About the program
The Africa Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (LFTP) began in 2018 under the moniker of the Nonprofit Leadership Transition Fellowship Program (NLTF Program), with support from the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) and the Ford Foundation. It was started in recognition of the urgent need for an NGO leadership transition program to aid sector leaders – civil society and NGO leaders – who are considering transitioning out of their positions by creating a supportive infrastructure. The program’s chief purpose is to help sector leaders prepare and position their NGOs to be sustainable, vibrant, and continue to thrive after their exit from the organization. The program enables both the leaders and organizations to successfully make the shift, and in so doing create spaces for a new generation of leaders in the social sector to not only emerge but also have platforms to apply their creative and youthful energies. Transitioning leaders would develop succession plans within their own organizations, contemplate their personal transition plans, and document their knowledge and experience.
Objectives of the program.
The objectives of the ICLTFP are to: 1. Contribute to the process of establishing a supportive infrastructure for leadership transition within the NGO/CSO movement in Africa. 2. Promote the creation of leadership spaces for the next generation of leaders in African civil society to grow and strive. 3. Increase the documentation of leadership experiences/reflections and renewal processes within civil society in Africa.
Timeframe
This iteration of the program will run for three months between March and June, 2022.
Program Support
I. Stipend: $3,000 covering living support and associated expenses for one month in South Africa. II. Accommodation: one single furnished bedroom either in a studio/one bedroom, or shared apartment with other fellows for one month in South Africa. III. Economy class return ticket from home country to South Africa for in-person placements at CAPSI IV. Visa application fees. V. Travel Health Insurance
Eligibility
I. Founder/Executive Director of an NGO in Africa, and from Africa, ‘actively’ seeking to transition away from their NGO/CSO. II. Approval from the board to take a sabbatical from work from March – May 2022 III. Candidate must be above forty (40) years of age IV. Candidate must have been in the executive leadership position for at least ten (10) years V. Candidate must be a full-time paid staff of the NGO VI. Medical fitness certified by qualified medical doctor Notes 1. Transition for the program is defined in the context of “an NGO leader exiting the NGO in which he/she has been in its full employment and paid staff leadership position for at least 10 years, and moving into a different NGO, academia, business, government, or going into retirement. 2. Once an offer is made, participation may not be deferred.
Required Deliverables
I. Written Personal Transition Plan II. Written Leadership Succession Plan for the NGO III. A book chapter on a topic of choice reflecting topical issues in the nonprofit sector in Africa; the chapter must be between 5,000 – 7,500 words including references
