Innocent Chukwuma 2023 African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (ICLTFP) for NGO Founders

Published: 28 Sep 2022

The Association for Research on Civil Society in Africa (AROCSA) in partnership with the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) at the Wits Business School in Johannesburg, South Africa, is pleased to announce this call for applications to the Innocent Chukwuma African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (ICLTFP), formerly known as the African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (LTFP). The Fellowship is funded by the Ford Foundation. 

The decision to rename the program after Innocent Chukwuma, who until his death in April this year, was the regional director of the Ford Foundation West Africa office, arose from the combination of the significant role he played in setting up AROCSA and establishing the LTFP; AROCSA’s consideration of the best way to honour his legacy; and from suggestions from some of the members of the last cohort of the LTFP which took place for the first time on African soil in Ghana from 1st March to 30th May, 2021.

At AROCSA’s last quarterly board meeting which took place in September 2021, a unanimous decision was made to rename the program after Innocent Chukwuma. The decision was subsequently communicated to his family through his wife; Mrs. Josephine Chukwuma, who was deeply appreciative of the consideration, and happy to give her blessings to AROCSA’s request. Her personal statement on the role Innocent Chukwuma played in the birthing of AROCSA and the establishment of its key programs is appended to the Call for Applications for the 2022 iteration of the ICLTFP. We pray that his soul continues to rest in perfect peace and that the Almighty continues to give his family the strength to bear his loss.

As part of efforts to further ground the program in the realities of the African experience, AROCSA is partnering with the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) at the Wits Business School in Johannesburg, South Africa to deliver the next couple of iterations of the program.

Innocent Chukwuma African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program

Application Deadline	November 11, 2022
Type	Fellowship
Sponsor	Innocent Chukwuma Social Impact Fellowship (ICSIF)
Gender	Men and Women

Benefits of Innocent Chukwuma African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program

• Stipend: $3,000 covering living support and associated expenses for one month in South Africa.
• Accommodation: one single furnished bedroom either in a studio/one bedroom, or shared apartment with other fellows for one month in South Africa.
• Economy class return ticket from home country to South Africa for in-person placements at CAPSI
• Visa application fees.
• Travel Health Insurance

Requirements for Innocent Chukwuma African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program

• Founder/Executive Director of an NGO in Africa, and from Africa, ‘actively’ seeking to transition away from their NGO/CSO.
• Approval from the board to take a sabbatical from work from March – May 2023
• Candidate must be above forty (40) years of age
• Candidate must have been in the executive leadership position for at least ten (10) years
• Candidate must be a full-time paid staff of the NGO
• Medical fitness certified by qualified medical doctor

Application Documents

Applications must include the following:

• Completed electronic application forms
• Copy of valid international passport (must be valid for six months from March 2022)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Two letters of recommendation (including one from the NGO Board Chair indicating that the board is aware and approves of the applicant’s participation in the fellowship)
• 3-5 page (double space, 12pt font with one-inch margins) personal statement that includes, but not limited to, the reason for participating in the fellowship and anticipated fellowship objectives that the applicant seeks to achieve

Application Deadline

November 11, 2022

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to Innocent Chukwuma Social Impact Fellowship (ICSIF) on arocsa.org to apply