Community Storytelling Fellowship

Community Storytelling Fellowship is sponsored by Oregon Humanities. Awarded annually to Oregonians from communities underrepresented in Oregon media. Fellows receive funding to create true stories (journalism, creative nonfiction, multimedia) about their communities to be shared in Oregon Humanities publications.

Community Storytelling Fellowship — Oregon Humanities Community Storytelling Fellowship The Community Storytelling Fellowship supports storytellers working in any medium—written journalism, audio, video, comics, photography, and more—in sharing stories from communities they are part of. Jennifer Perrine used their Community Storytelling Fellowship to tell stories about people of color working in outdoor recreation and conservation.

This photo, by Juan Kis, is from a community hike hosted by People of Color Outdoors in 2022. What is community storytelling? When we say “community,” we mean any group of people who share a common experience thanks to where they live, the language they speak, their race, their religion, their age, or some other attribute.

When we say “storytelling,” we mean nonfiction stories conveyed through writing, photos, audio, video, comics, or any other medium. Who should apply for this fellowship? This fellowship is open to storytellers who intend to produce nonfiction stories.

Previous publishing experience is not required, but applicants must demonstrate that they have the necessary skills to complete the proposed project. Strong proposals include details about the stories the applicant intends to tell and demonstrate a deep connection to a specific community. They also explain how the project would be completed within an eleven-month fellowship.

Note: We discourage the use of AI or LLM tools in drafting proposals for the Community Storytelling Fellowship, and we do not publish nonfiction stories that have been written by AI or with AI assistance. Oregon Humanities provides spaces for Oregonians to share their ideas and experiences, and work generated by a computer program does not fit with that mission.

When we read proposals, we are more interested in strong perspectives and engaging ideas than polished writing. The Community Storytelling Fellowship is awarded annually to Oregonians who belong to communities that are underrepresented in Oregon media. Each fellow receives $5,000 to support the creation of true stories—journalism, creative nonfiction, video, audio, and other media—about those communities.

Stories are shared in Oregon Humanities magazine and other publications. Three fellowships are reserved for storytellers living in rural communities. In 2026, six Community Storytelling Fellows will each create approximately three stories (possibly more or fewer depending on length and complexity) to be published by Oregon Humanities and partner publications between February and December 2026.

Each fellow will work with a mentor who is experienced in their medium in addition to an editor from the Oregon Humanities staff. Additional funds to support travel and other expenses are available.

Fellows have shared stories about older LGBTQ+ adults, immigrants in Northeast Oregon, participants in the Klamath Tribes’ language program, people who experience voices and visions, formerly incarcerated people, and people of color working in outdoor recreation and conservation, among other communities. To learn more about these projects, meet our 2026 Community Storytelling Fellows or read about past fellows .

Oregon Humanities magazine and our other publications explore the ideas and experiences of Oregonians. The goal of this fellowship is to provide time and space for sharing stories and questions as part of our mission to connect people and communities to inspire understanding and collaborative change.

We hope the stories shared through this fellowship will allow more Oregonians to see their experiences represented, fill information gaps, and encourage readers to work toward a more inclusive and civically engaged state. We hope fellows will develop as storytellers and build connections within their communities. This program is made possible thanks to generous support from the Ford Family Foundation.

If you have questions about the fellowship, please contact Alexandra Silvester at alexandra@oregonhumanities. org . Humanities Action Fellowship Meet the 2026 Humanities Action Fellows Community Storytelling Fellowship Meet the 2026 Community Storytelling Fellows Past Community Storytelling Fellows Meet the 2026–28 Fields Artist Fellows Past Fields Artists Fellows