Weitz Fellows

The Weitz Fellows program has been in existence since 2011. The overall goal is to introduce recent Carleton College graduates to the nonprofit sector in Omaha and Lincoln to help them discern their future career and instill knowledge and appreciation for nonprofits. Read more about the history of the program here.

In 2023, we decided to take a pause to improve the program. We spent time listening to organizations who have had a fellow, alumni of the program, and current fellows. One change we have made is to implement an open application process for organizations interested in having a Weitz Fellow.

The fellowship is a full-time position that begins in July or August of each year and ends in June or July of the following year. Fellows are full-time employees of the organization they are working at. Organizations receive a flat grant amount of $56,500 to cover salary, benefits, and professional development for their fellow. Any additional costs anticipated by the organization need to be covered by the organization.

The next cohort will begin in the summer of 2025 and end in the summer of 2026. Organizations interested in having a fellow from summer 2025 to summer 2026 will need to apply, including ones who have historically been part of the program.

To be eligible for a Weitz Fellow, an organization must:

• Be a grantee of the Weitz Family Foundation at the time of application.
• Work in the following sectors: advocacy/policy, arts, higher education, public health/mental health (non-direct services).
• Have salary ranges consistent with an entry-level position that pays at least $40,000/year.
• Provide health benefits (at a minimum) plus other organizational benefits including paid time off, dental, vision insurance, etc.
• Have multiple departments that a fellow could rotate/shadow (5+ employees).
• Have a work plan for how the fellow will be able to experience departments across the organization.
• Commit a supervisor to meet at least bi-weekly with the fellow and participate in quarterly sessions with other fellowship supervisors.

Applications open in May and close after four weeks. Our team reviews submissions in June and organizations are notified of final decisions by mid-July.

Applications are currently closed. 

Recruitment for fellows begins in the late fall and winter. If selected, your organization will have the opportunity to interview potential fellows. If you do not have a candidate that is a fit for your organization, it is ok to not take a fellow! You would still be eligible to interview for a fellow the next year.

We host virtual office hours for any organization who wants to ask questions about the application. You can access the virtual office hours via Zoom during these days/times for the 2024 Weitz Fellows application cycle:

• Wednesday, May 15th: 3:30pm-4:30pm
• Thursday, May 16th: 12pm-1pm
• Tuesday, May 21st: 1-2pm

Please feel free to reach out to Emily Nguyen at emily@weitzfamilyfoundation.org if you have any questions or want to talk about your organization’s eligibility.