Information for Host Organization Applicants

 

Host Site applications for the 2025-26 Public Service Fellowship Program will close on Friday, February 7, 2025.

Through a competitive application and interview process, recent college graduates are selected from across the country to participate in the Cleveland Foundation Public Service Fellowship program. Each Fellow will be matched with a public sector agency with a supportive corporate culture and a commitment to providing opportunities to develop leadership and innovation. In addition to placements within the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, selected public service agencies and nonprofit organizations may also include those which provide a range of public goods and services, such as education, healthcare, housing, transportation, and more. The 2025-26 host sites will be listed in full once selection is finalized.

Eligibility 

A commitment and a process for developing and advancing talented individuals that are early in their careers, and a well-defined scope of work or project.

An agency/organization should consider applying to host a fellow if it:

  • is a public sector agency or a nonprofit organization that works in close partnership with the public sector
  • is able to hire the fellow as a full-time employee subject to regular rights and responsibilities of the agency/organization, providing the workspace, equipment, and resources that are required for the fellow to complete their work assignments 
  • has a vision for mentoring an emerging leader and a senior staff member that is available to serve as the fellow’s supervisor – offering support, learning opportunities, and feedback throughout the year
  • has a well-defined scope of work with meaningful project(s) that a fellow could truly move forward within a one-year period
  • excels at providing a stable and collegial work environment with a corporate culture that continually seeks to understand and support the fellowship experience
  • is able to develop a plan for regularly scheduled “access to leadership” within the organization
  • understands that the fellow will need to be released for the equivalent of about 2 paid days (14 hours) per month for training and professional with the cohort; they sessions are expected to be attended in full and each fellow will coordinate one to delve deeper into the work of their host agency
  • is open to providing feedback and engaging in ongoing communication with the Cleveland Foundation and/or other supervisors
    • There will be ongoing opportunities for supervisors to convene and connect with Cleveland Foundation staff.
    • There will also be avenues for ongoing communication and feedback including periodic e-mail updates (sometimes with brief surveys), program events with the fellows, and an end-of-year survey (in lieu of a final grant report).

To apply: 

If you work within a public sector agency or a nonprofit organization that works in close partnership with the public sector and your team is interested in hosting a fellow, please email Stephanie to confirm your eligibility and request an application. An application will be emailed to you to be completed by the February 7, 2025 deadline. 

Cleveland Foundation’s Commitment to Diversity

The Cleveland Foundation exists to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Greater Cleveland.  The ability to carry out our mission and to foster a commitment to excellence can best be pursued if our workforce, grantees, donors, partners and governing body include individuals of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and perspectives. The foundation, in partnership with its host sites, is committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion across all of Cleveland’s public sector agencies by using this fellowship as a catalyst for developing a pipeline of future leaders for Northeast Ohio.

For questions about the program, please contact:

Stephanie Molnar, Program Manager, Leadership Development 
Email Stephanie
216-685-4009