Program Overview
To develop strong LGBTQ+ public officials and movement leaders, the Victory Institute sends emerging LGBTQ+ leaders of color and/or transgender leaders to Victory’s Candidate & Campaign Training and International LGBTQ+ Leadership Conference. The fellowship connects alumni to ongoing opportunities for leadership development.
The Victory Empowerment Fellowship is a six-month fellowship for LGBTQ+ leaders of color and/or transgender leaders who seek to expand their campaign skills and policy-making power and to join a strong cohort of movement leaders from across the country.
The Victory Empowerment Fellowship consists of three key components provided by the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute – the Candidate & Campaign Training, International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference – and a six-month mentorship program.
Application Process
Application ProcessPlease submit an application on the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute website and directly send one letter of recommendation that speaks to your leadership and commitment to the LGBTQ+ community to Sarah Pope, Director of US Programs, at sarah.pope@victoryinstitute.org.
Application Deadline: April 21, 2024
Frequently Asked Questions: Learn more
In-Person Program Events
Candidate and Campaign Training (July 2024)
Victory Institute’s Candidate & Campaign Training provides comprehensive, non-partisan training to present and future LGBTQ+ candidates, campaign staff, and community leaders. All Victory Empowerment Fellows will participate together and learn necessary skills and strategies by engaging in tough, realistic campaign situations. Fellows selected for the 2024 cohort will attend the Chicago Candidate & Campaign Training July 11-14, 2023. Participants will arrive in Orlando on July 10th.
International LGBTQ Leaders Conference (December 2024)
The largest gathering of LGBTQ+ leaders in the world, the International LGBTQ+ Leadership Conference offers trainings, workshops, and networking opportunities relevant to both the current and future state of the LGBTQ+ movement to over 600 attendees. Participants leave able to more effectively craft policies and build coalitions to bring those policies to fruition, learning from the experts, but also from one another.
The Victory Empowerment Fellowship includes complete registration, travel, and shared lodging for both the Candidate & Campaign Training and International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference. All Fellows must attend.
Notable Alumni Include
Vernetta Alston
State Representative , North Carolina
Taylor Small
State Representative , Vermont
Mauree Turner
State Representative , Oklahoma
Questions?
For questions regarding the Victory Empowerment Fellowship, please contact Sarah Pope, Director of U.S. Programs, at sarah.pope@victoryinstitute.org.
Supporters
LGBTQ+ Victory Institute would like to give special thanks to our program supporters. Their philanthropy ensures that this program has the financial resources it needs to make the Victory Empowerment Fellowship possible.
If you are interested in learning how you/your company can support the Victory Empowerment Fellowship, please contact Curtis Sakow, Director of Corporate & Institutional Giving, at curtis.sakow@victoryinstitute.org.