The FAO Schwarz Fellowship is a two-year program that helps new college graduates gain the skills and experience needed to become social impact leaders. Fellows work at leading nonprofit organizations in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia known for delivering significant value to their communities. The Fellowship program also includes  professional development, mentorship, and networking experiences. Read an overview.

Social impact directly targets the root causes of inequality. A social impact approach involves understanding the drivers of social challenges, addressing systemic causes of specific inequities, and creating, implementing, and managing innovative solutions that increase inclusion and reduce inequality. Read more about social impact.

Fellows spend 45 percent of their work time directly serving the community. They spend an additional 45 percent on special projects that build capacity or strengthen the impact of their host organization. The remaining ten percent is spent on professional development, cohort gatherings, and Fellowship-related projects and activities such as social media and recruiting.

Direct service work may take the form of tutoring, advising college-bound high school seniors about financial aid, presenting workshops on healthy eating to school children, leading environmental field trips, mentoring students, and beyond. Special or strategic projects allow Fellows to hone their leadership and management skills. Examples include designing an alumni engagement program, conducting research and developing tactics to support program expansion strategy, or creating a policy agenda aligned with the priorities of the host organization. Read more about direct service and projects.

Fellows spend about 2 hours each week engaged in Fellowship-related activities. These activities offer different avenues for Fellows to gain skills while working with other Fellows. Activities often have a strategic component, including planning professional development retreats, making presentations, and developing communications recommendations. Activities may also include connecting with alumni Fellows, planning and conducting social media campaigns, and writing blog posts. These activities are designed to develop Fellow’s skills and their portfolios while providing opportunities for collaboration with other Fellows.

Hosts commit to ensuring their Fellows are available to participate. The Fellowship values this work and ensures that our Fellows’ perspectives and ideas become part of the program's design.

Entry-level jobs in many nonprofits are not typically comprised of equal parts direct service and strategic projects. That combination plus the professional development experiences and mentoring Fellows receive throughout the Fellowship provide a valuable jumpstart to a career in social impact. 

We offer Fellowships in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia.

FAO Schwarz Fellows work at some of the most innovative and effective nonprofit organizations in the country. Read more about our host organizations.

The Fellowship is deeply committed to the professional development of our Fellows—it’s a core component of the program. 

In addition to ongoing training at the host organization, professional development led by the Fellowship takes place during two professional development retreats each year. These four-day retreats take place on a revolving schedule in our three cities and include hands-on workshops, site visits, and discussions with leading professionals in organizational development, policy, and education.

Fellows build relationships with a network of current and alumni Fellows and host organizations during these retreats. This network becomes a valuable source of advice and support during and beyond the Fellowship experience. From job applications to advice about graduate programs and information on a variety of leadership topics, this network supports the success and growth of our Fellows.

Most of our alumni Fellows will tell you that the professional development they received was one of the most valuable aspects of the program. Read more about professional development. Read more about professional development. 

Mentorship is a major component of the Fellowship. Fellows meet weekly with a supervisor at their host organization. They also connect with an Alumni Fellow mentor and an FAO Schwarz Family Foundation Trustee mentor. In addition, the Executive Director of the Fellowship supports all our Fellows during their Fellowship experience from day one. Read more about mentoring.

No one succeeds alone. Peers, colleagues, and friends all play a role in a Fellow's growth and future success. For most Fellows, the cohort experience is their first experience of professional collegiality.

Each cohort typically includes six first-year Fellows and six second-year Fellows. Although the Fellows lived across the three host cities of Boston, NYC and Philadelphia, they are uniquely positioned to empathize with each other’s experiences and support each other’s growth. The cohort often connects online and sometimes in person to exchange ideas. The shared experience of growing as leaders, professionals, and experts—of sharing experiences with peers at the same stage of their careers, of being able to turn to others working on similar social problems with their organizations and learning from them—is powerful.

As Fellows go through the program, they find the same resources in the FAO Fellowship network—a valuable resource that includes alumni fellows, host organizations and well-known social innovators. Fellows learn to use the network to address challenges, solve new problems and collaborate on big ideas. The most critical challenges of our time can only be solved when we work together.

After the Fellowship, some alumni Fellows accept full-time jobs in new roles at their host organizations. Others attend graduate programs, and some pursue opportunities at other social impact organizations.

Over 90 percent continue to pursue leadership roles related to social impact.

Ask any of our incredible alumni Fellows, and they’ll tell you that the Fellowship has proven indispensable in shaping their careers. No matter what path a Fellow chooses, they leave us with a powerful sense of what is possible when we work together to address critical social problems.