Apply to the Fortis Fellowship
The Fortis Fellowship is how new members join the Society. Applications for the 2027 cohort are open now. Fellows join a five-month fellowship where they'll build relationships with other fellows, be paired with a mentor, and participate in professional learning workshops. The fellowship will end with two days of cohort programming in Medellín, followed by the Fortis Summit in June 2027. After the Summit, fellows become members of the society for life.
Anyone from humble beginnings with the ambition to have a significant, positive impact can apply. No nomination or institutional endorsement is needed. Cohort programming and the Summit are funded for fellows.
The four pillars
We evaluate every application against the same four pillars, and we weigh what you have done against what you had to work with.
You built your own way in
You come from a low-income background, and you're the first in your family to take the path you're on. Tell us what you had to work out alone that others were handed.
You're building for someone else too
Your work makes other people's lives better. It doesn't have to be a nonprofit or a job with "impact" in the title. Members do this from hospitals, courts, ministries, classrooms, studios, banks, small businesses, and startups.
You have already started
Tell us the scale of what you want to change, and what you've done so far that suggests you can.
You're happy to help others
A network is worth what its members give it. Fortis runs on people who make introductions, share what they know, and show up for other members.
Five months, then a lifetime
Five months of mentorship, learning, and introductions, ending at the Fortis Summit in Medellín in June 2027. Once you finish the fellowship, you're a member of the Fortis Society for life.
Months one to five, online.
One-to-one mentorship with a Member, trainings and brain trusts on the decisions in front of you, projects that put what you’re learning into practice, and introductions across sectors and continents.
With your cohort first, then the Society.
Spend two days with your cohort at the Fellows Retreat with activities and trainings built around your group. This is followed immediately by the Annual Summit with the full Society, where you’re formally welcomed in as a Member.
You become a Member for life.
People who open doors for you, take the call before a hard decision, and introduce you to the person you didn’t know you needed — then stay with you through every transition, for the rest of your career.
The three stages
Applications are open now and close November 8th. Membership decisions will be communicated by the end of January.
Application
Most people spend two to three hours on the application. Every application is evaluated against the four pillars above by members of the society.
Interview
A conversation with the recruitment committee. We will delve into various aspects of your application. We send a short guide beforehand so you know what the interview will cover.
Final decision
Every candidate gets an answer, including those we turn down. New fellows are matched with a member as a mentor, and the fellowship journey begins.
To help you get started
Do I need to be nominated?
We welcome nominations from current members and peer organizations to help us reach a broad range of sectors, but a nomination doesn't replace an application. Every candidate, nominated or not, submits the same application and is evaluated against the same four pillars above.
Does my sector matter?
We're open to all sectors with the goal of a cross-sector cohort. We strongly encourage those in the arts, education, government, and healthcare to apply.
Do I need a degree?
No. There is no education requirement. We have deliberately designed the application to work for people who took various routes to build their careers.
How early in my career should I be?
We are open to any years of work experience, though new cohorts skew towards people with one to five years of full-time work experience. We believe that the impact of the Fortis network is maximized when members join early in their careers.
Does my location matter?
We build every cohort for global representation, with members across regions and a deliberate effort to reach the parts of the world where Fortis is still thinnest. Latin America is one of those regions, and it's where our next Summit is, so you'll see extra recruitment effort there this cycle. We're open to applicants everywhere and expect this class to span many regions.
What does it cost?
Nothing to apply, and nothing for the fellowship. Your cohort days and the Summit are funded.
What is the time commitment?
From January to June, 2-4 hours of monthly virtual sessions and mentorship, at a pace that assumes you have a demanding job. Then four full days in Medellín. After that, we host the Summit each year with additional local gatherings.
Can I reapply?
Yes. There is a new cohort every year, and each one is chosen as a group, so a candidate can reapply each cycle.
Something not answered here? Write to info@fortissociety.org and a member of the recruitment committee will reply.
