WCF Fellowship Program
“The WCF Fellowship program taught me a lot about fundraising and campaign work in such a short period of time. They gave me important tools that I will use throughout my professional life. I credit them with helping me get a job after graduation.”
—Kate Cogswell, Summer 2009 Development Fellow
The fellowship program is designed to provide young women and men with practical, firsthand experience within a national political organization.
To compliment specialty roles, all WCF Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in training in areas such as:
- Donor cultivation and event planning
- Candidate research, tracking and support
- New Media efforts within a non-profit atmosphere (blog, Facebook, Twitter and more)
- Political database basics and non-profit infrastructure
- Public speaking and presentation
“WCF helped me realize that I have the skills and potential to run for office and win!”
—Kayla Calkin, Fall 2009 Programs Fellow
Check out what our Summer 2009 Fellows had the opportunity to work on at WCF.
To Apply: Please complete the online form to submit a resume, a list of references and the WCF Fellowship Essay. In your essay, please describe your interest in WCF and women's issues and describe a project that you would like to focus on during your fellowship. Read about some of our past fellowship projects here.
Application Deadline and Interview Process: Application deadline is July 31, 2010. Applications received after this date will not be reviewed. All interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis as we receive applications. Early applications are highly encouraged.
Step 1: Resume, Online Questionnaire and Essay Review
Step 2: Brief Phone or In-Person Interview
Step 3: Reference Check
Step 4: Offer Extended
Duration: Ideally, the 2010 Fall Fellows Program will begin August 30th and conclude December 10. While we would prefer a commitment for the specified time period listed, the individual start and ends dates can be negotiated at the time of the offer.
Qualifications: Applicants should have excellent research, writing and communications skills as well as the ability to work independently and in a small group setting. Applicants must have excellent computer skills. A strong interest in progressive women’s issues and increased representation of women in political office is critical.
Location and Compensation: Fellows will work at the WCF office in Washington D.C. Full-time Fellows will receive $1500 for Summer Fellowships and $2000 for Semester Fellowships total through the course of the program.
Categories of Specialty Roles: Six categories of fellowship roles are available. Qualified candidates may designate an interest in more than one category if interested. A total of 8-10 fellows will join our Semester 2010 program.
PAC Law Fellows will work with the Political and Finance departments to support WCF PAC's outreach and state strategy. The fellows will research state requirements for registering a PAC for contributions at the state and local level and create a system with steps required for filing in each state where WCF PAC endorses candidates and file state reports. The fellows will also work to create a deadline tracking system for the states where WCF is registered and create a state prioritization report for PAC activities based on research of filing requirements. To qualify, candidates should have exceptional research and writing skills, a high level of computer savvy, experience with using excel and an interest in learning about the inner workings of a PAC.
WCF Foundation Research Fellows will work directly with the WCF Foundation Research and Operations Manager to support and expand the foundation's research and development activities. Foundation fellows will assist with research on grant deadlines and future grant opportunities. The fellows will also assist in the development of the new WCF Foundation research projects. To qualify, candidates must have a strong interest in research relating to women's issues and experience in grant writing and research is necessary.
Development & Donor Management Fellows will work with the Development Coordinator and Events and Scheduling Coordinator to cultivate donors to expand the membership of WCF. Development fellows will be working closely with the development team on event planning, fundraising research and member outreach. To qualify, candidates must have political savvy, work well in a small team environment, have the ability to multitask and learn quickly and have an interest in fundraising and related events.
Communications Fellows will work with the Communications and New Media Manager to enhance WCF’s national profile, online and off. The fellows will assist in managing WCF’s social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace), website, Women and Politics blog, video projects, email campaigns, and data maintenance. This is an excellent opportunity to learn how nonprofits use new media and technology to complement traditional communications work. To qualify, candidates should have knowledge of new media and web 2.0, a high level of computer and web savvy, excellent writing skills, and the ability to multitask and learn quickly.
Non-Profit Operations Fellows will work directly with the Finance & Operations Director and will provide support for a wide range of current projects. Some of the main responsibilities will include assisting with accounting daily procedures, organizational reports filings, vendors management, and office management. This is a great position to gain an understanding on how a non-profit organization functions. To qualify, candidates should have a strong interest in non-profit management as well as experience using excel and familiarity with databases.
Political Programs Fellows will work with the Political
Director, Programs Manager, and Programs Coordinator to build on WCF’s
She Should Run program and WCF PAC’s current and past endorsements. The
fellows will assist with She Should Run marketing and alumnae services
operations, track candidate progress, build profiles of newly endorsed
candidates and manage the creation of bi-weekly newsletters. To qualify, candidates should have a high level interest in politics, strong research skills and exceptional writing skills.
