2026-27 Foundation Fellows Application

Thank you for your interest in the Foundation for Public Affairs’ Fellowship program—a premier opportunity for rising public affairs professionals.

This prestigious, yearlong cohort program empowers emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds with best-in-class skills training, personalized mentoring, and unparalleled exposure to the public affairs community. Foundation Fellows gain the tools, confidence, and connections needed to accelerate their careers and make a lasting impact in the field.

Applicants should:

Have at least three years of public affairs experience
Identify as part of an underrepresented community in public affairs
Commit to attending networking events, quarterly mentoring meetings, and at least ten hours of professional development programming
Be able to attend four mandatory Fellows events in Washington, D.C. (participants must arrange for their own travel)
Be based within North America

The application deadline is Friday, April 10.

Learn more about the Foundation for Public Affairs here.

Question Title

* 1. First Name

Question Title

* 2. Last Name

Question Title

* 3. Email Address

Question Title

* 4. Phone Number

Question Title

* 5. In what area are you based?

Greater Washington, D.C. area

North America (other than greater Washington, D.C area)

Outside of North America

Question Title

* 6. In what city/state are you based?

Question Title

* 7. LinkedIn Profile (link)

Question Title

* 8. Job Title

Question Title

* 9. Employer

Question Title

* 10. Which of the following options best describes your employer?

Association: Professional

Association: Trade

Consultant (a company that provides government/public affairs services to clients)

Corporation (a company that employs in-house public affairs staff)

Nonprofit/NGO

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 11. If you answered "corporate" above, which of the following best describes the principal industry of your company?

Question Title

* 12. What is your racial or ethnic identity? (Select all that apply.)

African-American/Black

American Indian/Alaskan Native

Asian

Hispanic/Latinx

Middle Eastern

Pacific Islander

White

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 13. What is your gender identity?

Question Title

* 14. What is your sexual orientation?

Question Title

* 15. If selected as a Foundation Fellow for the 2026-27 cohort running from May 2026 - April 2027, can you commit to participating in four in-person Fellows-only programming events, including a required in-person orientation on May 20 from 1:00-4:00pm, and ten hours of Public Affairs Council-sponsored webinars or workshops?

Yes

Question Title

* 16. How many years have you been working in public affairs? (Public affairs includes the disciplines of government relations, political action committee management, political engagement, grassroots, digital advocacy, communications, and social impact.)

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-5 years

5-7 years

More than 7 years

Short Answer Questions (250 word limit for each response)

Question Title

* 17. What motivated you to pursue a career in public affairs?

Question Title

* 18. How do you hope the Foundation Fellowship will help you achieve your career goals in the next five years? Please be specific.

Question Title

* 19. How have your unique experiences shaped your approach to public affairs? Please share a specific example of a time when your contributions directly supported the success of a public affairs initiative.

Question Title

* 20. Please upload your resume here. To ensure an equitable selection process, please remove your name before uploading.

Question Title

* 21. Is this your first time applying to the Foundation Fellowship program?

Yes

Thank you for your submission! Our team will be in touch in the coming weeks with an update on the status of your application. To ensure a fair and unbiased selection process, your personal information, including company and job title, will remain confidential and will not be considered during the review period.

Questions? Contact us at fellows@pac.org.