Be the Change
Fellows have access to a variety of supports to foster continued leadership and aid endeavors for creating broad and durable improvements across Hawai‘i.
Supports for Projects
The following supports are provided based on the project’s type of impact, scope and scale, project lead capacity and commitment, and the current context and landscape for project readiness and urgency.
- Seed Funding – Fellows can apply for seed funding to help start impact projects or support existing initiatives.
- Coaching & Facilitation from Hawai‘i Leadership Forum Staff – Special skills of the staff team include: facilitation, organizational and team development, program and project management, and project design.
- Systems Thinking & Systems Mapping Facilitation – Project teams can receive coaching in systems practice to help tackle complex challenges; the practice helps teams gain clarity, find leverage points of change where actions are more likely to have greater impacts, and inform strategy for collective impact efforts.
- Consults with Content Experts – Fellows can sign up for a one-time, private coaching session with an external content specialist who can provide expertise and guidance; content-area expertise includes behavioral science, systems thinking, navigating large systems, and strategic communications.
- SMALLIFY – Primarily facilitated by Dave Viotti, SMALLIFY offers opportunities for prototyping and team-building.
Ongoing Supports
These supports are available to all Fellows.
- Forum of Fellows Network – Fellows can call upon other Fellows to seek advice, kōkua, and support, or to collaborate on an impact effort.
- Connections & Referrals to Other Omidyar Group Affiliates – Fellows can get personal introductions to other Omidyar Group organizations, such as Hawai‘i Data Collaborative.
- Continued Learning & Skill Development – Fellows stay engaged through quarterly workshops and gatherings to accelerate their impact and effectiveness; for select sessions, Fellows may invite guests from their team or network.
- Summit† – In even-numbered years, the Forum of Fellows convenes over three days to focus on galvanizing the Forum’s collective impact through deepening relationships, collaborations, and offering time and space to work on impact efforts, purposeful learning, and reflection.
- Neighbor Island Fellow Travel Stipend* – Fellows who reside on neighbor islands can receive a stipend to cover select travel expenses for designated Omidyar Fellows activities on O‘ahu.
- Collaborative Efforts Travel Stipend* – Fellows can apply for a travel stipend to help cover select travel expenses related to collaborative efforts between Fellows, including active impact projects that receive HLF funding.
- Cohort Gathering Stipend*† – Post-curriculum Cohorts can receive a stipend to cover select costs to connect and convene for a social and/or learning gathering.
- Transitions Support† – Those facing leadership transitions such as moving from an organization or changing careers can receive extra support including executive coaching, coaching from staff, StrengthsFinder coaching, and strategic connections with Fellows.
- Organizational Resource Library – Fellows can access HLF’s vast library of resource documents on topics such as difficult conversations, hiring and interviewing, and facilitation.
- Meeting Spaces and the Co+Lab* – Fellows can reserve one of the spacious, functional conference rooms at the HLF office to hold meetings and workshops, or to work and collaborate with other Fellows in the Co+Lab co-working and collaborative space; free Wi-Fi is provided.