Frequently Asked Questions

1. Eligibility
   1. of Fellows
   2. of employing organizations
2. Applyinq to Program
3. About the Program
4. Training and Workshops
5. Program Contacts
   

Eligibility of Fellows:

Education

What level of education is required to qualify to be a Retooling Fellow? (back to top)

The basic requirement to meet the education qualifications of the program is a Masters or Doctoral degree.

What if I don't have a graduate degree, but have many years of experience? (back to top)

Eight years of experience in your field and some graduate coursework can be used in place of a Masters or Doctoral degree.

Experience

How many years of experience in my field do I need to qualify to be a Retooling Professional? (back to top)

One must have a minimum of five years of experience following the completion of a graduate-level degree to qualify for the program.

What if I don't have a graduate-level degree? (back to top)

Those without a graduate degree must have 8 years of experience in their field to qualify for the program.

Meaning of Underrepresented

What does it mean to be “underrepresented in the field of evaluation”?        (back to top)

The RWJF Evaluation Fellows program is open to US-born applicants from any group that has been historically disadvantaged or underrepresented in program evaluation. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals from ethnic and racial minorities historically underrepresented in program evaluation. It also includes persons of all races and ethnicity who come from groups that have historically been disadvantaged or underrepresented in program evaluation, such as individuals whom are the first in their family to attend college and individuals from low-income communities.

Eligibility of Organizations:

Budget

What must my organizational budget be to meet the program guidelines? (back to top)

An organization/agency must have a total operating budget of a minimum $2.5 Million to a maxumum of $20 Million to be eligible for the program. The maximum budget must be LESS THAN $21 Million.

Is the budgetary limit in reference to the program budget or total agency budget? (back to top)

The budgetary guidelines are in reference to the total agency budget. NOTE: The only exception tot his rule is where the "agency" is the fiscal agent to a program whose budget meets the program guidelines.

Organization Type

Are organizations based outside of the United  States eligible to apply?

No, only US-based organizations are eligible for the RWJF Evaluation Fellows program.

Must my organization provide direct services to qualify for this program? (back to top)

To qualify for this program an applicant must be a full-time employee of a non-profit organization, which provides services to a traditionally under-served or underrepresented community as defined above. Organizations whose primary role is research or evaluation are ineligible for this program.

Are employees of and employing government agencies eligible? (back to top)

No, Government agencies and their employees are not eligible at this time.

Applying:

Qualification

How do I apply for the program? (back to top)

Before applying for the program please check the qualifications and eligibility requirements on the programs website. Please fill out the pre-qualifying questionnaire.

Website

Where is the application on the website? (back to top)

After answering the pre-qualifying questions the online system makes a determination of eligibility. If one qualifies they are sent to a page where they can create an online profile. Once this profile is created and saved a link will appear that says “Start the application.” NOTE: the profile information will not be reviewed during the selection process.

About the Program:

Purpose

What is the goal(s) or purpose of the RWJF Evaluation Fellows Program? (back to top)

The program's goal is to help nonprofit professionals become better internal evaluators of their programs and better consumers of information for decision-making. The program also aims to equip participants with evaluation skills that will help enhance the evaluation capacity of their organizations. Ultimately the program seeks to infuse the evaluation field with well-trained individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to meet the needs of the increasingly diverse programs and communities the the profession serves.

Duration

How long is the fellowship program? (back to top)

The fellowship program will last for six months. During the year each fellow will receive approximately 40 hours of training in two 3-5 day workshops.

Training and Workshops:

Location

Where will the workshops for fellows be held? (back to top)

During the six-month fellowship, non-profit professionals will be trained in evaluation methodology while working on a real-world culturally reponsive evaluation project for their employer. The trainings will be held both virtually and in person in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

What topics will be covered in the workshops? (back to top)

During the workshops, evaluation concepts, evaluative thinking, methods and practical applications, and evaluation project design will be covered.

Contacts

Staff of the Program

Who should I contact with additional questions? (back to top)

For more information contact:
Vivian Figueredo
(215) 732-2200 ext. 233
vivian@omgcenter.org

Howard Walters
(215) 732-2200 ext. 276
howard@omgcenter.org