The Ford Foundation Fellowship for
Regional Sustainable Development (RSD)

With the generous support of the Ford Foundation, ACCE is again offering chamber and regional leaders an opportunity to engage in the Fellowship for Regional Sustainable Development. This unique and exclusive 12-month program will instill a deeper understanding of regional thinking, strategies and opportunities that will help Fellows grow and develop competitive economies and communities. With the assistance of the Alliance for Regional Stewardship, ACCE is providing this educational program to chamber and business leaders of today and tomorrow.

The Fellowship provides hands-on training, peer knowledge exchange, research and examination of working models on a wide-range of sustainability issues, such as:

• Infrastructure;
• Land use;
• Environmental stewardship;
• Housing;
• Social inclusion;
• Workforce development;
• Education;
• Immigration; and
• Inner-city challenges.

Fellows become part of a cadre of influential leaders who are ready to apply their knowledge to make their own regions more prosperous, vital and inclusive. The growing cadre will, in turn, reinforce the national and global movement benefiting regional economies everywhere.

The first class of RSD Fellows contributed to the development of a policy and practices white paper that outlines how business-civic organizations can advance a regional agenda for growth. "Sustainable Economies and Strong Communities: Regional Chamber Strategies for Growth" focuses on the work that institutions such as chambers of commerce and economic development organizations are doing to build a better regional "product" - the institutions, infrastructure, social conditions and business environment that lead to long-term stability and economic prosperity. Click here to download a copy of the report, authored by FutureWorks and co-published in August 2008 as a monograph with the Alliance for Regional Stewardship.

Program format and schedule

Each cohort group meets for three in-person, symposium-style sessions taught by carefully selected scholars and professional practitioners. In addition, Fellows prepare and implement individual regional action projects targeting their service area. Between meetings, Fellows remain engaged with readings, DIALogue webinars, and one-on-one coaching and guidance to help with their regional action projects. At the conclusion of the program, new findings and additional best practice lessons will be incorporated into the policy-practice library of resources offered through the Alliance for Regional Stewardship.
The schedule for the 2009-2010 program is:

Locations and exact meeting times will be available well in advance of the meeting.

Fellowship Costs

Nearly all costs for the program are underwritten by the Ford Foundation! This investment covers such costs as travel, lodging, most meals, reading materials, faculty expenses, and program development and implementation (approximate value of more than $10,000 per person).

The initial enrollment fee is $1,500, with $750 of that amount to be refunded upon successful completion of the fellowship program. The enrollment fee is due after acceptance into the Fellowship and before the first in-person meeting.

Learn about previous Fellowship classes

For information about the schedule and list of Fellows in the 2009 Fellowship Class, please click here.

For more information

To learn more about this program, please contact Lisa Itamura at 703-998-3522.