Prime Mover: a leader who engages masses of people to create a more just society
Prime Movers: Cultivating Social Capital is a multi-year fellowship program for emerging and established social movement leaders working at the national level. Unlike other fellowships, our program emphasizes the professional development of individual leaders who engage masses of people. This focus allows leaders to think beyond their organizations and take on broader, more pivotal roles within their movements.
Prime Movers are leading a variety of social movements, which are sustained collective challenges by ordinary people who act to change policies, cultural behavior, or social inequities. Through participation in our program, Prime Movers become part of a diverse peer network that fortifies their individual leadership. As part of the program, fellows convene several times a year to discuss common issues and challenges and to identify pathways for change. Although they work on many different issues, every Prime Mover:
- commits to realizing the societal change he or she envisions;
- cultivates the next generation of leaders in his or her movement;
- takes risks; and
- inspires others to action.