Mecklenburg County Civic Captain

Applications are now open for the Neighbors Lead Fellowship in Mecklenburg County, NC! Through the fellowship, you’ll be part of a network of Civic Captains working to make change in your community. This is a paid, part-time fellowship of 10-15 hours per week from October 2026 to the end of March 2027. About the Fellowship

Neighbors Lead is a project of Protect Democracy designed to work with local organizations to rebuild community trust from the ground up. We are seeking interested community members to serve as Civic Captains. Whether you’re an established leader or just starting to think about how you can make positive local changes, we’re looking for applicants who are ready to grow their organizing and bridge-building skills, then use them to engage and better their community.

This six-month community leadership pathway is built on a "relational-first" approach, empowering you to leverage your existing, authentic relationships, as well as the connections and network of The Freedom Center for Social Justice and For the Struggle to drive collective action. As a Civic Captain, you are a Fellow of the Neighbors Lead Program; you will be part of a network of local leaders trained in organizing and bridge-building.

Your mission is to facilitate initiatives that address local concerns and foster belonging and agency in your community. To do so, you collaborate with fellow Civic Captains to craft and develop your own projects, with financial and logistical support from Protect Democracy, The Freedom Center for Social Justice, and For the Struggle.

The Neighbors Lead Fellowship provides participants with an opportunity to contribute their existing skills, expertise, and community relationships in furtherance of civic participation objectives. As part of the Neighbors Lead Fellowship, the Civic Captains will engage in local projects of their own creation, while developing their community organizing and bridge-building skills along the way.

Mecklenburg Civic Captains are provided with a stipend of $1,594.80 per month for the duration of the program (six months).

Civic Captains will receive additional support from Neighbors Lead, including:

• Advanced Leadership Training:
  Specialized instruction in community organizing, bridge-building techniques, and civic engagement.

• Networking & Visibility:
  Gain access to a network of local leaders and national peers, with public recognition in newsletters and social media spotlights.

• Community Celebration: A final graduation event to honor your work alongside family, friends, and community members.

The Final date to receive applications for this fellowship is September 4, 2026. You must live in Mecklenburg County, NC to apply.

To qualify for the stipend and support, Civic Captains must fulfill their programmatic obligations:

• Kickoff Training:
  Attendance at an onboarding session and two weekend-long sessions on organizing and bridge-building, all held in Mecklenburg County. Onboarding will take place on Friday, October 2, 2026. The first training weekend will be October 3-4, 2026, and the second training weekend will be October 17-18, 2026.

• Network Mapping and Outreach:
  Relational organizing is a key component of the Neighbors Lead program. Each Civic Captain will be responsible for mapping their network—identifying who in their lives they can move to civic action through 1:1 organizing conversations that bring them into the community initiatives Civic Captains plan. Civic Captains will be responsible for conducting outreach to accomplish this goal, using their independent judgment and discretion, throughout the six‑month program.
  
  See application page for more detail on network mapping.

• Weekly Time Commitment:
  Availability for 10-15 hours each week throughout the six-month program, including status check-ins with your local Program Coordinator, collaborating with other participants to plan and carry out initiatives, and tracking your progress towards program objectives.

• Cohort & Support Meetings:
  Participation in monthly Civic Captain cohort meetings, regular team coaching sessions, and regular 1:1…