Become an Encore Fellow

Encore Fellows Cheryl Edmonds and Paul Speer
Encore Fellows Cheryl Edmonds and Paul Speer

“The Encore Fellowship has opened my eyes and heart to finding ways to support organizations I never thought possible. ”        Ken Kelley, Encore Fellow,  Adelante Mujeres

Making the transition to an encore stage of work in the social-purpose sector can be a challenging undertaking. Encore Fellowships are high-impact, flexible, time-limited, paid assignments with nonprofits and public agencies, offering the opportunity to establish new personal networks and learn what it is really like to work in a new social-purpose environment. Encore Fellows apply the skills, experience and knowledge acquired during a primary career.

Encore Fellows:

  • Make significant contributions using the skills, experience and knowledge you already have
  • Earn a stipend (typically $20,000 to $25,000) for completing a 1,000 hour assignment
  • Enjoy a flexible work schedule (~half-time for a year or full-time for 6 months)
  • Learn firsthand about non-profits, foundations and other social institutions
  • Establish contacts and personal networks in a new sector
  • Join a peer cohort of Encore Fellows

Encore Fellow applicants are invited to apply year-round. If there is a good opportunity that seems to match your interests and skills, a program director will contact you. Please note that the process is selective. Due to the number of applications and limited number of fellowships, you may not be contacted, but we will keep your application available for consideration as new fellowship opportunities and programs open up.

“Encore is a great stepping stone to a new, positive way to continue to contribute to society. It has been critical to my transition from full-time work.” Mary Washkoske, Encore Fellow, Sustainable Travel International

Read about Encore Fellows and their experiences and stories   

Apply for an Encore Fellowship by selecting a program from our directory:   Browse Our Directory of Encore Fellows Programs

See the EFN’s Nondiscrimination Policy.

Typical Encore Fellow Roles

The primary focus of an Encore Fellowship is to complete a high-impact project in a social-purpose organization. The nature of the project depends on the need of the organization and on the fellow’s experience, skills and interest. Encore Fellows bring a wide variety of highly transferable skills that can have a huge impact on the organizations that host them.

Business Development and Strategic Planning

Mike Huntley was the strategic planning fellow at Jewish Family and Children’s Service in Long Beach, California.  For his Fellowship, he created and expanded new programs and built new partnerships to increase revenue streams.

Engineering/Process Improvement

Scott Wicht  created an innovative RFID tagging solution for the UC Davis Hopland Research and Extension Center to track grazing sheep. The system tracks and protects the center’s sheep across 5,300 acres of pasture and has the potential to improve efficiency, reduce costs and advance record-tracking for research and management operations.

Financial Management

Connie Osborne was the CFO at 1stAct Silicon Valley. Connie was responsible for implementing robust accounting, financial and information systems during the organization’s startup phase.

Human Resources

Roger Lewis was the human resources Encore Fellow at Gardner Family Health Network in San Jose. Roger recommended and implemented improvements in their HR systems and providing management training to improve employee oversight and competitiveness.

Marketing and Communications

Jill Hodges served as an Aspiranet Encore Fellow. Aspiranet provides children, youth, and families with a foundation of support and services so they can succeed at home, at school, and in their communities. Jill developed stories and told them by producing videos for outreach and for the re-branding of the organization.

Operations/Performance Management

Dr. Elisa Ross served as Quality Improvement Coordinator for Neighborhood Family Practice in Cleveland. She analyzed data to drive data-driven decisions and created new programs to improve clinical care, increasing cancer screening rates by over 50%. 

Program Development

Dennis Kucler developed a new career readiness and workforce development program for youth at the Boys and Girls Club. He identified ways to introduce the club members to the skills needed for employment though training, assessments, shadowing, summer internships and entrepreneurial undertakings.  

Information Technology

Rose Gallegos created a database that tracked all clients, volunteers, classes, students, child care, special events and projects.Once the database was setup, it simplified the process to generate statistics for the organization to apply for grants and contracts and to report to the Board of Directors.

Fellow Videos

Watch more videos about Encore Fellowships. Hear from work hosts, fellows, and program sponsors about their experiences and why the Encore Fellowships program is important to them.

Intel Encore Career Fellows Program

Intel Encore Fellow image

 

In a major expansion of the Encore Fellows program, Intel has offered all of its U.S. employees who are eligible to retire the chance to apply for Encore Fellowships.