A paid fellowship, built around real work.
The Open Access Fellowship is funded by leading community development companies and prepares diverse professionals for careers in the industry. Fellows commit 160 hours over up to twelve weeks and are matched with mentors for career growth.
A seat inside the industry, not a seminar about it
Funded by the industry’s top companies
The fellowship attracts and prepares minority professionals for careers in community development finance, and gives them the chance to work alongside some of the industry’s leading experts. Fellows access curriculum through virtual trainings, webinars, and conference attendance sponsored by Novogradac & Company LLP.
Upon completing the program, fellows are positioned to bring their expertise into community development finance coupled with the perspective their backgrounds inform, and to promote dialogue on equity, inclusion, and representation in an environment that directly affects the lives of low-income people and people of color.
Three parts, one outcome.
The awardThe Open Access Fellowship award.
The program aims to grant 24 fellowships each year across a three-month duration. Recipients receive a $4,000 stipend and access to Novogradac’s courses, which builds both credential and capability.
See eligibility criteria
MentoringPersonalized fellowship mentoring.
Each fellow spends the three-month engagement with a matched professional. The pairing is deliberate, which is what turns general guidance into the kind of connection that outlasts the program term.
Industry experienceIndustry experience that counts as experience.
Fellows commit 160 hours over twelve weeks. Interviews with sponsors guide matching based on interests and qualifications and align each placement with an agreed scope of work.
See the 2026 hostsLead by example in your industry.
Host a fellow, sponsor a cohort, or tell us where your team needs talent. We will take it from there.