Cordes Fellowship

Cordes Fellowships provide exceptional social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders engaged in poverty alleviation and economic justice enterprises the opportunity to participate as Delegates in the Opportunity Collaboration. The purpose of the Cordes Fellowship program is to (a) open doors, minds and networks for emerging social entrepreneurs and nonprofit executives, (b) enrich the Opportunity Collaboration with new, emerging leaders and (c) infuse the collaborative discussions with a diversity of perspectives.

“The Opportunity Collaboration was absolutely stunning! I was awestruck by the great insights on leading a superior management team and how to have good relations with donors, tackled in a brief, concise way. For the first time in my life, I flew in a plane, visited a foreign nation and attended a high-profile conference. It was a life changing experience. Long live Opportunity Collaboration!” –

Wiclif Otieno, Director, Kito International, Kenya.

Cordes Fellowship Program

Cordes Fellows attend the full Opportunity Collaboration in Ixtapa, Mexico, and take part in all Delegate sessions. “At the Opportunity Collaboration, I honestly learned more in the past few days than in a semester in business school.” — Cynthia Koenig, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Wello, USA.  “From my learnings at Opportunity Collaboration I felt confident that it was time to start sharing my story, so I’m now sharing it across a variety of mediums. Thank you so much once again for the OC opportunity, it really was a personal and professional game changer.” — Adam Braun, Founder & Executive Director, Pencils of Promise, Cambodia.

Eligibility Criteria

Successful Cordes Fellowship applicants are high-impact, innovative, entrepreneurial for-profit and nonprofit organization executives with a demonstrated commitment to economic justice and poverty alleviation. Like all Delegates, Fellows are catalytic leaders who by their actions and accomplishments evidence pragmatic vision, passionate tenacity, multi-sectoral thinking, adaptive leadership skills, non-ideological activism and a strong ethical grounding.

Financial need is a primary consideration. Applicants from both nonprofit and for-profit organizations with adequate resources are less likely to be selected for a Cordes Fellowship.

Applications from Delegates whose organizations, companies or ventures have already attended a prior Opportunity Collaboration will not be considered. Multiple applicants from one organization will not be considered; submit one application for the most senior leader from your institution.

Cordes Fellowship Terms & Conditions

Fellows selected from non-OECD countries (developing economies) receive a $2,950.00 full scholarship, and pay a refundable $250.00 application fee, which is returned after the non-OECD fellows attend the Opportunity Collaboration. Fellows from OECD countries (developed economies) receive a $2,200.00 scholarship.  Fellow pays $750.00 registration for 5-day program, accommodations and meals.

The all-inclusive Cordes Fellowship includes all on-site costs for room-sharing accommodations and meals (5 nights lodging, 3 meals per day), gratuities, airport shuttle, etc. All Fellows are responsible for their own roundtrip airfare; if applicants cannot fund the airfare, they should not apply.

Fellows are responsible for obtaining all necessary travel documents, including a travel visa from the Mexican government, if required. The Opportunity Collaboration provides Fellows with a formal invitation letter for use with immigration authorities.

Application Process & Deadlines

Applications for 2017 Cordes Fellowships are accepted from November 1, 2016 through January 31, 2017. Late applications will not be considered. All applicants will be notified by e-mail regarding the outcome of their application by March 31, 2017.

To apply, submit the following three items by email to Fellowship@OpportunityCollaboration.net before January 31, 2017:

1) Cordes Fellowship Application Form CLICK HERE to download PDF version or CLICK HERE to download Word version.

2) Personal Resume

3) Organizational Financial Statement or Balance Sheet

Once notified of a scholarship award, a Fellow has thirty (30) days to accept the Cordes Fellowship by registering at the Opportunity Collaboration website. Fellows from OECD countries pay a non-refundable $750.00 registration fee. Fellows from non-OECD countries pay a $250.00 application fee which is refunded after the non-OECD Fellow attends the Opportunity Collaboration.