2024-25 Application
Racial Equity Initiative Fellowship
For BIPOC leaders committed to racial equity & justice
in Los Angeles County’s Homeless Response Sector
The deadline for eligibility forms this year has passed
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The Racial Equity Fellowship is a 9-month program for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) leaders who work in Los Angeles County’s homeless response sector and are committed to centering racial equity and justice in the work. Designed for BIPOC leaders in mid-to-senior management positions, the Fellowship aims to nurture and propel leaders into executive and C-suite roles.
We know that representation alone will not create the transformation we need in the sector. We will need a more comprehensive approach to recruit more BIPOC leaders with lived experience into leadership roles, equip them to lead and advance racial equity, and retain top talent with equitable practices. The Racial Equity Fellowship is a program of SJPLA’s Racial Equity in Homelessness Initiative working to shift the culture and workforce of the homeless response system.
Program Overview
What you can expect:
Work in collaboration and partnership with peers to examine the root causes of homelessness and identify gaps and contradictions within the system.
Create a framework for centering racial equity and justice in your leadership approach.
Expand and deepen the sector’s BIPOC leadership network, creating a support system for accountability, resource sharing, and continued learning.
Participate in half-day sessions every third Thursday of the month from 12:00-4:00PM starting September 2024 to May 2025. Most sessions will be held virtually via Zoom with occasional in-person sessions and optional events.
Supports:
Fellows will receive a one-time $2,500 unrestricted stipend paid directly.
Fellows will have an opportunity to receive individual or group coaching focusing on personal and professional growth and wellbeing.
“The Fellowship gives us the space to pour into our own cup, pour into each other's cup, and actually take care of ourselves so we can stop talking about it and actually be about it.”
— Mercedes Frierson (2021-22 REI Fellow)
Eligibility Requirements
Must identify as Black, Indigenous or Person of Color (BIPOC).
Must work at an organization or agency within L.A. County’s homeless response sector.
Must currently hold a mid-to-senior level management position, 5-7 years of experience.
Must have a track record of impact in your organization or within the sector.
Must attend all Fellowship sessions.
We encourage potential applicants to apply even if you are uncertain about meeting all the eligibility requirements. Share how you would make a great candidate for the fellowship in the eligibility form.
Social Justice Partners is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or status as a veteran.
Process
1
Submit the Eligibility Form
Complete the online eligibility form by Friday, March 8, 2024 (11:00 PM PT).
Click here to see the eligibility form questions so you can prepare your responses in advance.
2
Receive an Invitation to apply
Candidates who meet the minimum eligibility requirements will be invited to apply for the fellowship. Applicants will have an additional four weeks to submit their application. Applications must be submitted on or before Friday, April 5, 2024 (11:00 PM PT).
3
Finalist Workshops
SJPLA will invite several applicants to participate in one of two Finalist Workshops on either Monday, April 15th or Wednesday, May 1st. Applicants invited as finalists must attend one of the two workshops to be considered for the fellowship.
4
Announcement
Finalists will be notified if they have been accepted into the Racial Equity Fellowship at the end of May 2024. Please note, the Fellowship will not begin until September 2024.
If you have any questions, please review our FAQs below, watch the Information Session, or contact racialequity@sjpla.org.
Selection Timeline
“Eligibility Form opens
Apply”
“Informational Session
”
“Eligibility Form Deadline
”
“Candidates Invited to Apply
”
“Application Deadline
For invited applicants who completed the Eligibility Form by March 8th”
“Finalist Workshop #1
”
“Finalist Workshop #2
”
“New Fellows Notified
”
Eligibility Form
The deadline for form submissions has passed
FAQs
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Yes, you can! You must submit an eligibility form and meet all the minimum requirements.
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SJPLA staff will invite a pool of candidates who meet the minimum requirements to apply for the fellowship. Following the application deadline, SJPLA will invite several applicants to one of two Finalist Workshops. A selection committee composed of SJPLA staff, advisory board members, and program alumni will review applications, observe, and score applicants at each Finalist Workshop. Finalists will be notified if they have been accepted into the 2024-2025 Racial Equity Fellowship by the end of May.
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Fellows must attend all program sessions on the third Thursday of the month from 12:00-4:00 PM PT. Full participation in each Fellowship session is required. Optional in-person gatherings and events may occur throughout the program year depending on current health and safety guidelines. These in-person events may include social gatherings, meet-ups, and program culmination.
Outside of the scheduled session dates, Fellows will also have the opportunity to engage in sessions with an executive-level coach, participate in monthly Wellbeing sessions, and virtual professional branding and social media sessions with SJPLA staff.
Dates of Fellowship Sessions
September 19, 2024, in-person, 12:00-4:00 PM PT
October 17, 2024, 12:00-4:00 PM PT
November 21, 2024, 12:00-4:00 PM PT
December 5, 2024*, 12:00-4:00 PM PT
January 16, 2025, 12:00-4:00 PM PT
February 20, 2025, 12:00-4:00 PM PT
March 20, 2025, 12:00-4:00 PM PT
April 17, 2025, 12:00-4:00 PM PT
May 15, 2025, 12:00-4:00 PM PT
*date change due to holiday season
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A majority of our fellowship sessions will occur virtually on Zoom. We will host a few monthly sessions in person, including some optional social events. For in-person events, we will find meeting venues that are central to all participants. Any in-person events will follow L.A. County Department of Public Health's health and safety guidelines.
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Unfortunately, no. Applicants must be currently employed as a staff at a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization or initiative fiscally sponsored by a nonprofit organization, or within the public sector specifically focused on homelessness or housing within Los Angeles County.
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Yes. We encourage applicants from every Service Planning Area (SPA), all service systems (e.g. youth, single adults, family, veterans), from large and small organizations with various budgets, as well as Coordinated Entry System (CES) subcontractors. We encourage applicants from direct service, programs, policy and advocacy, philanthropy, finance and operations, and affordable housing developers.
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BIPOC means Black, Indigenous and People of Color. This fellowship is specifically designed to cultivate community between leaders of color in the homeless response sector. Our long-term vision is that the sector truly reflects the demographics of people experiencing homelessness.
We encourage applications from BIPOC people with lived experience of homelessness or system impacted, LGBTQIA+ folks, and other underrepresented backgrounds.
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In keeping with our vision to identify and accelerate the next group of BIPOC executive leaders, this fellowship is best suited for those currently in mid-to-senior level management positions. Successful applicants will have a strong track record of leadership in the sector and may have experience managing teams, budgets, policies, programs, training portfolios, or coordinating subcontractors.
Leadership may have been in formal or informal capacities. For example, you may not have a supervisor title, but you have mentored or trained colleagues, driven key initiatives within your organization, or helped launch new programs or campaigns across the sector.
While there are no academic qualifications required to apply, we are seeking applicants who have worked at least 5 to 7 years (at any level) in the homeless response sector or other related social sectors, have a personal and professional commitment to racial equity, and have a strong desire to advance to executive leadership.
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We define “direct, lived experience with homelessness” as someone who has been unhoused, unsheltered, or who may have experienced a lack of stable, safe, and adequate housing. Individuals with lived experience of homelessness or housing insecurity may have had experiences navigating the service delivery system and housing resources.
“Proximate experience with homelessness” would be an individual who has family or community members who have experienced homelessness and they may have supported these individuals in navigating service delivery and social safety net systems.
More questions? Contact racialequity@sjpla.org or learn more in the Information Session.
Alumni
Racial Equity in Homelessness Fellows
(he/him)
Staff Analyst/ Program Manager - Los Angeles County Department of Health Services