PROGRAMS / BOLT SCHOOL FOR GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP
You're already doing the work. We resource it.
An eight-month leadership program for adults building change in Philadelphia's low-to-moderate income neighborhoods — with instruction, coaching, and a stipend that recognizes your time.
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Hear from the leaders
PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS
What you’re signing up for
The BOLT School for Grassroots Leadership runs September to April, with applications opening in the Spring every year. Before you apply, here's the honest shape of the commitment — so you can decide if it fits your life right now.
4 hrs/week
Three hours in person on Saturdays, 9am–12pm, plus about an hour outside. Eight months, pausing for holidays and religious observances.
15 hours
Contributed to the BOLT Youth Leaders Fellowship over the year — facilitating a workshop or mentoring young people. This is part of the program, not optional. More below.
$4K
A $3,000 stipend for participating, plus $1,000 for your project or organization when you successfully complete the program.
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September
Cohort opens
You meet the other leaders in your cohort and set the goals your coaching will be built around. Children are welcome at every Saturday session.
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Sept – April
100 hours of instruction
A grassroots leadership curriculum built for Philadelphia: strategy and theory of change, fundraising, budgeting, governance, team management, and how the city actually funds and decides things.
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Twice a month
Executive coaching
Two 1:1 sessions a month — tailored support, from navigating a hard situation to feedback on a grant you're writing.
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Across the year
15 hours with our youth fellows
Every leader gives at least 15 hours to the Youth Leaders Fellowship — leading a workshop or guiding young people through their own community projects. It's how the generations connect, and it's a condition of the program.
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Throughout
$3,000 stipend
Paid across the program, because your time has value and unpaid programs select for people who can afford to be unpaid.
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April
Graduation and $1,000 award
A post-program award for your project or organization — plus a lifelong community of grassroots leaders you stay part of.
Eight months, September to April.
THE PROGRAM YEAR
By the end, you're positioned with the pieces to grow and sustain your work.
Not just a certificate. A toolkit you'll actually use.
WHAT YOU LEAVE WITH
Fiscal sponsor or 501(c)(3) / for-profit status
Organizational budget
Board Development
Story of Self, Us & Now
Social Impact Template
Accounting & Finance
Organizational policies
Cash Flow Model
Staffing & HR Plan
Coaching & Feedback Skills
Theory of Change / Logic Model
Business Model
Impact Measurement Tools
An Expanded Network
Annual Strategic Plan
Fundraising plan & grant template
Social Media Strategy
We don't screen by issue. We trust lived experience.
WHO IT’S FOR
There's no specific cause or focus area we're looking for — we trust that you know your community. What we do look for is real, sustained commitment to the neighbors around you.
18 or older by September 1.
AGE
You live in Philadelphia, in at least one of the neighborhoods you serve. Priority zip codes in North and West Philadelphia.
WHERE
Strong relationships with the community you serve — they're your friends and neighbors, not your clients.
CONNECTION
WORK
Work that helps Philadelphians stay and thrive in their neighborhoods.
EXPERIENCE
At least two years leading community work — a long-term commitment, not a hobby.
You've built a team of at least two other community members. They don't have to be paid.
TEAM
You're a Founder / ED / CEO, or a leader (like a Program Manager) inside an organization led by one.
ROLE
BUDGET
Annual operating budget under $500,000.
Your work is non-partisan and doesn't involve lobbying — a legal requirement for us as a nonprofit.
NON-PARTISAN
You do not need a registered nonprofit or business to apply. Small businesses that hire from and give back to the community, and grassroots efforts that aren't formally registered yet, are all welcome.
HOW TO APPLY
Three rounds.
01
Tell us about your work, your community, and what you're building in a short written application. Opens to the public in the Spring annually.
Written application
02
Second Round Interview
Approximately 40 applicants will be moved to this round. You meet with our team and we talk — about your leadership, your neighborhood, and whether the program fits where you are.
03
Approximately 20 applicants will be moved to this round. You meet with our Executive Director who will make final selections on cohort participants.
Final Round Interview
THE LEADERS
The people who have come through the program.
Four cohorts of grassroots leaders and the work they lead across Philadelphia.
