2025 BOZEMAN AFFORDABLE HOUSING ORGANIZING FELLOWSHIP

FROM THEORY TO ACTION: BUILD POWER IN YOUR COMMUNITY!

About our program: Our 10-week Bozeman-specific Affordable Housing Organizing Fellowship is designed for young people (and those young at heart!) who are passionate about creating positive change in their community, are eager to learn, and ready to take initiative around affordable housing locally.

Community Organizing fellows will learn the basics of community organizing, work as a team to impact real conversations around housing policy, develop their leadership, and be supported in their growth with thoughtful mentorship.

Specifics:

This position pays $17/hour
Fellows are expected to work 10-20 hours/week
We will be running two fellowships in close succession:
- Fellowship 1 will run from Jan. 18th, 2025- March 28st, 2025
- Fellowship 2 will run from April 5th, 2025- June 13th, 2025.
Scheduling is mostly flexible (see logistical requirements)

Fellows will get hands on experience through:

weekly organizing classes and collaborative meetings
Creative community building and power building: Planning events, collecting and telling stories, and participating in direct action, persuasive writing, etc.
Takings on leadership around important aspects of the campaign
Many more!

Apply Here

Want to know more? See our frequently asked questions below:

Who is this fellowship for?

No prior experience necessary! We are looking for young people (or those young at heart) who want to make change in their community. Whether you’re in school, working, volunteering, or just looking for a new opportunity, this is for you!
We’ll be hiring in Bozeman. If you are in our other communities, there are often opportunities to volunteer or attend events, so make sure to show volunteer/event interest
This fellowship is for folks who are older than 18. If you are in high school, we recommend starting with our High School Fellowship Program

Is the fellowship a paid position?

YES! Fellows will be paid $17/hr for 10 hours a week over 10 weeks

What does the fellowship entail?

Weekly Classes: Each week on Wednesdays from 5:30-7:30 pm there will be a required class. These sessions will cover a variety of topics around organizing, leadership, and DEIJ. Fellows will be able to engage with the content and apply their learning to their work in the fellowship.
Weekly Fellowship Organizing Meeting: Each week, at a time decided by the availability of fellows, the fellowship cohort will convene to plan the week of organizing, debrief previous efforts, make any necessary decisions, and do any other housekeeping work. This meeting is subject to change in frequency or structure.
Individual Support: Every fellow will have a 30 min. Check in with the Housing Campaign Manager to discuss personal goals, navigate any challenges coming up, celebrate personal wins, and create space for mutual feedback.
Active Community Organizing: The needs of the campaign will vary, meaning that the organizing work will look different throughout the fellowship. Fellows will have the opportunity to leverage their individual strengths and stretch into their areas of growth. The cohort will be expected to support each other and the campaign at large during “all hands on deck” moments. Our organizing efforts may look like:
- Engaging with community members about their housing experience while tabling in public;
- Building relationships with new supporters and key stakeholders;
- Collaborating to execute key milestones in the campaign and contribute perspective to the strategic plans where applicable;
- Planning events and community building opportunities;
- Delivering personal public comment in city commission meetings;
- Writing persuasive letters to the editor, or supporting others in doing so;
- Taking on leadership around the campaigns social media presence, meeting facilitation, or other facets of the larger strategy.

What are the logistical requirements?

Have a schedule capacity to consistently work a minimum of 10 hours a week on a mostly-flexible schedule through the entirety of the fellowship.

Attend the required sessions: There will be a mandatory in-person orientation retreat Saturday, January 18th from 10am- 4pm (timing subject to change), with lunch included.
Attend Weekly Class on Wednesdays from 5:30-7:30pm
Access to reliable transportation: be able to attend meetings, events, and other required aspects of the fellowship across the city of Bozeman (Car, navigating bus system, biking, walking) or willingness to coordinate own travel assistance needs (asking for rides).
Willingness to work unconventional hours— including nights and weekends.

Willingness to learn and regularly use software like Slack, Google Classroom, Google calendar, and the City of Bozeman website.

What is the difference between fellowship 1 and 2?

The main difference is the dates: Fellowship 1 will run from Jan. 18th, 2025- March 28st, 2025 and Fellowship 2 will run from April 5th, 2025- June 13th, 2025.

With the nature of community organizing and campaign strategy, the specific milestones, goals, and actions of the cohort might vary, but the curriculum and structure will be very similar.

You may not do both fellowships (you’d be doing the same thing twice– but there will be opportunities to get involved beyond the fellowship)

What does the application process look like?

The application is an online form that you’ll need to submit all at once. You will see a button to indicate whether you are applying for fellowship 1 or 2. If you don’t have regular access to the internet, please let us know and we can provide a paper application.
The Housing Campaign Manager will review applications and reach out for an informal interview via Zoom.

Still have questions/want to know more?

Please reach out to our Housing Campaign Manager, Anja Lincke

anja@forwardmontana.org

Can’t commit to the fellowship but still want to be involved?

That’s OK! There are plenty of opportunities to get involved at Forward Montana. Check out our volunteer opportunities here!