The Roddenberry Fellowship is rooted in the revolutionary power of relationships and networks, because the way we work must mirror the world we want to create.
Individually, Fellows are innovative, optimistic, and impact-driven. Collectively, the Fellowship community is constantly adapting to provide relevant resources, connections, and solidarity.
To date, there are over 100 Roddenberry Fellows from across the country, working on critical issues from immigrant detention and voting rights to healthcare and domestic abuse. Together, their collective efforts are creating a more diverse, inclusive country for all of us.
Who we’re looking for
The Roddenberry Fellowship is for US-based individuals working toward social justice who meet the following criteria:
The work addresses the inherent intersectionality of entrenched issues
The approach builds on existing knowledge in a new and potentially impactful way
Fellows are an integral part of the community they’re working with
Fellows value community - and have the capacity to contribute back as well
Fellows are founders/co-founders, and are in their organization’s key decision-making role (ED, CEO, or equivalent)
Organizations that have <$2mil budgets and have been in operation for <5 years
Roddenberry Fellows are an extraordinary group of activists, leaders, and disruptors who are responding with urgency and creativity to structural inequities and an enduring climate of increased enmity and blame.
How it works
The Roddenberry Fellowship application process has three rounds. This allows us to ask for minimal information in the first round, and invite a smaller group to share more information in the second round, ideally saving candidates time and energy. The final round consists of short, virtual interviews that allow us to get to know candidates, and candidates to share more about their work as well as ask questions about the program.
The Fellowship application process will be conducted in three rounds:
Each Fellow’s initiative has significant potential to create lasting change, and yet each Fellow is so much more than their work. To this end, the Fellowship is designed to make sure that Fellows get the resources they need to move their initiative forward as well as feel personally supported in the process. This holistic approach benefits from the deep Fellowship network, and allows the ongoing cultivation of a cross-sector network of activists, community leaders, advocates, and changemakers.
LA retreat Fellows meet in person in Los Angeles for a facilitated week of sharing stories, identifying potential collaborations, and building the foundation for deeper connections and relationships.
During the year Throughout the year, Fellows continue to deepen the connections with each other and alums through monthly calls, weekly emails, learning groups and local, in-person meet-ups. Fellows also meet with coaches and external experts who can support their work.
Fall retreat At the fall retreat, alumni join the current cohort to mix and mingle, participate in peer-led sessions, and meet people working in the local community.
Alumni network As the first year of the Fellowship draws to a close, Fellows are welcomed into the alumni network, and through ongoing engagement, have access to benefits ranging from coaching to conference panels to Q&A sessions with funders and experts.
The diversity of our country is our greatest strength, and yet it is often at the crux of today’s most heated debates, harmful policies, and divisive politics.
The Roddenberry Fellowship is rooted in Gene Roddenberry’s belief that we must not just “accept differences between ourselves and our ideas, but enthusiastically welcome and enjoy them.” What could be possible if we embrace our differences? If disagreements were seen as a beginning instead of the end? If all people were “enthusiastically welcomed” and allowed to thrive?
The Roddenberry Fellowship embodies Gene’s vision of a more diverse, optimistic, inclusive world, one that is rooted in trusting relationships and honest conversations and a belief that a better world is possible, but only through connection and collaboration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What initiatives or individuals are eligible to apply?
Individuals must be founders/co-founders and current in the CEO, ED, or equivalent position within their organization, and their organizations must be <$2mil annual budget and <5 years in existence.
Individuals must be over the age of 18 and a United States citizen, permanent resident, DACA recipient, or current visa holder who resides in the 50 United States and its territories.
All proposals must be for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes and may not be for lobbying or legislative purposes. 501c4 organizations are not eligible, but if you have a 501c3 arm of the organization, you can apply as long as your work is legally separate from the 501c4 and the grant is earmarked as such. Please see our Rules for more information.