Atlas Corps Fellowship for NGO workers, USA and Latin America

Deadline: 15 August, 2012 (applications accepted year-round)
Open to:  young people under 35 with relevant experience in the nonprofit/NGO/social sector
Fellowship: living stipend, health insurance, and training paid

Description

The Atlas Corps Fellowship is a 12-18 month, professional fellowship offered three times a year. Fellows serve full-time at Host Organizations such as Ashoka, the Grameen Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the UN Foundation, Oxfam, World Wildlife Fund, and the U.S. Peace Corps. In addition to serving at an organization related to their experience, Fellows will develop their leadership skills and nonprofit best practices while networking with other Fellows who are skilled nonprofit professionals from around the world.
Atlas Service Corps is currently accepting applications from NGO leaders around the world for its fellowship program. The fellowship program is an opportunity for rising leaders from the NGO/nonprofit sector to undergo training and placement in the US or Latin America.

Eligibility

THE US fellowship
The Atlas Corps Fellowship is a 12-18 month professional fellowship offered three times a year (January, May September.)
The Fellowship in Latin America
The Atlas Corps Fellowship is a 12-month professional fellowship offered twice a year (March & September).
Requirements:

• 2 or more years of relevant experience in the nonprofit/NGO/social sector
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• English proficiency (oral, writing, reading) and Spanish for Latin America
• 35 years or younger
• Applying to volunteer in a country other than where you are from
• Commitment to return to your home country after the 12-18 month fellowship

Fellowship

The US Fellowship
Fellows volunteering in the U.S. will receive a living stipend. In Washington, DC, the living stipend is $15,636 annually. For other cities, the living stipend ranges from $13,000 to $20,000 annually based on the cost of living for each unique Fellowship host city. The stipend is sufficient to cover the basic living expenses of housing, food, and transportation for one person. This living stipend is more than U.S. citizens receive when they participate in a similar domestic program called AmeriCorps VISTA.If Fellows end the program in good standing, they may receive an End of Service Award equal to $1,000. If the Fellow extends for an additional six months, the End of Service Award can increase to a total of $1,500.
If the Fellow extends for a period less than six months, the End of Service Award will be pro-rated based on the number of additional months completed. If a Fellow leaves before one year, they do not receive the End of Service Award.
Deposit:  Fellows are required to give a US$500 deposit after being accepted into the program, due on the first day of orientation. The deposit will be returned to the Fellows after they return to their home countries, provided they finished the program in good standing.
Benefits
Training: Fellows will receive approximately one week of orientation in early September or mid March. Fellows will receive free housing and a food stipend during the pre-placement orientation session.
Placement at a U.S. organization:  Fellows will be placed for a full time, 50-week volunteer position at an outstanding U.S. nonprofit organization.
Travel:  Atlas Corps will arrange for an economy class round-trip airline ticket from the Fellow’s home country to the fellowship host city.
Please keep in mind:  Candidates who are preliminarily accepted, but do not receive their visas will be responsible for all of their visa related expenses.
The Fellowship in Latin America
Program Fee:The Fellow will be required to pay a $1,000 USD fee to participate in the program. There are 3 options to pay this tuition:
1. Pay total $1,000 fee at beginning and receive a 10% discount.
2.  Pay $500 USD at the beginning and $500 USD over the course of the year.
3.  Receive a lower stipend until the program fee is covered.
Atlas Corps will provide ideas and support for any personal fundraising activities that the Fellow wishes to pursue.
Visa Expenses:  Atlas Corps has the faculty to sponsor a Temporary-Special Visitor visa for nonprofit volunteers in Latin America. As such, all Fellows are required by the Government to apply for a Temporary-Special Visitor visa. To qualify for a Temporary-Special Visitor visa, an alien must be a citizen or permanent resident of a foreign country. Candidates are expected to pay for their travel to the appropriate Consulate in their countries.
Travel:  The Fellows must purchase their airline ticket to the host country. Atlas Corps will meet Fellows at the airport with previous notification of the flight details.

Benefits
Training:Fellows will receive approximately one week of orientation. In addition, Fellows will be enrolled in an on-going training program, generally on the last Friday of every month. Fellows will receive free housing and a food stipend during the pre-placement orientation session.
Placement at a Colombian organization: Fellows will be placed for a full time, one-year volunteer position at an outstanding Latin American nonprofit organization.
Living stipend: Fellows receive a monthly living stipend over the course of the Fellowship year. This is adequate to support a modest lifestyle for one person based on the local cost of living. The stipend is expected to cover basic expenses such as food, rent, and transportation. All Fellows will receive payments of the living stipend once per month.After completing the program in good standing, Fellows will be included in a prestigious alumni network to continue learning from each other and supporting each others work.

Application

All applications need to be submitted online.Applications via email or mail are not accepted. You will need to create a login and you can save your responses so you can return to the application at any time. The application consists of background information, personal biography, essays, and letters of recommendation.
Apply to Serve in United States
Apply to Serve in Latin America
For more information go here (USA), or here (Latin America).
If you have any further questions, email apply@atlascorps.org (USA) and applybogota@atlascorps.org (Latin America).
The deadline is 15 August, 2012.
The Official Website