Environmental Leadership Initiative (ELI)

Vision

The following vision statement was developed by the ELI Advisory Board to guide the development, implementation, and nurturing of the ELI Fellowship and we remain grateful for their past and continuing contributions.

Our vision for the Environmental Leadership Initiative (ELI) is to nourish leaders whose work in Environmental Justice supports and advances power building with disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by environmental harms and economic inequities. ELI aims to amplify their voices and leadership to further drive California’s Environmental Justice values, resources and agenda– centering a more holistic understanding of Environmental Justice that includes agriculture, food systems, outdoor education, California Native Land stewardship and rematriation. ELI recognizes leaders who are building meaningful and powerful communities amidst increasing challenges.

In support of this vision, the ELI Fellowship fosters the growth of environmental justice leaders, their relationships with one another, and advances a deeper level of solidarity, advocacy, and collaboration among them. ELI simultaneously supports leaders in their individual paths of growth and influence while strengthening their organization and networks so that grassroots, California Native Nations, and community-based organizations will have increased power and influence relative to Big Greens and other well-resourced organizations, agencies, and policy making groups.

Fellowship Invitations

The Capacity Building Team at Liberty Hill Foundation has the honor of building the ELI Fellowship the ELI Advisory Board envisioned with the generous support of Hewlett and Packard Foundations. We invite applicants and prospective Fellows to actively co-create the Fellowship experience they wish to have in Community with other fellows and within their existing Movement Ecosystem, the organizations whose missions applicants actively work to strengthen.

Fellowship Invitation: Ecosystem

The ELI Fellowship aims to strengthen the existing relationships between host organizations* and Fellows by resourcing both Leaders and CBOs that are a part of Fellow’s movement ecosystem, rooted in the belief that resourcing leaders and their movement ecosystem will strengthen statewide strategies to advance Environmental Justice in California.

*A host organization is a Community Based Organization (CBO), whether individual 501(c)3 nonprofit organization or fiscally sponsored organization, operating in California and has an existing relationship with the Fellow. Its role is to receive and manage Fellowship funds (grants), provide institutional support, and support fellow in fully participating in the program.

• Cultivate an ongoing relationship with their Host Organization
• Seek guidance from Liberty Hill and ELI Team
• Co-design 2 budgets with their Host Org to achieve a mutually supportive allocation of funds, corresponding to each grant disbursement. Co-developed organizational grants up to $60,000 for community-based organizations with whom fellows are in relationship with.

Fellowship Invitation: Network

The ELI Fellowship aims to co-create and nourish a network of 60 ELI Fellows across the state, so they may expand their network of collaborators in their strategies to advance Environmental Justice.

• In addition to co-creating community intra cohorts, the ELI team strives to set a container at the speed of trust so Fellows of cohort 1, 2, and 3 expand their network.
• Through intentional community building activities, both in person and virtually, we hope all ELI Fellows of cohort 1, 2, and 3 leave the fellowship with an expanded movement ecosystem that includes Fellows, Advisory Board members, and ELI team.

Fellowship Invitation: Community

The ELI Fellowship aims to cultivate a strong foundation from which each cohort of 20 Fellows may deepen connections to one another and expand their communities of practice.

• The ELI team intentionally weaves in AORTA group coaching, discussions, community building activities (virtually and in person) so Fellows may build community among their cohort mates through sharing their insights and learnings.
• Through intentional community building activities, both in person and virtually, and cohort-specific AORTA led group coaching, we invite Fellows to meaningfully connect with their cohort mates

Fellowship Invitation: Self

Through deep inquiry and exploration of CA Native, Black, and Indigenous Ways of Being as it relates to Leadership and Environmental Justice, the ELI Fellowship provides an intentional container of rigorous and accessible learning exchanges that encourages within each Fellow the deepening of Self-Lead Leadership.

Grounded in a liberatory leadership approach, the fellowship journey invites reflection, healing, and transformation, affirming leaders who are rooted in community and the Environmental Justice movement.

• Engage in bi-weekly virtual learning sessions that include learning from and with a topic expert, deepening knowledge through reading and individual and group projects, and group coaching with AORTA.
• Access unlimited 1:1 coaching
• In Year 2 of the Fellowship, we invite fellows to set their goals and intentions with Professional Development funding in a way that advances their professional development.