Changemaker Fellowship

Changemaker Fellowship is sponsored by NDN Collective. Indigenous Leaders working in their communities are provided with support to defend, develop or decolonize through two-year fellowships, providing investment in their leadership, personal and professional growth and development.

CHANGEMAKER FELLOWSHIP - NDN COLLECTIVE A resource for the vision and development of individual Indigenous leaders. The Changemaker Fellowship invests in the professional and personal development of individual movement-building Indigenous organizers who work to Defend, Develop, and Decolonize in their communities.

Indigenous LeadersHIP Development Total # of Changemakers Supported 104 Indigenous Community Leaders Supported since 2019 NDN is no longer accepting applications for the Changemaker Fellowship program Since 2019, NDN’s Changemaker Fellowship has provided direct support to 104 individual Indigenous Changemakers from across Turtle Island who are advancing powerful visions for their communities through organizing, advocacy, cultural revitalization, climate justice, education, food sovereignty, and more.

The Fellowship was designed to support each fellow’s personal and professional development by investing in education, skill-building, mentorship opportunities, and relationship-building. Through the program, fellows have strengthened their leadership, expanded their networks, and deepened connections with other Indigenous leaders working to create positive change in their communities.

As of 2025, NDN Collective has decided to sunset the Fellowship program and will no longer be accepting applications for future cycles.

The NDN Changemaker Fellowship was designed specifically to support individuals aged 18 and over who are: Indigenous to and based in North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), and related Island Nations of Hawai’i, Borikén/Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"Through this fellowship, NDN Collective has been honored to support Indigenous Changemakers from across Turtle Island by investing in their personal wellbeing, professional development, livelihoods, and long-term visions for creating positive change in their communities. We know the contributions of these fellows will continue to strengthen Indigenous communities for generations to come."

Serene Lawrence, Director of Grantmaking at NDN Collective Changemaker Plan: Awarded fellows will turn their Full Applications into a Changemaker Plan with specifics on how fellows will fulfill the goals stated in their application. Budget: Awarded fellows will be required to create a two year budget for the grant funds.

Attendance: four mandatory convenings over the fellowship years, the virtual Welcome & Orientation Convening, the Indigenous Leadership Training, a virtual convening at the mid-term of the fellowship, and a Final Showcase. Reporting: A reporting guide will be provided to each fellow at the beginning of their fellowship.

NDN Changemaker Fellows will be required to submit the following throughout the fellowship: short monthly reflections through the “Changemaker Journal” online A Mid-Term Report at the mid-term of the Fellowship A Final Report at the end of the Fellowship Never see this message again The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.

The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.

The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Manage {vendor_count} vendors