Building a Legacy of Future Leaders

The Stein Fellowship is committed to developing the capacity of high-performing leaders who have shown a commitment to philanthropy, identified results, and has a desire and potential to grow professionally through mentorship. Leadership development is a critical organizational strategy for ensuring sustainable leadership within our community. Identifying high-performing young philanthropist in our community and providing them the support and increased capabilities enables us to build remarkable bench strength for our city. This is essential for the long-term stability and continued success of Jacksonville and the communities within.

About the Program

The Fellowship Program is a year-long immersive leadership and mentorship experience. In collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Jewish Family and Community Services, 15 Stein Fellows are selected annually through an extensive interview and recommendation process. Each Fellow is then paired with an Achiever’s For Life 6^th grade student in partnership with BBBS, for mentorship through the calendar school year. In turn, a member of United Way’s most prestigious Tocqueville Society is matched with a Stein Fellow to develop and hone professional skill sets and cultivate relationships toward a common goal.

It is designed to build leadership capacity, hone core professional development competencies and to create strong relationships with a network of peers and mentors. The program is framed within the context of David and Linda Stein’s desire to build a stronger community through multi-generational relationships and by using United Way’s core values, creating a legacy of leaders in our community. It is focused on identifying, engaging, and developing a diverse group of young professionals who are full time Jacksonville residents and have a desire to prepare for success through a philanthropic lens.

Who are the Fellows?

The Stein Fellowship is highly selective, limiting the selection to only 15 participants per cohort. Participants are:

• High caliber emerging or mid-career leaders with demonstrated commitment to philanthropy, a love for their city, and a passion for progress. (Must have full-time residence in the Jacksonville surrounding 5 county area.)
• Have at least two years’ experience in their current industry.
• People managers, process managers, and project managers.
• Thought leaders who have flexibility to meet weekly (at assigned school) with their assigned AFL student and one to two times monthly (phone, video, or in person) with their Tocqueville mentor.

Upon graduation, participants join a rich, global, and robust community of tight-knit young professionals who are committed to their community and their philanthropic passions.

Program Outline and Timeline

*This is only an example representation of the program.

• Mentor and Fellow Orientation
• Stein Fellow Celebration/Graduation
• Meet Your Founders
• 4 Stein Lectures
  • Full Service School Tour/ volunteer projects
  • Poverty Simulation
  • Panel discussion 1
  • Panel discussion 2
• 1 day (8 hour) Leadership Summit
• 2 cultivation socials
• Stein Fellow Reunion/Alumni event
• Weekly 1 hour mentoring sessions with paired Achievers for Life student at selected school
• Monthly scheduled mentoring sessions (in person/phone) with Tocqueville mentor
• The Fellows will “at random” be selected into teams. These teams will then be assigned a topic for research and review.

Fellowship Commitment and Expectations

Upon acceptance of the fellowship, all fellows will receive a calendar of events for the upcoming year. It is the expectation that since these dates have been shared ahead of time, this should allow for minimal absences at each engagement.

• All applicants should be available to commit to a weekly – two hour mentoring session (calculating 30 minute travel from work-to-school time, one hour mentoring session with student and 30 minute travel from school-to-work time)
• Any absence from a weekly scheduled AFL school visit without prior notification is grounds for termination of Fellowship.
• Any Stein Event absence is grounds for termination of the Fellowship. (One allowed absence WITH prior notification.)
• All applicants must be members or will become members of United Way’s Atlantic Circle Young Professionals Affinity Group. Applicants must be between the ages of 20-40 years to qualify and be a fulltime resident of Jacksonville, from the 5 county area.

A selection committee made up of prior Stein Fellows and Tocqueville Society members will review applications. The top 20 selected applicants will receive interviews and the top 15 will be chosen.

• Once selected as a Fellow, a $500.00 Atlantic Circle membership fee/pledge will be due by January 31st.

Fellowship Application Requirement and Process

All applicants are required to do the following:

• Fill out and submit the online application. Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Submit an updated resume. Non-current (without current employment) resumes will not be considered.
• Submit video message answering the following question in two minutes or less: “How would you solve generational poverty?”
• Submit a letter of recommendation from current (previous employer) employer on employer’s letterhead and contact information for referral (if employed less than 6 months.)
• Submit a letter of personal recommendation from a co-worker or previous manager (non-family) with personal contact information for referral.
• A minimum gift or pledge of $500, due upon acceptance into the program.
  • Gift or pledge must be directed to United Way of Northeast Florida and must be exclusive of corporate match programs. There are two ways to make your gift or pledge:
    1. Through your employer’s United Way corporate campaign
    2. Through United Way’s Mobile Cause website
       • Click Sign Up Here and then select Atlantic Circle (Young Professional) on the drop down.
       • Make a one-time payment by typing $500 into the amount field and selecting the appropriate box OR make recurring online gifts over a one-year period on a monthly or quarterly basis and select the appropriate box ($42/month from July 2020 – June 2021 or $125/quarterly)