2021 Fellowship Application Process Review About Voqal - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

2021 Fellowship

Application Process Review

About Voqal

• Unapologetically progressive
• Focuses on social equity
• Promotes democratic values and practices

About the Fellowship

• Started in 2013
• Intentional to fund early-stage and progressive ideas
• Focus on personal and professional development

Perks

• $30,000 for six-months
• Two Events:

– Kick-off Convening: January, Virtual – Netroots Nation: July/August, TBD

• 1:1 coaching and Monthly group calls
• Exclusive resources
• Unique storytelling curriculum

Important Dates

• Applications Open:

September 8

• Applications Close:

September 25

• First Review:

October

• 1st Interviews (invite only):

Early November

• Second Review:

Late November

• 2nd Interviews (invite only): Early December
• Final Selection:

Mid-December

Be Bold

• Does not have to meet all the following criteria
• Seek bold ideas more than who has the most check

boxes

Criteria: Idea stage

• Has not been tried or tested
• Have not incorporated or otherwise created an
• rganization
• Have outside support, including paid staff and

volunteers, but it is minimal and barebones

Criteria: Organizing at the Center

• Work with communities to address issue and offer a

solution

• Gathers folks together to act
• Incorporates community feedback and perspectives
• Does not solely center on information dissemination or

raising awareness

Criteria: Media or Technology Integration

• Uses a media or technology platform to organize a

community to influence social change

• Involves use of television, radio, music, movies, music,

magazines, comics, websites, apps, social media, gaming, and/or news

• Does not use media or technology to provide a service

Criteria: Unabashedly Progressive

• Focuses on equity, not equality
• Centers on specific, disadvantaged groups
• Embraces social justice in one of the following areas:

– Representative Government: every vote counted, every voice heard, representatives reflect the people – Fundamental Rights: equal treatment, basic freedoms – Media Democracy: info systems that focuses on conduct of government (mass media reform, alternative media) – Fair Laws and Courts: fair and transparent in the way laws are written, interpreted, and enforced – Participatory Engagement: citizens participate in the political process

Criteria: Disrupt the Status Quo

• Does not reinforce what is, but imagines what could be
• Dismantles the inequitable systems, does not offer

band-aid solutions

• Builds political power for disadvantaged communities

Criteria: Innovative

• Creates something new, or use of an existing

product/platform in a more innovative manner than its current intention

• If similar, market is not saturated or differentiating factor

is substantial

Criteria: Representative

• Lived experience matters, understand issue from an

intimate perspective

• Demonstrates how work with and for a community, not

around it

• Intention to fund LGBTQIA folks, women, indigenous

people, and people of color

Fellow Spotlight: Cat

• Developed WorkIt to support people in low-wage jobs
• Integrates technology (assisted AI, apps), peer

networks, legislative information, and company policy

• Workers can connect with others to share experiences,

access information, and collectively advocate for workplace security

Fellow Spotlight: Andrea

• Developed City Bureau to support Chicago’s South and

West sides

• Allows for residents to identify and compile data for civic

investigations

• Trains Chicagoans to report on official meetings and

news literacy

Fellow Spotlight: Erick

• Developed #GameTheSystem to gamify grassroots
• rganizing
• Incorporates app technology with texting, email, and

social media

• Energizes communities to bring fun to laborious, intense

work

Fellow Spotlight: Richard

• Started Equity & Transformation (EAT) to organize an
• ften tossed aside population, those working in the

informal economy

• Combines online and on-the-ground organizing

techniques to enact policy-level changes and protections

• Advances social change at the city and state level to

increase equity for the community

Review Process

• Voqal staff and Fellowship alum will read all applications and

rate them against the outlined criteria

• Voqal staff will narrow the field to 20-30 applicants for a first-

round interview

• The field will then be narrowed down to 12 applicants for a

second interview that includes a pitch presentation

– Applicants invited to this stage will receive more information about the pitch process at the time of invitation

• From those 12, Voqal staff will choose the 8 Fellows for the

2021 cohort

Rejected Applications

• Does not mean we don’t see value
• All applicants will receive resources for building a social

enterprise

• Voqal staff can provide general feedback for why groups
• f applications did not move on

Application Questions

• Overview: You will be asked to provide basic information

– Your pronouns – Project name – Project description (elevator pitch) – How did you hear about us? – Choose a program area – Verify eligibility – to understand how you will balance current commitments with the fellowship

Application Questions, Cont.

• The Pitch: You will be asked to dive into the details

– Describe the issue – Describe the intended impact – Provide a plan of action – Provide a timeline – Outline any potential competition – Describe what you want to takeaway – Provide a budget (template provided) – see next slide – Describe other funding opportunities

• Will have space to attach documents or provide information

not asked in the previous set of questions

Application Questions, Cont.

• Looking to see how you are thinking about structure, not

evaluating the budget breakdown

• The Budget – Allowed Expenses

– Living expenses – Legal fees – Potential taxes – Operation expenses – Contractors/Paid staff – Demo or other testing

22

Application Questions, Cont.

• About You: We want to learn about you and your background

– Describe your lived experience and how it prepared you for this moment – Upload a resume, CV, or other documentation outlining your formal or informal work experience – Provide social media or other online profiles/websites – Describe your motivation for social entrepreneurship – Describe how you reject the status quo – Describe your preparedness to go on an emotional and technical journey

• You will also be asked to provide basic demographic information so

we may better understand the applicant pool overall

Online System

• Access the online portal here: bit.ly/VoqalFellowship
• Need to create a basic profile, including a username

and password

– If you have applied in the past, please use the same credentials

• Once logged-in, click “Apply”

Online System, Cont.

• Then, complete the form
• When ready, save or submit

Things to Know

• If you have applied in the past and did not receive a

Fellowship, you can apply again

– Previous Fellows have submitted in multiple years before being chosen

• Can only submit one project each cycle
• Can edit your application as much as possible until

submission deadline

• Only submitted, complete applications, will be

considered

Important Dates Review

• Applications Open:

September 8

• Applications Close:

September 25

• First Review:

October

• 1st Interviews (invite only):

Early November

• Second Review:

Late November

• 2nd Interviews (invite only): Early December
• Final Selection:

Mid-December

Remember

• Embrace Boldness  This is about the Story of Self
• Realize New Truths  This is about the Story of

Venture

• Chart the Path Forward This is about the Story of

Future

Questions?

Contact

Mary Coleman Program Manager, Grants and Fellowship Brenda Williams Sears Director, Grantmaking and Fellowship voqalfellowship@gmail.com