ACCELERATING CHANGE WITH THE MONZóN FELLOWSHIP.
THE MONZÓN FELLOWSHIP
EMPOWERING LEADERS TO ACCELERATE CHANGE IN ARIZONA
The 2025 Monzón Fellowship is a five-month fellowship program for people who are building power with communities across Arizona.
A “Monzón” is a sudden, powerful change in the wind’s direction. Just like it, we’re leveraging the power of community members to rapidly accelerate their impact. Through transformative learning, healing, and deep relationship-building, the Monzón Fellowship equips local leaders with the skills, tools, and access to support they need to amplify their impact and create sustainable change across Arizona.
HOW TO APPLY OR NOMINATE
Applications and nominations for the 2025 Monzón Fellowship are open now until February 24, 2025.
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Monzón builds relationships amongst emerging leaders.
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We support them to amplify their impact in their communities.
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We invest in new ideas to create transformative change.
The search for the next generation of monzÓn Fellows
We are seeking candidates who are working to address a wide range of issues that affect our communities, from economic justice and education equity to housing, healthcare, and beyond. We recognize that the challenges our communities face are deeply political and that we need our people everywhere, across all sides and issues, to change the material conditions of our communities. The Monzón Fellowship prepares local leaders to catalyze this change.
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We believe in the power of proximity. We believe that people who are actively engaged in their communities are key to creating solutions that empower our communities to thrive. As such, we welcome candidates from a wide range of experiences and backgrounds to apply. Your experience might include volunteer initiatives, nonprofit work, community organizing, and much more.
The Monzón Fellowship is a transformative journey of learning and unlearning, requiring deep introspection and the willingness to confront complex issues. We are seeking leaders who are prepared to navigate tensions and conflicts, embrace vulnerability, and challenge themselves to show up authentically. Applicants should have a track record of collaborating with others to drive change, be eager to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and feel ready to take the next step to create sustainable change with their communities.
Candidates must live in Arizona to be eligible to participate in the Monzón Fellowship.
If this sounds like you or someone you know, we encourage you to complete the application or nomination form!
Frequently asked Questions
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Application opens: Monday, November 25, 2024
Application closes: Monday, February 24, 2025
Fellows are announced: April 11, 2025
Sessions take place: One weekend per month from May through September 2025
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Monzón Fellowship sessions take place in different cities across Arizona, with each session held in a new location. This approach supports deep reflection on our cohort’s identities, heritage, and cultures, while fostering meaningful engagement with broader communities statewide. Aligned with our mission to build power with low-income communities of color in Arizona, we offer fellows immersive experiences that connect them to places with rich histories of resilience and cultural significance—from Indigenous lands and border towns to historically underinvested areas. By traveling to cities across northern, southern, and central Arizona, fellows gain a deeper understanding of the unique social, economic, and political contexts that shape the communities we serve.
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The fellowship is completely free for all fellows, with no associated costs. We cover all expenses, including accommodations, meals, and materials, ensuring that each fellow can participate fully without financial barriers.
This is a paid fellowship, with every fellow receiving a small stipend for each weekend attended. To further support attendance at each session, we offer mileage reimbursements, assist with coordinating carpools, and provide a van for group travel to and from each session to ensure that every fellow has accessible and reliable transportation. We are committed to ensuring that all fellows have the accommodations they need to fully participate, including providing additional stipends for childcare and other essential needs on an as-needed basis to help make your participation possible.
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For questions or more information about the Monzón Fellowship, reach out to Instituto's Programs Design Manager, Emily at emily@instituto.io.