Mountaintop

MOUNTAINTOP INTERNATIONAL IS A NONPROFIT THAT IS WORKING TO BUILD THE INTERNAL CAPACITY, OR "HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE," OF LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE TO SOLVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS. MOUNTAINTOP DOES THIS THROUGH LEADERSHIP INITIATIVES THAT HELP THE WORLD'S MOST PROMISING INDIVIDUALS DEEPEN AND SCALE SYSTEMS CHANGE, TALENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS TO STRENGTHEN HIGH-IMPACT ORGANIZATIONS, AND IDEA AND POLICY PROMOTION TO CONTRIBUTE TO A MOVEMENT PUSHING FOR A GLOBAL REVOLUTION IN HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE. MOUNTAINTOP'S FLAGSHIP PROGRAM IS A PAID, ONE-YEAR, FULL-TIME FELLOWSHIP FOR THE MOST PROMISING LOCAL LEADERS TO STAY IN OR RETURN TO THEIR HOME COMMUNITIES AND CONTRIBUTE TO SYSTEMS CHANGE IN LOWER-INCOME PLACES AROUND THE WORLD. MOUNTAINTOP'S FELLOWS RECEIVE A FULL-TIME STIPEND, TWO WEEK LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE HOSTED AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY'S EDMOND & LILY SAFRA CENTER FOR ETHICS, 1:1 MENTORSHIP, GRANTS, AND A LIFELONG COMMUNITY OF INSPIRING PEERS TO ACCELERATE THEIR LEADERSHIP JOURNEYS.

1. SELECTED 13 BRILLIANT, INSPIRING FELLOWS FROM 10 COUNTRIES ACROSS LATIN AMERICA, AFRICA, AND ASIA. WITH THE FULL TIME STIPEND PROVIDED BY MOUNTAINTOP, THESE FELLOWS WILL SPEND THE NEXT YEAR AMPLIFYING THEIR WORK ON EVERYTHING FROM BUILDING PEACE-BUILDING PROGRAMS IN SUDAN, TO RUNNING AN ONLINE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS IN AFGHANISTAN, TO ADVOCATING FOR SUSTAINABLE AGROFORESTRY IN INDONESIA. EACH FELLOW IS SERVING IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY ON PROJECTS THAT WILL BENEFIT THOUSANDS OF LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. EACH FELLOW RECEIVES A FULL-TIME STIPEND AND PARTICIPATES IN A TWO WEEK LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE HOSTED AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY'S EDMOND & LILY SAFRA CENTER FOR ETHICS. THE FELLOWSHIP ALSO INCLUDES 1:1 MENTORSHIP, GRANTS, AND A LIFELONG COMMUNITY OF INSPIRING PEERS TO ACCELERATE THEIR LOCAL LEADERSHIP JOURNEYS AND PREPARE THEM FOR LARGE-SCALE SYSTEMS IMPACT TO TRANSFORM THEIR COMMUNITIES AND COUNTRIES. --- 2. BUILT A STRONG CANDIDATE POOL. 6,517 CANDIDATES STARTED APPLICATIONS FROM 155 COUNTRIES. CANDIDATES INCLUDED FORMER MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, FORMER MAYORS, AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE NOMINEES. 60% OF CANDIDATES COME FROM FAMILIES MAKING LESS THAN $2.15/DAY (THE WORLD BANK'S EXTREME POVERTY LINE) AND 67% FROM FAMILIES WHERE NEITHER PARENT GRADUATED FROM UNIVERSITY. --- 3. PARTNERED WITH NGOS FROM SIERRA LEONE, LIBERIA, NIGERIA, AND KENYA TO HOST FELLOWS WORKING FULL-TIME WITH THEIR ORGANIZATIONS. WHILE OTHER FELLOWS WORK ON INDEPENDENT PROJECTS, THESE HOSTS PAY TO COVER THE COST OF THEIR FELLOWS' LIVING STIPENDS, AND MOUNTAINTOP COVERS THE COST OF FELLOW RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION, TRAINING, AND ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. MOUNTAINTOP ALSO PARTNERED WITH A SOCIAL VENTURE IN INDIA TO PILOT THE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TWO OF THEIR STAFF TO RECEIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SKILLS THROUGH OUR IN-PERSON LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE AND ONGOING VIRTUAL TRAININGS. OUR HOSTS ARE ALL GLOBALLY RENOWNED LOCALLY-LED ORGANIZATIONS, AND HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED WITH INTERNATIONAL AWARDS LIKE THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE AND THE MULAGO FOUNDATION RAINER ARNHOLD FELLOWSHIP. --- 4. PARTNERED WITH WORLD CLASS GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS. MOUNTAINTOP APPRECIATES ITS INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS WHO ARE SUPPORTING WITH TRAINING CURRICULUM, OUTREACH, PROGRAM DESIGN, AND OPERATIONS. THIS INCLUDES THE HARVARD UNIVERSITY EDMOND & LILY SAFRA CENTER FOR ETHICS (WHICH WILL HOST OUR LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE IN CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS), THE CENTER FOR EXPANDING LEADERSHIP & OPPORTUNITY, THE PEOPLE FIRST COMMUNITY, CATALYST 2030, CAIRN LEADERSHIP, ORRICK LAW, AND BLACKLINE SOLUTIONS.

MOUNTAINTOP'S IMPACT FUND PROVIDED GRANTS AND ZERO INTEREST LOANS TO LOCAL SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS BUILDING LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS IN LINE WITH MOUNTAINTOP'S MISSION OF STRENGTHENING THE HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE OF LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES. THESE INVESTMENTS LED TO THE FOUNDING OF THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. (MALUKU) INSTITUTE IN CAMEROON AND THE SOCIAL DIALOGUE AND LEADERSHIP ACADEMY IN COTE D'IVOIRE, WHICH HAVE ALREADY IMPACTED HUNDREDS OF EMERGING LEADERS.