• October 5, 2026: Request for proposals released
• October 13 & 27, 2026: Live virtual information sessions: 10/13 and 10/27 @ 10am
• November 24, 2026: Letters of Interest due
• December 18, 2026: Stoneleigh invites select organizations to the full proposal phase
• January 4, 2027: Stoneleigh shares full proposal guidance with selected applicants
• March 22, 2027: Full proposals and candidate selections due
• April 15, 2027: Stoneleigh invites 6-8 organizations to the interview phase
• April 19-23, 2027: Finalist interviews with selection committee
• April 29, 2027: Fellowship proposals presented to the Stoneleigh Foundation Board
• May 14, 2027: Emerging Leader Fellowship announcement
• June 21, 2027: Emerging Leader Fellowship begins

The Emerging Leader Fellowship lasts for two years. The 2027-2029 Emerging Leader Fellowships will begin in June 2027 and continue through June 2029.

Each Fellowship award provides up to $200,000 over two years, which includes the Fellow’s salary and benefits, indirect costs, direct project expenses, and professional development stipends for both the Fellow and organizational supervisor. All final budgets are approved by Stoneleigh.

Letters of Interest are reviewed by an internal committee of Stoneleigh Foundation staff, with particular attention to how well the proposal addresses a current issue impacting young people, how well the organization demonstrates its capacity to implement the proposed project, and the feasibility of project completion over a two-year timeframe. See the full scoring rubric here.

Full proposals are reviewed by a selection committee which is comprised of internal and external stakeholders, including but not limited to former Stoneleigh Fellows, Emerging Leader Fellows, and community partners.

For both processes, we will use a rubric to review and evaluate the strength of each proposal. Committee members will share and discuss their individual ratings and feedback and make a collective determination as to whether a proposal advances to the next phase. The Stoneleigh Foundation’s Board of Directors makes the final decision as to whether proposals that have been advanced by the committee are approved and funded. The full decision-making timeline is outlined in the table available here.

Overall, Stoneleigh is looking for projects that not only advance a host organization’s work, but also have the potential to strengthen the broader youth-serving ecosystem and support Greater Philadelphia in becoming a model region for youth development.

Stoneleigh provides monthly programming for the Emerging Leaders—including skill building, networking and leadership development sessions—and gathers its full network of Fellows and alumni a few times annually.  Stoneleigh also provides Fellows with the connections and exposure to advance their goals and promote their professional development. We intentionally foster a sense of community among our current and former Fellows, provide opportunities to exchange ideas across disciplines and focus areas, and disseminate findings to other funders and influencers locally and nationally. In addition, professional development stipends are available for both the Fellow and organizational supervisor.

While we do not have a set number of awards, we awarded 6 Fellowships for the 2025-2027 Emerging Leader Fellowship cycle.

We prioritize proposals that have an impact on policy and practice that affect young people in the city of Philadelphia. Typically, our Fellows work within, alongside, or outside systems that serve these youth. However, we will also consider compelling and timely projects that: focus on systemic change in Greater Philadelphia; seek to effect change at the state level in Pennsylvania; or work on a national policy that affects young people in Philadelphia.

Yes, organizations may submit a maximum of two applications and Letters of Interest per Fellowship cycle.

We recognize that advancing change in policy and practice is often best accomplished when organizations work in collaboration. As such, we welcome proposals that are developed collaboratively; however, only one organization may serve as the designated host and the fiscal agent for the Fellowship funds.

Yes, however, organizations that are currently hosting an Emerging Leader Fellow are ineligible to apply.

Yes. We’d be happy to review revised proposals and/or new ideas from organizations whose projects were not previously advanced.