Leadership Academy

leadership Illinois

now offering

Fellowship


We are excited to announce the inaugural All United Leadership Illinois Fellowship Program as the flagship program of our new Leadership Academy.

The All United Leadership Illinois Fellowship is an 8 month, 12-session leadership, community organizing, and political training program. It is part of a long term strategy for values driven power. We are building a generation of values-driven leaders with a clear eyed view of personal, community, and political power. Whether you're planning to run for office, work on an issue, community, or electoral campaign, or play a critical role in local political organizing—this program will give you the tools, experience, and relationships to lead with purpose and power. 

Learn directly from political, organizing, electioneering, and communications experts via in-depth hands on training sessions.

What is a leadership training session?


Each session will be 3 hours in length and include training, discussion, and interactive activities with experienced organizers, elected leaders, and political experts. Each session will focus on important concepts, skills, and curriculum that will drive individuals toward transformational personal, community, and political leadership.

Each session will include classroom teaching combined with readings, guest speakers, and field assignments tied to an actual issue or legislative campaign.

What other expectations are participants to partake in?


In addition to the training sessions, participants will be expected to volunteer 5–10 hours per week on a political campaign or issue organizing effort. This hands-on experience ensures that lessons are applied in real time, connecting theory to practice. Furthermore, each participant will be assigned a “homework” assignment that will allow for real time experience building. 

What Issue or Electoral Campaign will we work on?

After several sessions of introductory concepts and leadership skills training, the cohort will meet in a Retreat with community leaders to discuss and choose 2-3 issues/campaigns to work on over the course of the program. The practice of using our leadership skills to engage community leaders, elected officials, the media, donors, etc. in an organized campaign is what will test, hone, and inform our leadership development trainings.

What is the cost of the program?

The overall program is worth more than $45,000 for a cohort of 20 participants. Each participant is responsible for a total of $500. Each admitted participant is receiving an average scholarship of $1,675.

What can participants expect post-program?

This program is intentionally designed to cultivate a generation of skilled and effective leaders, many of whom will collaborate over the next 20 years. We will be the future candidates, community organizers, campaign staffers, field organizers, and community leaders who are ready to move the needle on justice and local power. Once participants complete the program, they will be expected to continue to engage and complete the remainder of the election cycle (November 2026).

The fellowship will officially kick off in early September, 2025.

Each session will take place on the following dates and times:

Session Guidance:

Accountability:


Participants will not miss out on any sessions throughout the program. These sessions are exclusive training sessions - paid for on behalf of the participant, led by professional trainers, and featuring special political guests - and it is a privilege to be part of this program.

Program “Issues:”


During each training and session, participants will actively identify key issues and contribute to shaping solutions in real time. Between sessions, cohort members—our emerging leaders—will reflect on their learnings and take intentional steps to support both the cohort and All United. This includes sharing feedback, applying lessons, and helping assess progress to guide the work ahead. As participants undergo the program and as part of the curriculum, these issues will be integrated through democratic team-building exercises. 

Homework & Activities:


Following each session, participants will be expected to apply what they’ve learned through three key areas:

  • In the classroom – through active participation, reflection, and peer collaboration.

  • In the field – by practicing organizing skills such as canvassing, recruitment, and outreach.

  • Within their local AU team – by taking initiative, supporting team efforts, and stepping into leadership roles.

  • Fundraise - Each member will be expected to fundraise a certain amount for the program itself. Each participant will be expected to fundraise $500.

Participants will also be assigned aligned readings to deepen their understanding of core organizing theories, concepts, and strategies that support their development as effective community leaders.

Local AU Teams:


All participants are part of and expected to build their  local All United team, rooted in their community. These teams are designed to foster grassroots leadership, collaboration, and local impact.
Participants are expected to:

  • Engage regularly with their local team

  • Support team goals and activities / Our issue campaigns

  • Take on leadership roles that move local work forward


Together, we’ll build the capacity to lead, organize, and win in our communities.

PLAN | Data-driven strategy

Lay of the Land

  • Power mapping: who are the current political players in the areas we are considering playing in? Consider allies, opponents, neutral players.

Strategy

  • Elections are cyclical. We must operate within the real confines, constraints, and opportunities of these cycles. Long-term vs. short-term goals.

Plan & Timeline

  • Measurable goals & schedules for things like: people trained, voters mobilized, elections won, and fellows recruited, etc.

ORGANIZE | Educate, Engage, Empower

Field Team

  • We will build a powerful team of field canvassers who can be deployed to build our organization & support our candidates & allies.

Family & Friends

  • A program a proven strategy for successful voter mobilization

Talent pipeline

  • We have enormous talent in our community - we will institute a structured way to identify them, engage them, and prepare them for leadership opportunities.

Leadership Academy

  • We have a limited pool of people who are can do this work currently. The academy will create a sustainable pipeline of folks who will become leaders in the political space.

WIN | Run Candidates & Win Elections

Campaign Strategy

  • Knowing how to vet candidates and develop platforms, messaging, ballot dynamics, timelines, and budgeting.

Ballot & Compliance

  • How to get on Ballots

  • Quarterly reporting and compliance.

Execution

  • Create a campaign plan, including platform, field, digital, technical infrastructure, fundraising, and political/endorsements.