25,000 is allocated to support the individual fellow’s personal well-being and development. The remaining $50,000 is intended to support the organization’s work in enhancing resilience and well-being for its entire staff.

In addition to financial support, fellows receive 50 hours of coaching. This includes executive coaching specifically for the fellow and organizational coaching to help identify and advance key resilience goals within their organization. Upon completion of the fellowship, participants have opportunities to remain engaged with their cohort and the broader Barr Fellows Network as alumni.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the Barr Fellowship, both the organization and the individual candidate must meet specific criteria.

Organizational Eligibility

Applicant organizations must be registered as a 501(c)3 public charity or be fiscally sponsored by one. They must be headquartered and significantly serve Massachusetts, with at least 75% of their activities taking place within the state. The organization’s operating budget should be between approximately $500,000 and $5 million. It’s also important that the organization has sufficient staffing and resources to continue operations without major disruption while the nominated individual participates in the fellowship.

Furthermore, organizations must demonstrate a commitment to developing a field rooted in justice and belonging, where all staff can thrive. They should also show a dedication to cultivating a healthy operating culture that invests in leadership at all levels. Government agencies, hospitals, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and organizations whose primary function is re-granting are not eligible.

Individual Candidate Eligibility

The individual candidate for the fellowship must hold a position as a CEO, Executive Director, or Co-Director within a nonprofit organization. They should have been in their current role for at least three years. The candidate needs to have between three and ten years of total experience in a paid role as a nonprofit CEO, Executive Director, or Co-Director. They must also intend to remain in the nonprofit sector for the foreseeable future.

The candidate must be a full-time resident of New England, with their professional life and work significantly focused on Massachusetts. A strong personal and professional commitment to justice, belonging, and supporting staff well-being is essential. Finally, the candidate must have the availability, capacity, and commitment to fully participate in all aspects of the fellowship program.

Application Process

The application window for the Barr Fellowship Class of 2026 closes on Tuesday, June 30, at 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Interested individuals and their organizations should ensure all required materials are submitted before this deadline. More detailed information about the application can be found on the Barr Foundation’s website.

Frequently Asked Questions