About the opportunity

The Fortis Fellowship is how new members join the Fortis Society. Fellows join a five-month fellowship where they build relationships with the other fellows, are paired with a mentor, and take part in professional learning workshops.

Program stages

• The Fellowship (months 1–5, online): one-to-one mentorship with a Member, trainings and brain trusts on the decisions in front of you, projects that put what you learn into practice, and introductions across sectors and continents.
• The Gathering: two days with your cohort at the Fellows Retreat in Medellín, Colombia, followed immediately by the Annual Summit with the full Society in June 2027, where fellows are formally welcomed as Members.
• The Society: after completing the fellowship, you become a member of the Fortis Society for life.

Time commitment

From January to June: 2–4 hours of monthly virtual sessions and mentorship, at a pace that assumes you have a demanding job. Then four full days in Medellín. After that, the Summit is held each year with additional local gatherings.

What you will be asked for

• A resume or portfolio that shows your work so far.
• Three short written answers about where you started and where you are going.
• A two-minute video introduction filmed on a laptop or phone.
• A virtual interview with the recruitment committee, for shortlisted candidates only.

Selection stages and dates

• Application: open now and closes November 8, 2026. It usually takes two to three hours and is evaluated by members of the society against four pillars.
• Interviews: November – December 2026, with a short guide sent beforehand.
• Final decision: by the end of January 2027. Every applicant gets an answer, including those who are turned down.

Frequently asked questions

• No nomination or institutional endorsement is needed. A nomination from a member does not replace an application, and everyone is evaluated the same way.
• The announcement states no education requirement.
• All sectors are welcome, with a strong encouragement for people in the arts, education, government, and healthcare.
• The program language is English.
• You can reapply in later cohorts.

Anyone from humble beginnings with the ambition to have a significant, positive impact can apply. Every application is evaluated against four pillars:

• Humble beginnings: you come from a low-income background and are the first in your family to take the path you are on.
• An altruistic focus: your work makes other people's lives better. It does not have to be a nonprofit; members work in hospitals, courts, ministries, classrooms, studios, banks, small businesses, and startups.
• Ambition at scale: you can describe the scale of what you want to change and what you have already done.
• Generosity: you are happy to help others, share what you know, and make introductions.
• No education requirement.
• No stated limit on work experience, but cohorts skew towards people with one to five years of full-time work.
• Open to all sectors.
• Applications are accepted from anywhere in the world.
• The program language is English.
• Age: not specified in the announcement.

• One-to-one mentorship with a member of the Fortis Society.
• Trainings, brain trusts, professional learning workshops, and hands-on projects.
• Professional introductions across sectors and continents.
• The cohort programming in Medellín and the Summit in June 2027, both funded for fellows according to the announcement.
• Lifetime membership in the Fortis Society after completing the fellowship.
• No fee to apply or to take part in the fellowship.

Coverage of travel tickets and accommodation: not specified in the announcement.