Global Multifaith
Fellowship

About the Fellowship

The Global Multifaith Fellowship is a one-year program for women-of-faith leaders who serve in their communities. The Fellowship is open to women around the globe and we are now accepting applications for the 2026 cohorts.

Whether through policy, global affairs, peace building, humanitarian aid, media advocacy, education, public health, or corporate business, this program equips women with the needed leadership skills and experience to build culture, influence other, and make an impact.

The Fellowship is offered in two formats: Hybrid and Distance Learning. Learn more about each format below.

Now accepting applications for the 2026 Global Multifaith Fellowship program!

All applications are due November 22, 2025 for a January 2026 start date.
Please apply for the hybrid or distance learning track through the form below.

Hybrid

The Hybrid format has two in-person workshops (typically one in the Fall and one in the Spring), along with monthly sessions online. 

Applications to the program are reviewed by the Center for Women, Faith & Leadership Advisory Council. Ten-twelve successful applicants are selected annually.

Past and current Fellows work in education, youth engagement, public health, human rights, security, law, and media advocacy, to name a few. Many Fellowship alumna are bi-vocational clergy from diverse faith backgrounds.

Program requirements: 

  • Moderately fluent in English 

  • Access to reliable internet

  • Laptop with a camera and microphone

  • MUST be committed to the Fellowship experience and accommodate the time requirements (see below)

  • The Hybrid track will follow a monthly synchronous learning schedule with online trainings every 2nd Wednesday at 8am Eastern Time (New York).

Distance Learning

The Distance Learning format meets online bi-weekly for ~8 months. Twenty applicants are selected annually for the Distance Learning format. The curriculum is very similar to the Hybrid format. 

This format allows women of faith who cannot participate in person due to health constraints, travel difficulties, visa restrictions, transportation constraints, economic hardship, etc., to gain knowledge for advancing their leadership. It also makes CWFL resources more accessible and sustainable to a global community of women of faith leaders and advocates. 

Program requirements: 

  • Moderately fluent in English 

  • Access to reliable internet

  • Laptop with a camera and microphone

  • MUST be committed to the Fellowship experience and accommodate the time requirements (see below)

  • The Distance Learning track will follow a bi-weekly synchronous learning schedule with online trainings every 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 8am Eastern Time (New York).

What’s Included?

In addition to your multi-faith sisterhood, global network, and mentorship:

Online Trainings

Monthly Zoom sessions with CWFL consultants

2 In-Person Workshops

1-week workshops in the Western & Eastern Hemisphere

Capstone Research

Individual research supported by CWFL stipend

Three Focus Themes

All three themes uniquely contribute to the Fellows’ leadership development as women of faith.

  • Multi-faith + Cultural Identity

    pathway to resilient leadership

  • Skill-building

    for global leadership advancement

  • Mental Health + Self-Care

    for sustainable leadership

  • "I became more conscious about my worth, expertise, capacity to make a change in my community. When I discover on the other side of the world- there exists other women like me. I felt as though I was not alone. I am surrounded by women of faith who are fighting for different causes. Just knowing you are not alone, it means a lot to me. Being part of this fellowship, it gives me a support to perform better in my work and learn more about my leadership, increase my skills, and be more brave in my personal path. That is the difference between the before and after. Being a part of something huge can help you to continue to believe and you are the change in your community."

    Khadija Tirja | 2022 Hybrid Fellow

Capstone Project

The design and proposal of a Capstone Research Project enable Fellows to apply what they have been learning in the program towards forming innovative ways to approach age-old issues facing vulnerable and marginalized populations. 

Fellows learn how to take an initial idea or concept and transform it into a competitive grant proposal with metrics for monitoring impact. 

After their Fellowship experience, all Fellows are encouraged to present their Capstone project to an audience for feedback and critique.