Opportunities for Alumni
Fellowship Alumni continue to build on the skills and connections developed during their program through access to ongoing professional development, networking, and collaboration opportunities with support from the U.S. Department of State and affiliated partners. Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni form a vibrant network of young African leaders with the skills and motivation to spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.

Alumni Activities

Leveraging Innovations in New Communities (LINC) Grants
LINC Grants provide Fellowship Alumni with funding for professional collaboration with others in the Alumni network. Funds will allow Alumni across cohort years, sectors, and regions to travel to each other’s organizations or communities or collaborate virtually to learn from each other’s best practices and expertise. Learn more about LINC Grants.

Mandela Day Service Grants (MDSG)
Mandela Day Service Grants provide funds to support Fellowship Alumni with implementing short-term volunteer-driven community campaigns that contribute to longer-term projects improving livelihoods. In honor of the annual Nelson Mandela International Day of Service, individual or teams of Alumni may implement their project and help make every day a Mandela Day. Learn more about Mandela Day Service Grants.

Reciprocal Exchange Component
The Reciprocal Exchange component of the Fellowship provides opportunities for American professionals to travel to Africa to continue collaborative work with Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni on the continent. Through joint projects, Americans and Alumni form lasting partnerships, expand markets and networks, and increase mutual understanding between the United States and countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Learn more about Reciprocal Exchanges.

Leadership Impact Award
The annual Leadership Impact Award celebrates the individual achievements of an outstanding member of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni network. Selected based on their record of servant leadership and advocacy on behalf of the Fellowship, Leadership Impact Award recipients are invited to share a message of advice and inspiration with current Fellows and be featured in various Fellowship activities. Learn more about the Leadership Impact Award.

Amplify Community Expertise (ACE) Events
Held alongside regional and global conferences both in-person and virtually and attracting diverse professional audiences, ACE events offer an intimate platform for Fellowship Alumni and external experts to engage on strategic topics, helping Alumni connect with professionals in their broader global network. Learn more about ACE events.
Catalyst Grant

Through a partnership with D-Prize, a non-profit organization that works to distribute and scale proven technologies to benefit people in extreme poverty, up to five Fellows will be selected to receive grants of up to $20,000 USD each to fund new social ventures or initiatives. Alumni may apply annually through an open competition. Learn more about the Catalyst Grant.
Ongoing Opportunities

Throughout the year, the Fellowship supports opportunities for Alumni to take part in events and strengthen professional connections aligned with their career interests, often in partnership and collaboration with members of the Alumni Network. These opportunities may be in in-person, virtual, or hybrid formats, with varying levels of funding to support Alumni participation. Learn more about Ongoing Opportunities for Alumni.

Virtual Programming
The Fellowship leverages stakeholder expertise to deliver a suite of virtual programming for Fellowship Alumni and selected candidates to support leaders and strengthen access to networks and resources. Learn more about Virtual Programming.
Stay in Touch with the Fellowship
Do you have exciting news to share? Contact the Fellowship Alumni Team at MWFAlumni@irex.org. We would love to hear from you and share your news in our Program Impact Stories!
Questions?
Contact the Fellowship Alumni Team at MWFAlumni@irex.org.
Other Opportunities through the U.S. Department of State

Connect with International Exchange Alumni
Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni are also part of a larger community – the #ExchangeAlumni family! Through the U.S. Department of State’s International Exchange Alumni website at alumni.state.gov, Fellowship Alumni are able to:
- Apply for funding opportunities, such as the annual Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) grants
- Learn about grants worldwide through the Foundation Directory Online
- Connect with a network of more than 400,000 other Exchange Alumni around the world
- Access a variety of subscription-only newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals online for free
- Boost their entrepreneurial and innovative endeavors with the guides and toolkits available on the Enabling Entrepreneurs page
- Share news about their successes and accomplishments, and read about the achievement of other #ExchangeAlumni
Alumni can also connect with the U.S. Department of State Alumni team on Facebook and Twitter and share their stories by using the #ExchangeAlumni hashtag.

Connect with Your Local U.S. Embassy
The U.S. Embassies and Consulates across Sub-Saharan Africa want to hear about Fellowship Alumni’s experiences and contribute to Alumni’s personal and professional development for years to come. Stay in touch to learn about opportunities, events, seminars, and resources available to Fellowship Alumni and collaborate with Alumni of other U.S. Department of State Exchange Programs.
Connect with the YALI Network

Fellowship Alumni are highly encouraged to reach out and engage with YALI Network members as event attendees or volunteers.
Fellowship Alumni can bring groups of YALI Network members together for a #YALILearns event using one of the YALI Network Online Courses. These courses give Network members and youth audiences the chance to gain new information and skills in leadership, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and public management.
Fellowship Alumni can also contact the YALI Network team to send email messages to members for invitations to events at yali.state.gov/emailrequest. Fellowship Alumni will need to indicate the anticipated audience and the YALI Network can help narrow down the list of Network members to find a group of attendees by segmenting and targeting the messages based on location, activity and membership information.
Questions? Contact the YALI Network team at yalinetwork@state.gov.