Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life is pleased to announce the creation of a new program to support the global organization’s campus professionals. The David M. Cohen Fellowship will provide the resources to enable professional leadership development for up to 16 Hillel professionals, all of whom have completed at least three years as an executive director of an affiliated Hillel foundation.

Through the generosity of Abby and David Cohen, the David M. Cohen Fellowship guarantees that Hillel’s highest-performing and highest-potential directors are supported with tools to strengthen and sharpen their skills, resulting in greater professional excellence and increased capacity for the Hillels they lead.

David M. Cohen Fellowship Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the David M. Cohen Fellowship?
The Cohen Fellowship provides the resources to enable professional leadership development for up to 16 Hillel Executive Directors, in two cohorts of eight participants over three years.  This intensive 18 month professional development experience will better equip each director to impact the lives of thousands of Jewish students on campus for years to come.  The Cohen Fellowship will ensure that Hillel’s highest performing and highest-potential directors are supported with tools to strengthen and sharpen their skills, resulting in greater professional excellence and the increased capacity of the Hillels they lead. 

2. How many years does a professional have to have served as an Executive Director to be eligible for the Fellowship?
Executive Directors who have completed at least three years in their current position and will be beginning their fourth year or later of service are eligible to apply for the David M. Cohen Fellowship.  

3. What are the key programmatic components of the Cohen Fellowship?
• Personalized coaching delivered by certified executive coaches for 12 months
• Leadership Practice Inventory (LPI) 360° review
• Two performance evaluations conducted by the director’s board
• Peer learning, consultation and fellowship with other high-performing colleagues
• Skill development focused on Human Resources, Fund Development, and Stakeholder (university, community, and Board) Relationships
• Mentoring by Hillel’s top volunteer leadership
• Access to a professional development fund to help underwrite further, individualized professional development

4. Who will be serving as the Executive Coaches for Fellowship participants?
Each Fellow will be assigned an executive coach who will build upon the LPI 360 data to create practices that will provide each participant with perspective and balance, the ability to develop leadership presence and improve management skills to become a more effective leader. The coaches are certified executive coaches selected by Rae Ringel, coordinator of the Fellowship and herself a certified coach.  Each coach has completed an International Coach Federation (ICF) accredited program.

5. What is the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) 360? What value does the LPI 360 add to the Fellowship?
The LPI 360 is an on-line assessment tool that provides participants with the opportunity to evaluate themselves, as well as to invite 7-10 people they work most closely with to provide feedback.  The benefits of the LPI 360 include:
• Gaining a broader and more comprehensive perspective on how participants are perceived by others;
• Identifying key development areas for the participant and the organization;
• Identifying gaps between one's self-perception versus the perceptions of other;
• Providing the opportunity for more customized and focused coaching.

The data from the LPI 360 will inform each participant’s development of a customized professional development plan.  

6. What kind of performance management tools will be used during the course of the Fellowship?
Twice during the course of the Fellowship, Fellows will work closely with their local volunteer board to develop and implement a personal Planning, Feedback and Evaluation (PFE) tool.  The utilization of the PFE tool will be an integral piece of the Fellowship.  The reviews will focus on the individual’s skill development and ability to successfully lead their Hillel, as well as helping to identify areas of professional growth which will enhance the Director’s success.

7. When will the Fellowship cohort gather together for trainings and seminars? 
There will be at least two in-person gatherings during the course of the Fellowship. The Launch Seminar will take place February 14-16, 2012, in Washington, DC.  The Capstone Seminar will take place in March, 2013.  The Fellowship cohort will also assemble at Hillel Institute for meetings in August, 2012, and the official graduation from the Fellowship will be in August, 2013. 

8. What is the role of the volunteer leader mentorship component in the Fellowship?
Each Cohen Fellow will be assigned a mentor from Hillel’s top leadership, a member of either Hillel’s International Board of Governors or Board of Directors.  The Fellows will have an opportunity to get to know and learn from exemplary volunteer leaders who understand Hillel’s goals, methodologies, and vision.  Mentors will focus on critical thinking about University and donor relations, navigating the Jewish community, and effective strategies to engage and partner with volunteer leadership.

9. What kind of additional professional development monies are available to Fellows, during the Fellowship?
Upon successful completion of the first twelve months of the Fellowship, each Fellow will be able to access up to $2,500 from a resource pool for further professional development.  Funds are customizable and can be directed toward a variety of programs or experiences ranging from an intensive executive management course, additional leadership courses and programs, on-line course study, or study in Israel.  The distribution of the funds will be approved by the SIC and Fellowship coordinator.

10. What is the purpose of the financial campus commitment?  What if my Hillel does not have the financial resources to fulfill the commitment?
Each local board would be required to provide a $5,000 contribution to ensure their Hillel’s commitment to this 18 month Fellowship. The cost per Fellow is approximately $22,000.  In the spirit of partnership and shared ownership of success, the match will help defray costs associated with the LPI 360, Executive Coaching, and participation at both the Launch and Capstone seminars. 

Please contact Sophie Krentzman (skrentzman@hillel.org) with additional questions.