On 7 October 2024, we launched our exciting new scheme: Pay Fellowship Forward. At the RSA, we recognise that financial barriers sometimes prevent individuals from joining our Fellowship. This limits the diversity we strive for within our community.
The RSA’s Fellowship is at its best when it reflects various voices, talents and real experiences. That’s why the Pay Fellowship Forward scheme ensures that anyone, regardless of their financial circumstances, can apply for RSA Fellowship.
What is Pay Fellowship Forward?
Pay Fellowship Forward is a scheme funded by Fellows, for Fellows, and overseen by Fellows. This initiative allows current Fellows to contribute toward funding Fellowships for those who otherwise couldn’t afford it.
Why are we doing this?
Over the past year, several Fellows have approached us expressing a desire to support individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in accessing the Fellowship. In response, we created the Pay Fellowship Forward scheme.
Who is the scheme for?
The Pay Fellowship Forward scheme is designed for anyone passionate about joining the RSA Fellowship but who cannot afford it. For those who share the RSA’s mission of driving social change, this scheme offers individuals from lower-income backgrounds an opportunity to become a Fellow. This introduces a broader range of perspectives and experiences to our already diverse Fellowship.
How does Pay Fellowship Forward work?
The Pay Fellowship Forward scheme welcomes contributions on a rolling basis. Applications are released in tranches with prospective Fellows applying based on specific eligibility criteria demonstrating financial need. Pay Fellowship Forward is currently only open to UK-based individuals, and those who haven’t been Fellows before.
Each application is assessed by the Pay Fellowship Forward Application Committee, which is composed of Fellowship Councillors. The council members are responsible for reviewing and selecting beneficiaries of the scheme. Applications for the scheme are now open and we are already receiving plenty of interest.
Support us
To make Pay Fellowship Forward a reality, we need your support. Every donation, no matter the size, will help open doors for potential Fellows facing financial obstacles. Your donation will contribute towards creating Fellowships that will diversify our ever-growing community of individuals - who, like you, want to do hard things for social good.
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Other upcoming events you can attend as an RSA Fellow
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I hope this is as proactive an approach as The RSA normally takes. If we wait for applications it will be from those individuals who clearly match a certain identity, which cleary defeats the point. So, as a Fellow of living experience of Disability, DWP Welfare, Homelessness & Poverty - I'm only to happy assist. Though I've yet to be invited - even though another Fellow as already done this for me this year on a presonal level - which I hope now the RSA will take over. However it does have to be asked, as there's no intrinsic cost to Fellowship (other than the membership card) why aren't they simply given away and not made so other Fellows have to cover the cost? The whole point of The Fellowship fess were to collect funds to be distributed to the poor? Best Paul Atherton FRSA