BOLT SCHOOL FOR
GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP

The BOLT School for Grassroots Leadership supports grassroots leaders residing in low-income neighborhoods with demonstrated commitment to community-led change.

Despite having the deepest connections to their neighbors and working around-the-clock, these leaders are often paying out-of-pocket, using their personal savings, and do not receive the visibility that outside stakeholders do.

Our program is focused on elevating their work and increasing their capacity so they can reach their visions, faster. That’s how we get to a Philly where every neighborhood is thriving, led by the people living there.

We’re looking for leaders who show up for our communities every single day.

What to expect from the program

Leaders participate in an 8-month leadership and capacity building program that consists of:

  • 100 hours of instruction: innovative, customized grassroots leadership curriculum infused with expertise on Philadelphia context

  • 1:1 monthly executive coaching

  • Life-long community of grassroots leaders

  • Compensation for participation

At the end of the program, each participant is positioned to grow and sustain their program, emerging with the following:

  • Connections to fiscal sponsors and/or formal organization status (501(c)(3) or for-profit)

  • Completed Social Impact Template

  • Theory of Change / Logic Model

  • Annual strategic plan

  • Organizational Budget

  • Business Model

  • Fundraising Plan / Grant Template

  • Board development

  • Organizational Policies

  • Staffing & HR Plan

  • Impact measurement instruments (eg. pre/post surveys)

  • Story of Self, Us, and Now

  • Social Media Strategy

  • Leadership Skills (Coaching, Feedback-Giving, Navigating Difficult Conversations, Delegation)

  • Expanded social impact network

What the leaders say

  • Things don’t even take place without [grassroots leaders] and we see it now because we have so many entities making decisions for our communities when we should be able to make those decisions for ourselves.”

    David Buck, Bridges of Opportunities

  • I don't know no other program like BOLT, that will walk you through and give you all the information…and then charge us to then give it to other people. A lot of times people want to hold on to what they do. But one of the things that [BOLT] echoes over and over is sharing these resources with other people to help other people grow.

    Taja Morris, Sisters with an Agenda

  • "I want to see more people go through this. It will improve the culture of nonprofit collaboration, so I would just like to see more people in this city go through it. It's a very powerful thing you have put together here.

    Mazzie Casher, Philly Truce

  • Grassroots, to me, are those that are boots on the ground…We may not have a lot of the funding, but…I have watched how we can fill a room with hundreds of people. I have been very consistent. A lot of the work I have done out of my own pocket. I've raised money. I've lifted things myself, everybody knows me know how I put my heart and soul into it.

    Zarinah Lomax, The Apologues

  • What surprised me most was the people you put together for this program. Even though everybody was here individually learning, I feel like we built a family. We all compliment each other, learn from each other, collaborate with each other, motivate each other, and love each other.

    Ryan Harris, As I Plant This Seed

Hear from the leaders

2022 - 2023

2024-2025

2023-2024

2024-2025 Cohort

Geanna Williams-Davis
Elegance Xtreme

Kysheen Wilson
As I Plant This Seed / Hunting Park Coalition

Ti’Aza Hill
AgrotheraPA

Danielle McLane
Diamond Beauty Cosmetics

Veronica Powell
Related Through Change

Shawmar Pitts
Philly Thrive

Jaime Meekins
Pushing Progress Philly

2023-2024 Cohort

Aigner Bostic
Dat Girl Mentorship

Rickey Duncan
NOMO Foundation

Charles & Tammy Reeves
RAC2

Mazzie Casher
Philly Truce

Kwadir Scott
As I Plant This Seed

Annette Kennedy
Philly Shared

Ron Toles
Ordinaire Heroes

Zarinah Lomax
The Apologues

2022-2023 Cohort

Keyssh Datts
Decolonize Philly

Serita Lewis
UrbnSeek

Tahira Fortune
Voices by Choices

Jose Ferran
Hunting Park Green

Thank you to our Guest Facilitators!

We are so grateful to our guest facilitators who come into lead workshops for our participants!

These are topical experts who have a deep care for supporting grassroots leaders to drive community-led change and we appreciate them sharing their expertise, as well as time, with us.

Andres Celin

Anavi Strategies

Connie Liu

Project Invent & Tandem

Matt Roessler

Mid-Atlantic Employers Association

Ryan Gittler-Muniz

Public Interest Law Center

Shawon Jackson

Vocal Justice

Bria Spivey-Lockley

Bria Spivey Consulting

Darrien Johnson

The Community Curator

Mike O'Bryan

Humanature

Sulaiman Rahman

DiverseForce

Christopher DiRiccio

Mid-Atlantic Employers Association

Dr. Anjali Chainani-Jha

Anavi Strategies

Monique Curry-Mims

Civic Capital

Zoraida Cordero

Impactful Solutions

Cleopatra Robinson

A Home from Shana Foundation (BOLT '22-23)

Jordan Muse

Museologie & Patricia Kind Family Foundation

Portia Fullard

MOV Solutions

The 2025-2026 BOLT School for Grassroots Leadership

The 2025-2026 BOLT School for Grassroots Leadership will run from October 2025 to May 2026.

  • Time Commitment: You must be able to commit to participating 4 hours / week, including 3 hours in-person on Saturdays from 9am-12pm, for eight months. We will not meet during holidays and religious observances.

  • Executive Coaching: You will receive executive coaching 2x/month, an opportunity for you to gain access to tailored personal support, ranging from navigating difficult situations to feedback on grant-writing.

  • Compensation: You will receive a $3,000 stipend for participating, and $1,000 for your affiliated project or organization upon completion of the program.

The application process will be conducted in three rounds.

What we’re looking for

Participant Eligibility

We do not seek a specific issue area or initiative when it comes to applicants - we trust lived experience. However, we do have other requirements that you must meet to apply:

  • Philadelphia Resident: Must live in Philadelphia and in at least one of the neighborhoods you serve.

  • Priority Zip Codes:

    • North Philly: 19132, 19133, 19140, 19141, 19121

    • West Philly: 19130, 19144

  • Deep Community Connection: Must have strong relationships with the community you serve – they should be your friends and neighbors.

  • Age Requirement: Must be 18 years or older by September 1 of the current year.

  • Project Focus: Work must provide opportunities for Philadelphians to stay and thrive in their neighborhoods. We do not fund initiatives like boarding schools or vacation homes that remove people from their communities.

  • Experience: Must have at least 2 years of demonstrated experience serving the community in a leadership capacity. This should be a long-term commitment, not a short-term or hobby-based project.

  • Team Leadership: Must have built a team of at least two other community members involved in the work. Team members do not need to be paid staff, but collaboration is essential.

  • Non-Partisan & No Lobbying: Your work must be non-partisan and cannot involve lobbying. As a nonprofit, we are legally required to stay neutral and cannot support leaders using their work to advocate for a political party or candidate.

  • Organization Role: You must either be a Founder / Executive Director / CEO or a leader within an organization (such as a Program Manager) led by a Founder / Executive Director / CEO who also resides in Philadelphia & is deeply connected to the community they serve

Organizational Structure & Funding

Not limited to nonprofits – you do not have to have a registered business or nonprofit to participate.

  • We encourage applications from:

    • Small businesses (e.g., businesses that give back to and hire from the community, providing economic opportunity for their neighbors).

    • Grassroots initiatives that are not yet formally registered.

    • Individuals within organizations who are not the Founder / Executive Director / CEO but serve as organization leaders

  • Budget & Funding: Your annual operating budget must not exceed $250,000.