GOVERN FOR AMERICA INC

GFA'S PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING FISCAL YEAR 2024 INCLUDE RECRUITING RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATES FOR ITS FLAGSHIP FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, DEVELOPING LEADERS IN PUBLIC SERVICE, AND COMPLETING A STUDY OF ITS EFFORTS TO MOBILIZE PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERS VIA THE FELLOWSHIP.RECRUITING PUBLIC SERVICE TALENT:GFA REVIEWED 421 APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2024 COHORT OF ITS FLAGSHIP FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. A POOL OF EIGHTY FINALISTS WAS DEVELOPED THAT RESULTED IN A FINAL COHORT OF 18 FELLOWS, ONE OF THE LARGEST COHORTS IN GFA HISTORY. THE 2024 COHORT IS A DIVERSE GROUP OF EMERGING PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERS, OF WHICH 61% IDENTIFY AS BIPOC INDIVIDUALS, 50% ARE FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE GRADUATES, 33% IDENTIFY WITH THE LBGTQ+ COMMUNITY, AND 89% IDENTIFY AS NON-CISGENDER MALES. THE 2024 FELLOWS SERVE IN STATE-LEVEL PUBLIC SERVICE ROLES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING ARIZONA, COLORADO, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, MISSOURI, AND PENNSYLVANIA. FELLOWS WORK IN A VARIETY OF ISSUE AREAS THAT INCLUDE CRIMINAL JUSTICE, EDUCATION & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES, MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET. DEVELOPING PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERS:GFA DEVELOPS PUBLIC SECTOR LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL WITH TRAINING ON EFFECTIVE, INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO GOVERNMENT SERVICE TO EQUIP FELLOWS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO ADD VALUE IN GOVERNMENT, ENGAGE WITH SYSTEMIC EQUITY ISSUES IN PUBLIC SYSTEMS, AND TACKLE OUR TOUGHEST PUBLIC CHALLENGES. A SURVEY OF THE DEPARTING COHORT OF FELLOWS REVEALED THAT 83% AGREED THAT THE FELLOWSHIP PROVIDED SUPPORT TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR PUBLIC SERVICE ROLE AND 100% WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO A PEER. DATA ALSO SHOWED THAT GFA FELLOWS ARE 163% MORE LIKELY THAN FINALISTS TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE PUBLIC SECTOR JOB IN THE POST-FELLOWSHIP PERIOD. THE 2024 SUMMER INSTITUTE IN DENVER PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR THE INCOMING COHORT AND FOR CURRENT COHORTS. APPROXIMATELY 92% OF FELLOWS SAID THE SESSIONS AT SUMMER INSTITUTE WERE APPLICABLE TO THEIR ROLES AND 100% SAID THAT IT FOSTERED A SENSE OF CONNECTION.MOBILIZATION STUDY:GFA COMMITTED TO MOBILIZING 1,000 PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERS BY 2025. TO MEASURE THIS GOAL, GFA REFINED ITS DEFINITION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE MOBILIZED AND CONDUCTED A STUDY OF ITS MOBILIZATION EFFORTS. THE STUDY BROUGHT TOGETHER GFA EMPLOYEES, FELLOWS, AND GOVERNMENT PARTNERS IN THREE FOCUS GROUPS TO DISCUSS THE CONCEPT OF MOBILIZATION. THE STUDY FOUND THAT 31 GFA FELLOWS, AS OF FEBRUARY 2024, HAD MOBILIZED MORE THAN 500 PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERS AND HAD OVER 1900 MOBILIZATION TOUCHPOINTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.