2025–2026 Cohort 12 leaders
- Badia Watson — The Urban Brand
- Jarue Lawson — Philly Service Announcement Community
- Mayumi Bryant — Youth Capital Academy
- Summer Fitch — Black Women Give Foundation
- Free Smith — The Nest
- Shatea Timbers — Ordinarie Heroes
- Dawn Wilkerson — A New Dawn Incorporated
- Tracey Wallington — Families Achieving Success Together
- Kianni Figuereo — Papiland
- Ronald Murray — Pennsylvania Barber School
- Daniel Jurado — Klean Kensington
- Edward Kinnibrew — Mindset of Champions
2024–2025 Cohort 11 leaders
- Garry Mills — Shoot Basketballs, Not People
- Jade Robinson — Robinson & Friends Foreva Community
- Geanna Williams-Davis — Elegance Xtreme
- Kysheen Wilson — As I Plant This Seed / Hunting Park Coalition
- Ti'Aza Hill — AgrotheraPA
- Tabitha Davis — Beauty and Smarts Academy
- Danielle McLane — Diamond Beauty Cosmetics
- Eric Marsh — The Fathering Circle
- Veronica Powell — Related Through Change
- Shawmar Pitts — Philly Thrive
- Jaime Meekins — Pushing Progress Philly
2023–2024 Cohort 12 leaders
- Aigner Bostic — Dat Girl Mentorship
- Pamia Coleman — Black Girls with Green Thumbs
- Ken Peeples — Dynamic Justice Collective
- Ant Brown — The ABRO Experience
- Rickey Duncan — NOMO Foundation
- Charles & Tammy Reeves — RAC2
- Mazzie Casher — Philly Truce
- Kwadir Scott — As I Plant This Seed
- Annette Kennedy — Philly Shared
- Taja Morris — Sisters with an Agenda
- Ron Toles — Ordinaire Heroes
- Zarinah Lomax — The Apologues
2022–2023 Cohort 9 leaders
- Cleo Robinson — A Home From Shana Foundation
- Vickie Best — VUOTS Tutoring & Events
- Keyssh Datts — Decolonize Philly
- Ryan Harris — As I Plant This Seed
- Milaj Robinson — Youth Creating New Beginnings
- David Buck — Bridges of Opportunities
- Serita Lewis — UrbnSeek
- Tahira Fortune — Voices by Choices
- Jose Ferran — Hunting Park Green
QUESTIONS
Before you apply.
Do I need a registered nonprofit or business?
No. You can apply as a grassroots effort that isn't formally registered yet, as a small business that gives back to and hires from your community, or as a leader inside an organization someone else founded. We help you sort out fiscal sponsorship or formal status during the program if that's a goal.
What's the time commitment, really?
About four hours a week for eight months: three in person on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm, plus roughly an hour outside of that. On top of the weekly sessions, you'll give at least 15 hours across the year to our Youth Leaders Fellowship. We don't meet during holidays or religious observances.
What is the 15 hours with the youth program?
Every SGL leader commits to spending at least 15 hours during the year supporting our Youth Leaders Fellowship — either leading a workshop for young people or guiding them as they build their own community projects. It's a core part of the program, not an add-on: it's how grassroots leadership passes between generations, and it connects your work to a pipeline of young people who can carry it forward.
Can I bring my kids?
Yes. If you don't have childcare, your children are welcome at Saturday sessions — just give us a heads up ahead of time. We keep coloring books and activities on hand.
Is there a cost to participate?
The opposite. You receive a $3,000 stipend for participating, and $1,000 goes to your project or organization when you complete the program.
My budget is a little over $500,000. Should I still apply?
The program is built for leaders who've been shut out of resources, so we cap eligibility at a $500,000 annual operating budget. If you're close to the line, reach out and tell us about your situation before you rule yourself out.
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Things don’t even take place without [grassroots leaders] and we see it now because we have so many entities making decisions for our communities when we should be able to make those decisions for ourselves.”
David Buck, Bridges of Opportunities
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I don't know no other program like BOLT, that will walk you through and give you all the information…and then charge us to then give it to other people. A lot of times people want to hold on to what they do. But one of the things that [BOLT] echoes over and over is sharing these resources with other people to help other people grow.
Taja Morris, Sisters with an Agenda
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"I want to see more people go through this. It will improve the culture of nonprofit collaboration, so I would just like to see more people in this city go through it. It's a very powerful thing you have put together here.
Mazzie Casher, Philly Truce
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Grassroots, to me, are those that are boots on the ground…We may not have a lot of the funding, but…I have watched how we can fill a room with hundreds of people. I have been very consistent. A lot of the work I have done out of my own pocket. I've raised money. I've lifted things myself, everybody knows me know how I put my heart and soul into it.
Zarinah Lomax, The Apologues
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What surprised me most was the people you put together for this program. Even though everybody was here individually learning, I feel like we built a family. We all compliment each other, learn from each other, collaborate with each other, motivate each other, and love each other.
Ryan Harris, As I Plant This Seed
