Alumni Fellowship

Alumni Fellowship Site Placements for 2018-19

Friends General Conference provides services and resources for individual Friends, meetings, and people interested in the Quaker way. FGC is an association of regional Quaker communities in the U.S. and Canada working together to nurture a vital Quaker faith. Founded in 1900, FGC has grown from a voluntary organization of seven yearly meetings, created to hold a “general conference” every other year, to an association of fourteen yearly meetings, supplemented with regional groups and individual meetings. FGC continues to sponsor an annual Gathering of Friends.

At its heart, FGC is a member and volunteer led organization. The way FGC operates is deeply rooted in the Quaker testimonies and based on Quaker practices. We believe that through worship and openness to God’s will, the right focus and direction for the organization will emerge. Discernment is achieved through broad participation of Friends from around the country in a variety of committees.

The QVS Alumni Fellow will serve as the Ministry on Racism Support Specialist, working closely with the Committee for Nurturing Ministries (CNM) coordinator for the ministry on racism work, the Committee for Nurturing Ministries (and other FGC staff as appropriate.) The support specialist assists the coordinator and committee with their routine work, planning of consultations and conferences, and also assists with inquiries from monthly, quarterly and yearly meetings. The support specialist assists with supporting the FGC staff in its diversity work and identifying resources that nurture the work of addressing racism within the Religious Society of Friends. This year (2017-2018) the support specialist will assist CNM with supporting FGC with initiating the Institutional Cultural Assessment. The fellow should have experience in or a desire to develop experience with a diverse range of individuals regarding age, race, gender and ethnic backgrounds, and should understand White Supremacy is a systemic problem within the United States and Canada. The Fellow should work autonomously, write clearly and directly, as well as have the ability to edit written materials.

Friends Publishing Corporation, the publishers of Friends Journal and QuakerSpeak, seeks a Member Engagement Fellow to be part of our team as we undertake new projects to better serve, engage, and solicit support from our audiences, especially those for whom our digital products and services are their primary interaction with us. Our goal is to serve the Quaker community and the wider community of spiritual seekers through the publication of articles, poetry, letters, art, and news that convey the contemporary experience of Friends.This role is a new one for the organization.

The Member Engagement Fellow's responsibilities may include:

Answering customer service inquiries
Developing and interpreting data from customer surveys
Interpreting data from web analytics
Developing and packaging content for our websites to meet the needs of identified customer segments
Data entry
Drafting and editing content for social media posts and email marketing
Identifying and cultivating relationships with individuals and organizations that can advance awareness of our products
Provide logistical support for events and outreach efforts, as needed
Participate in video screening and feedback sessions, editorial brainstorms, content planning, and other collaborative staff-wide projects

The Fellow will enjoy the opportunity to work on-site with our small, talented team, getting exposure to all aspects of a modern media operation. They will work closely with our executive director, business manager, and content staff. They will gain exposure to a wide variety of Quaker perspectives and further develop communications and customer service skills that will serve them well. They will receive training in the tools we use to get work done, including G Suite, Slack, Wordpress, Aweber, Sprout Social, and more.

Ideally, the Fellow will possess experience in customer-facing positions and have experience communicating in writing in professional situations. They must be comfortable with technology and sensitive to the different needs of a customer base that is diverse in age, geographic location, and background. Some data analysis experience (coursework in quantitative methods or statistics, or experience using Google Analytics or Facebook Insights, for example) is a plus.

Friends Rehabilitation Program (FRP) is a Quaker values-based affordable housing and social service provider working in the Philadelphia region. The organization aims to transform neighborhoods through community-based economic development, sustainable affordable housing, and transitional opportunities for marginalized populations. By integrating best practices in sustainable and equitable development, FRP focuses on empowering residents, unlocking value, and fostering vibrant, creative communities. FRP provides 500 units of affordable housing in various neighborhoods of Philadelphia and employs over 70 individuals. FRP’s work emphasizes racial and economic justice, equity and ownership, and trauma-informed care as we foster communities of excitement, wonder, pride and engagement. They are developing affordable and mixed-income housing and sustainable cooperatives with a systems approach to supporting marginalized communities. FRP aims to cultivate ‘ecosystems’ that foster social cohesion, stewardship, and resilience through housing, training, food access, community programs, social services, and sustainable business incubation. FRP uses an asset-based approach and the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship to inform this work.

The Sustainable Development Fellow will work closely with staff, in a team-based approach on programs focusing on food justice, economic equality, ecological sustainability, and social justice. The QVS Fellow will assist in organizational development, research, communications, and involvement with earth and community. This includes but is not limited to: assisting development and implementation of sustainability initiatives through grant writing and fundraising, conducting community outreach and research in the spirit of asset development and appreciative inquiry, as well as evidence-based development research, developing content and stories for FRP’s online presence, and planting, growing, and harvesting produce for distribution among residents.

Overview

The QVS Alumni Fellowship expands upon the success of QVS’s core first year program, with the explicit intent of strengthening and revitalizing the Religious Society of Friends and the institutions which support it.

The Fellows in the QVS Alumni Fellowship are recruited from those young adults who have already completed one year with QVS as Fellows in one of the cities where the QVS program now exists—Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis, and Portland, OR. These Fellows have experienced spiritual formation, social justice training, direct service work in non-profit organizations, and living in intentional Quaker community as the key elements of their first year with QVS. This background provides them with an ideal foundation for participating in a program that focuses on Quaker leadership development including placement in one of the Quaker organizations in the Philadelphia area. The Fellows will also continue the process of spiritual formation, both individually and as a group, and are expected to participate in the worship and activities of a monthly and quarterly meeting, as well as Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Such involvement will also deepen their understanding of Quaker faith and practice, while continuing to build their leadership and organizational skills.

Meet our 2018-19 Alumni Fellow:

Shaina Robinson

Alumni Fellowship Job Description

Position: Quaker Voluntary Service Alumni Fellow

Quaker Voluntary Service’s Alumni Fellowship is an 11-month program in which individuals who have completed a year of service with QVS can deepen their involvement in the Quaker community by participating in a second year. The Alumni Fellowship provides the opportunity to continue the learning and growth from the first year with QVS, but with more professional and leadership development and a little less structure.

Alumni Fellows work full time in a Quaker organization while continuing to explore themes of spiritual and personal growth with local Quakers. Fellowships are only available in Philadelphia, PA. Examples of possible site placements include the American Friends Service Committee, Friends Journal, Friends Fiduciary Corporation, Friends World Committee for Consultation, Pendle Hill, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, and Friends General Conference. Fellowships may also be available in other cities as way opens, depending on alumni demand and available site placement opportunities.

Unlike the first year QVS program, Alumni Fellows are expected to be more independent and will take responsibility for the development of their own community, learning, and spiritual growth opportunities. QVS staff will remain available to support, consult, or help alumni Fellows in any way they may need throughout the year. Alumni Fellows will also continue to be supported by and encouraged to engage with local Quaker communities, but are not asked to worship with a specific Monthly Meeting.

Alumni Fellows receive assistance finding suitable housing and a monthly stipend to cover full reimbursement for housing, utilities, transportation pass, and food. While still modest, the stipend will be increased for second year Fellows. QVS also offers health and wellness support (including reimbursement for health insurance and mental health if needed) and financial support for paying off student loan interest, a combined grocery allowance/living stipend. Alumni are also financially supported in attending conferences which enhance both professional and spiritual growth. Alumni Fellows serve as support staff for national orientation for first year QVS Fellows.