Trinity Leadership Fellows Grant

The Trinity Leadership Fellows program, hosted by Trinity Church Wall Street, is a transformative two-year fellowship designed for emerging leaders of faith. This fully funded, non-residential program equips participants with essential leadership skills through online courses and hands-on projects. Participants will engage with a diverse cohort, receive financial support, and gain lifetime access to digital resources. This initiative fosters connections among leaders from various religious backgrounds, empowering them to create meaningful change within their communities.

We help build neighborhoods, expand institutional capacity, and promote change-making legislation through strategic and interlocking efforts: direct services programming at Trinity Church, grantmaking and gifts, and advocacy.
The Trinity Leadership Fellows program educates, inspires, and connects emerging faith, professional, and community leaders seeking to make a difference. Over the course of this two-year fellowship, participants sharpen their leadership skills, learn from experts in the field, and build lifelong supportive peer and mentoring relationships. They graduate from the program equipped with tools to heal divides, disrupt injustice, and strengthen their communities.
This non-residential, fully funded program is open to lay and ordained people of faith across various religious traditions and denominations. The next cohort will convene in person at Trinity Church in New York City in September 2026. During the first year, fellows take online courses to strengthen the core competencies needed for effective leadership. The second year of the fellowship is dedicated to implementing action projects. In September 2028, select participants will be invited to join the Trinity Society of Fellows, where they will join a global network of leaders faithfully serving their communities.
What is included in the fellowship?
Participation in two weeklong gatherings (travel, including economy airfare to/from the event, lodging, and some meals during the events) during the time of your fellowship  Fellows receive a stipend of $5,000 USD. Fellows receive a budget of up to $3,000 to take additional classes beyond our core curriculum at the university, college, or seminary of their choice. Episcopalian fellows who qualify for curacy support will receive 50% of their salary and key benefits paid directly to their diocese or parish.  Exposure to opportunities provided by Trinity programming, such as speaking engagements and workshops Participation in Trinity’s Society of Leadership Fellows, a group of global faith leaders poised to change the narrative of religious engagement with the world Lifetime access to FaithLeadershipCampus.org, Trinity’s digital education platform
Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Eligibility

Minimum requirements:Bachelor's degree or equivalent Advanced English proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking is requiredStable internet access throughout the year Must be able to travel to New York City during required time period (including securing necessary visas and other travel requirements) In addition to these requirements, applicants must demonstrate the following characteristics with specific examples from their careers/ministries to be successful in the selection process:An active person of faithNote: the curriculum and program are designed for a Christian audience, but this program is open to people of all faiths.Has achieved goals that are in service of their community and the common good. They must demonstrate a desire to pursue goals beyond their self-interest.Has clear goals they hope to accomplish during the fellowshipNaturally inclined to build relationships and engage with peoplePrior experience working with a group to inspire and guide them to achieve a common goalStrong interpersonal skillsEntrepreneurial mindset, self-starters with demonstrated ability to creatively solve problemsAble to simultaneously see and think long-term and short-term; able to see the big picture and detail, the "forest and the trees"Willing to sacrifice and have a high tolerance for discomfort to achieve goalsAble to balance personal ambition with the ability to listen and take criticismThis program welcomes leaders of all religious traditions. The program is open to citizens and residents of any country. Successful applicants must be able to secure a travel visa to the United States for the residential weeks in New York City. Trinity cannot sponsor fellows for educational or employment visas. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age; there is no age limit to be a fellow. Please note that this program is intended for emerging leaders and aims to serve those with up to 20 years of professional experience. Those with no leadership experience or with many decades of leadership experience are less competitive in this program.