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This year’s Impact Fellowships Summit will take place April 25-27 in a hybrid format. See more details and register here! 

The Impact Fellowships Summit (IFS) is a convening for leaders and designers of fellowship programs that support leaders driving positive change in communities. Participants learn, share ideas and resources, and connect as members of the impact fellowships community. 

Globally, 21st-century leaders face political, environmental, technological, and social change. To equip these leaders, the fellowship programs that prepare them must respond to this change by continuing to learn, adapt, and incorporate approaches to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as a positive change within communities. 

This year’s Impact Fellowship Summit will take place April 25th-27th, consisting of an in-person reception in Washington, D.C. on April 25th and virtual programming April 26th-27th.  The summit will be All About Alumni and focus on two tracks - Sustaining Equitable Networks and Getting to Positive Change, with a special feature on the results of the Fellowship Alumni Network Study (FANS) funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Register and see more details here. 

If you’re looking for other fellowships-related support and community, join our Impact Fellowships Givitas Community, a virtual collaboration platform for the IFS community to ask for and offer help, advice, connections, and introductions. It is free and easy to sign up and use! You can watch a tutorial here and contact support@givitas.com for additional support. 

You can also access our resource page for links to tools, resources, and recordings of past IFS summit and webinar sessions. 

What Is an Impact Fellowship? 

Impact fellowships are programs that support emerging and experienced leaders to increase their effectiveness as changemakers. Impact fellowships build participants’ confidence, enhance their abilities, increase their access to opportunities, and strengthen their networks. 

Whether the participant is the founder of a community-based organization in Wisconsin, a primary school teacher in Uganda, or a university student in Pakistan, fellowship program participants are selected for these opportunities because they have demonstrated the passion and potential to bring about positive change for their institutions and communities. 

History of the Impact Fellowships Summit 

Founded in 2016 by Atlas Corps, ProInspire, and Public Allies, the Impact Fellowships Summit fostered an inclusive learning and sharing community for individuals who work on social impact fellowship programs, identified and acted on opportunities for collective action, and facilitated ongoing collaboration and support among community members. 

The first two years of the summit successfully built and tested the model, creating an intimate, valuable space for the community to assemble for learning and sharing. 

In 2018, building on the great work of the founding organizations, IREX took on the convening role for the summit. IREX brings a unique perspective as an organization that has managed fellowship programs with participants from over 100 countries and promoted leadership development for over 50 years. 

In April 2019, IREX convened its first Impact Fellowships Summit around the theme Dynamic Leadership for a Changing World. Over two days, 128 fellowship practitioners representing 86 organizations attended to share, learn, and network. In October 2020, 180 practitioners representing more than 110 organizations gathered virtually over three days to share, learn, and discuss Diverse and Equitable Leadership for a Changing World. And in November 2021, we focused on going Beyond Fellowship Adaptation: Towards Sustained, Inclusive, and Systemic Impact as we grappled with the ongoing pandemic and how to navigate a safe return to in-person or hybrid programming. 

IREX looks forward to continuing to leverage its expertise to evolve the structure and content of the summit and push the boundaries of a traditional learning conference, while maintaining the original spirit of collaboration, flexibility, and learning. This year, we will host a hybrid summit April 25th- 27th with opportunities for both in-person and virtual engagement. This IFS will be All About Alumni, focused on engaging with, connecting, and supporting this important group. Register here by April 21st! If you have questions, please email us at IFS@irex.org. 

Register by April 21st to save your seat!