The Fellowships are two-year paid positions that develop the leadership skills of recent college graduates interested in pursuing careers related to social change. From education in culture to education in conservation, from food insecurity to college access, from small and newer organizations to the larger and well-established, the diversity of organizations selected as hosts will provide the next cohort with a comprehensive view of the social impact landscape.

 “Developing young leaders is more important than ever.  In the wake of the pandemic and social unrest,  many nonprofits around the country are engaged in radically rethinking their work and how they deliver their services from an equity, diversity and inclusion  framework,” said Priscilla Cohen, Executive Director of the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation. “At the same time, we know graduating seniors have had their educational experiences disrupted and face a tumultuous job market. We’re grateful we can provide talented future leaders with a paid professional experience—and a front-row seat to what we think will be an incredibly dynamic period of intense social change.”

The Fellows’ dedication to social change serves as an inspiration to hosts.  “Hosting FAO Schwarz Fellows has energized our team and pushed us to regularly ask ourselves where and how we can continue to learn and grow.  Their thoughtful ideas, willingness to innovate, and passion for impacting the world around them has enriched our organization as a whole,” said Amee Naik, Managing Director of College Access & Success with Breakthrough Greater Boston, which has hosted two Fellows in the past and is hosting two Fellowships for this short.

A first-time host, The Clay Studio is equally enthusiastic about hosting a Fellow.  “A commitment to community, learning, and social change is built into The Clay Studio’s DNA, so hosting a Fellow feels like a perfect fit. We hope this opportunity can be a stepping-stone for a recent graduate who is considering a nonprofit career,” said Carin Sankus, Education Manager with TCS.

Another first-time host, Suzanne Biemiller, Executive Director of Audubon Mid Atlantic shares, “The FAO Schwarz Fellowship will help Audubon expand its reach in Philadelphia. We cannot wait to have another enthusiastic staff person on board, bringing with them new ideas and perspectives.”

Host organizations also appreciate the value of increased organizational capacity that comes with hosting a Fellow, and use it as an opportunity to expand their service. Anne Hayes, Executive Director of The Food Project,  said “This Fellow will play a critical role in sustaining and expanding The Food Project’s food access initiatives, empowering the next generation of leaders, and help us to achieve our mission of ensuring everyone has access to fresh, healthy, affordable food.” 

Executive Director at NYC Audubon, Kathryn Heintz, makes a similar point. “We are eager to participate in this program to develop future social impact leaders, as well as to boost our capacity to inspire a new generation of advocates for conservation.”

Returning host, the Museum of the City of New York, has a long legacy of Fellows. “We remain honored that the Museum of the City of New York has been selected as a  host organization of a FAO Schwarz Fellow for the 2022-2024 cohort,” said  Whitney W.  Donhauser, Ronay Menschel Director & President at the Museum of the City of New York.  “For the many years we have been fortunate enough to host a FAO Schwarz Fellow, the  Museum has witnessed first-hand the enormous impact the Fellows have had on our  programming for students, families, and teachers. We are grateful to the Foundation for  this opportunity to continue to serve New Yorkers through this work.”