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Since 2012 we have mobilized over 700 young professionals to make a meaningful contribution to their communities.
YCORE Fellowship Program Mission:
We teach and train working professionals in the Bay Area to be committed partners working towards community-based change.
Our north star is to build a culture of solidarity in the Bay Area and beyond.
This is what solidarity looks like.
Hear former fellow Sabeeha Islam and nonprofit partner Theo Hollingsworth (BAYCAT) share their YCore story. This video was created by the talented youth and storytellers at BAYCAT.
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The default ways we practice social impact work and philanthropy don’t prioritize listening to community voices and investigating the systems that create and reinforce inequality. The threats that loom in our collective future — the climate crisis, widening economic gaps, and social polarization, to name a few — will require founders, funders, philanthropists, and decision-makers that understand how to share power, leverage diverse resources, and prioritize equity and solidarity.
By working with a rising generation of leaders (early-career professionals aged 23-35), we have the opportunity to reinforce a social impact and philanthropy sector that is grounded in community and in values that supports systemic, equitable change.
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We exist to build solidarity across socioeconomic boundaries for a more just, inclusive, and equitable future.
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Projects form the foundation of YCore's program. We partner teams of 4-5 young professional fellows with local nonprofits to work on a 4-month strategic project. Our fellows apply their professional skills to a challenge their partner is facing, dedicating after-work hours to bring solutions to life.
The goal of these projects is twofold:
1) To provide nonprofits working with populations most affected by socioeconomic inequity with skills and resources they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.
2) To provide young professionals, who see inequity around them and want to make a positive difference, with experience practicing solidarity and using their skills to support important work.
Our Impact
Our Values
“Participating in a culture of solidarity means keeping our attention on how we all stand to gain from each other’s successes. It means tending to our relationships with others in our community while working to change the systems and structures that prevent people from thriving.”
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We challenge traditional structures by questioning existing power dynamics and assumptions about our work and relationships.
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We care about the whole person beyond their work outputs. We invest in community-building, rest, and joy.
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We lean into discomfort and tension as opportunities for growth, and we hold ourselves accountable when we fall short.
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We know there is always more to learn. We recognize that we are not experts and that it is our responsibility to keep learning. We also recognize that learning can come from a wide variety of situations, people, and sources.
“YCore provides an amazing opportunity for young professionals to give back to their community in a genuine and personal way.”
— Willy Lee: YCore Alum, Investment Analyst at SuRo Capital Corp
Become a fellow
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As a YCore fellow, you will:
1) Work alongside a team of professionals on strategic projects for local Bay Area nonprofits.
2) Learn concepts and tools in bi-weekly workshops with your cohort.
3) Build community with your nonprofit partner, team cohort, and Full Circle Fund staff and alumni.Description text goes here
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Time Commitment:
12 -15 hours/month after work for 4 months.
Your time will be spent working on your project (up to 2-3 hrs/week), attending workshops ( up to 1.5 hrs/bi-weekly), and community building.
Program Fee:
We have a $1,500 program fee for all participants but if that amount is too high, we offer a sliding scale and will work with you to find an amount that feels doable.
You can pay your program fee fully upfront, in monthly installments, or by fundraising.
We do not want the program fee to be a barrier to entry, if you have any concerns about it we will work with you!
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t’s a 2-4 week process from the time you apply. Full Circle Fund staff review all applications and will reach out to you if you’ve been selected for an interview. Interviews are led by staff and we share our final decisions with all interviewees within a week of the interview.
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1) Post-college (or equivalent experience) with some work experience.
2) Be a team player: Stay engaged, and organized, and proactively communicate with your team, nonprofit partner, and Full Circle Fund staff.
3) Eager to learn how to practice systems change, human-centered design, and Full Circle Fund’s values.
5) Ability to make the 4-month commitment for ~3-4 hours/week.
6) Meet a give-or-get fundraising commitment to Full Circle Fund (sliding scale available).
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1) COVID safety: We have a covid policy in accordance with the CDC guidelines to ensure we are all protecting each other as much as possible.
2) Gender pronouns: At the beginning of the program, we ask that everyone read and sign our welcome packet which includes an articulation of why we use gender pronouns.
3) Privilege: We ask all teams to complete the Nuances of Privilege activity, and continue building upon it throughout the project work.
We are committed to making our program safe and accessible for our volunteers. If you have any additional needs we will do our best to accommodate them. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Learn More
Fall 2023 Projects
Read about the 6 amazing projects we have planned for our Fall and Winter Cohort.
Our Approach to Projects
Learn how we ensure that projects meet the needs of our nonprofit partners.