The Impact Fellowships Summit

The Impact Fellowships Summit

About         Previous Agendas         Partner         Resources         Contact Us         Research 

An attendee standing at a table. She's talking to other participants at the table.

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.

We hope to hold an Impact Fellowships Summit in 2024. To stay up-to-date, please email us at contact.ifs@irex.org to join our mailing list.

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.

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.

In April 2023, IFS gathered 100 attendees for an All About Alumni hybrid summit consisting of virtual and in-person programming, including a cocktail reception. At this summit, we also shared results from the Fellowship Alumni Network Study (FANS), funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. 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.

Over the years, IREX has used a platform called Givitas to connect the IFS community. As of December 2023, Give and Take, the organization that administers Givitas, has wound down, so this platform is no longer available. If you are interested in staying updated with IFS opportunities and engagements, please email us at contact.ifs@irex.org   to join our mailing list.