For Nonprofit & Civic Professionals

Fellowship for Nonprofit & Civic Professionals

The ICJS Fellowship for Nonprofit & Civic Professionals brings together local nonprofit and civic leaders for intensive study and dialogue. Drawing on the resources of diverse religious traditions, fellows discover how an interreligious lens can strengthen their efforts to build a more just Baltimore.

Engaging Muslim, Christian, and Jewish perspectives alongside current thinking on interreligious dialogue, fellows explore the role of religious pluralism in a democratic society. They connect across religious and non-religious identities and wide-ranging professional backgrounds—from advocacy and the arts to public health and government.

Along the way, fellows discover how authentic encounter with the other can transform their leadership and our shared public life. They leave equipped to weave interreligious understanding into their organizational goals.

Molly Silverstein (msilverstein@icjs.org), Program Director for Nonprofit and Civic Professionals, leads this fellowship. The next cohort begins in person in October 2026. Applications are now closed for the coming cohort, but you can fill out the form below to join the waitlist.

INTEREST FORM

Fellowship Benefits

Participate in a diverse adult learning community
Network with other professionals in the nonprofit/civic sector
Design and share a project specifically tailored to your community
Learn skills for engaging in dialogue across difference
Gain inspiration, clarity, and intention that you can bring back to your work
Receive a stipend upon completing the fellowship

Fellowship Commitments

Attend 14 monthly meetings in person
Prepare and present an original project to bring back to your community
Write a reflection piece on your learning
Engage with religion in the public square by attending five outside learning experiences
Engage in thoughtful dialogue with a cohort of diverse professionals

Why join the ICJS Fellowship for Nonprofit and Civic Professionals?

Hear from Molly Silverstein, Program Director for Nonprofit and Civic Professionals, on why this fellowship could be the right fit for you.

Fellowship for Nonprofit and Civic Leaders Rosters

Building Civic Leadership Across Difference

Molly Silverstein, Program Director for the ICJS Fellowship for Nonprofit and Civic Professionals, speaks about her path into interreligious work, what distinguishes this fellowship in the civic landscape, and why interreligious learning is essential for leaders working to build a multireligious democracy.

If we could somehow invigorate a whole community of believers in this city to understand that the destiny of Baltimore is waiting for us all to come together…we could make some great changes in this city.

Leon F. Pinkett III

ICJS 2021 Fellow

Nonprofit & Civic Professional Voices

Nonprofit & Civic Voices

A Reconsideration of ‘Separation of Church and State’

Amanda Krotki, ICJS Fellowship for Nonprofit and Civic Leaders Alum

I grew up believing “the separation of church and state” was gospel. I fought anyone who tried to tell me otherwise. It didn’t help my position that I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where most residents were Mormon and upfront about it. I was an outlier—the one kid in school who didn’t stand…

Nonprofit & Civic Voices

Finding My Voice as a Nonreligious ‘None’

Val Twanmoh, ICJS Fellowship for Nonprofit and Civic Leaders Alum

I grew up in a mixed-religion family—one side Jewish, one side Methodist. My parents were effectively nonreligious, but they took my siblings and me to Unitarian Sunday school and encouraged learning about other religions. Because of my background, I was intrigued to learn about the Fellowship for Nonprofit and Civic Professionals at the Institute for…

Nonprofit & Civic Voices

Wrestling to Be Open: Developing my interreligious fluency

Ojeda Hall-France, ICJS Fellowship for Nonprofit and Civic Leaders Alum

I am a firm believer in the power of one-on-one relational meetings in my ministry and professional life. Starting my new job at the Governor’s Office for Children on December 10, 2025, I planned to meet one-on-one with at least half of my new colleagues within my first 90 days. It was a weekday morning…

Nonprofit & Civic Voices

Deeply Rooted in My Faith: The lost property of wisdom

Dr. Candice Islaah Abd’al-Rahim, ICJS Fellowship for Nonprofit and Civic Leaders Alum

I joined the ICJS Fellowship for Civic and Nonprofit Professionals carrying a concern common to many people whose faith has been fortified through trials and affirmed through a multitude of blessings. As a Black American Muslim deeply committed to my communities and to the work of sharing the beauty, ethics, and truth of Islam, I…

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Learn More about Our Work with Nonprofits

Contact Molly Silverstein | Program Director for Civic & Nonprofit Professionals

If you want to learn more about ICJS’ work with nonprofit and civic professionals, contact Molly Silverstein at msilverstein@icjs.org.