Call for Fellowship Applications
The 2026 Colorado Health Symposium is a vibrant space for nonprofit leaders, grassroots organizers, community advocates, funders, and movement partners to come together for shared learning, hands-on practice, connection, and restoration focused on building what our health equity movement needs next. As we navigate the real challenges facing nonprofits and communities, this year’s theme, Wisdom and Wonder: Weaving Generations Together for a Healthier Future, reflects the power of pairing hard-earned experience with fresh imagination and deepening intergenerational collaboration to move forward together. Join us in Keystone, CO, on July 29-31, 2026.
The Foundation offers fellowships to adult Colorado residents who are advancing health equity by addressing the systemic conditions that shape health and opportunity. Applications are reviewed competitively, and a select group of applicants are invited to participate as Fellows. Due to the limited number of fellowships available, not all eligible applicants will be selected.
Priority is strongly weighted toward individuals who have not attended the Symposium in the past five years, with particular consideration given to first-time attendees.
Fellows are expected to attend the full Symposium from Wednesday, July 29 through Friday, July 31, unless prior arrangements are made, and to actively contribute their perspectives throughout the event.
Timeline
- Application period: March 17-April 6, 2026
- Notifications sent: May 2026
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be an adult Colorado resident
- Be actively advancing health equity in their work or community
Volunteer experience and lived experience may substitute for professional experience.
Not Eligible
The following individuals are not eligible to apply:
- Those who participated as a Symposium Fellow within the past five years
- Those employed by a government or public entity who are subject to Colorado’s Amendment 41
Foundation Priority Areas
In addition to eligibility requirements and attendance history, applications are reviewed with strong consideration given to individuals who meet one or more of the following:
- Work with community-based organizations
- Work with organizations led by or centered on people of color
- Work in rural communities
- Work outside traditional health care systems, including adult recovery, advocacy, affordable housing, capacity-building, economic opportunity, food access, and youth development
Narrative Questions
Applicants must answer the following questions:
- How does your work directly address health equity and racial justice? Please describe your current role and the communities you serve, and be specific about the populations, issues, or systems you work within. Volunteer experience and lived experience may substitute for professional experience.
- How would participating as a Fellow strengthen your work and benefit the communities you serve? Please include specific examples of how you would apply what you learn.
What the Fellowship Includes
Fellows are selected to participate as members of the 2026 cohort and receive the following:
- Complimentary registration for the full three-day Symposium
- Single-occupancy lodging during the conference (up to three nights)
- Mileage reimbursement for travel to and from the Symposium, based on the IRS standard mileage rate
- Invitation to the 2026 Symposium Fellows evening reception on Tuesday, July 28, followed by a relaxed, informal dinner with Colorado Health Foundation staff and board members
- Visual recognition as a 2026 Symposium Fellow
Language Justice
The Foundation strongly believes in language justice and strives to help our guests participate in the language of their heart. Interpretation and translation services are available to assist you throughout the application process. Please email us at cohealthsymposium@coloradohealth.org with your name and preferred language, and a member of our team will contact you within one business day.
Note: Individuals interested in attending the Symposium may apply for either a Poster Session or Fellowship, not both.
