Fellowship programs are a critical investment in leadership—yet their full impact is often difficult to capture. The IFN 2026 Impact Study explores how fellowship experiences support leaders in contributing to change at the individual, institutional, community, and systems levels, and what program designs most effectively enable that impact. This report brings together evidence, practitioner insight, and real-world examples from across the global fellowship ecosystem to advance shared learning and strengthen fellowship practice.

The IFN 2026 Impact Study is a yearlong collaborative research initiative led by the Impact Fellowships Network (IFN), written and facilitated by IREX, and funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. 

Building on the 2023 Fellowships Alumni Network Study (FANS), this research expands beyond alumni engagement to examine the full fellowship experience—from program design and peer learning to professional opportunities and alumni communities—and how those elements shape leaders’ ability to drive change over time. 

The study engaged 23 fellowship programs and collected insights from 1,630 fellowship alumni and community partners across 141 countries through surveys, interviews, focus group discussions, and facilitated learning exchanges.

Why this research matters

Across sectors and regions, fellowship practitioners face a shared challenge:
How do we design, support, and evaluate fellowship experiences in ways that meaningfully strengthen leadership and advance social change?

This study responds to that question by:

• Identifying how fellowship experiences contribute to change at multiple levels of society
• Examining the barriers leaders face—and how fellowships help mitigate them
• Highlighting the fellowship structures and strategies leaders value most
• Surfacing practical insights to strengthen impact measurement and learning within and across programs

Key findings

Broadly, the findings from this study illustrates how fellowship experiences – across regions and thematic areas – provide a unique value for leaders in advancing their work by bringing together a wide range of opportunities that balance the development of skills, relationships, and professional opportunities in a collaborative environment. The findings highlight peer learning and relationship‑building as especially influential to supporting individual and institutional level changes, while access to networks and professional opportunities plays a central role in helping leaders overcome barriers such as limited resources, connections, and skills. Collectively, the study underscores the value of intentional fellowship design and shared learning spaces for both strengthening contributions to change and improving how programs capture and learn from impact.

At its core, this study reflects IFN’s commitment to bringing research, community, and action together. The collaborative research model itself—codesigned and implemented with fellowship partners—demonstrates how shared learning can strengthen both knowledge and practice across the field. The IFN team encourages fellowship leaders, funders, and practitioners to engage with the findings, reflect on their own experiences, and contribute to ongoing learning that advances fellowships as a force for positive social change.