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Leadership Forum Grant

Leadership Forum Grant

The IES Leadership Forum is a full day program designed to teach leadership and management skills to new IES officers. Time-management, team building, project management, communication and leadership skills are developed to help the attendee become more effective when they return to their respective section/committee.

The purpose of the grant is to assist unsubsidized emerging leaders as a way to offset the costs of attending the IES Leadership Forum, held in conjunction with the IES Annual Conference.

Criteria

All applicants shall be a member of IES in good standing. The Leadership Forum should be the first one they are attending, or the first within the previous five years. All applicants must be Officers, Board Members, or Committee Chairs of their respective section.

*Please confirm that no section funding is available.
*Members located in the section that is hosting the Annual Conference are not eligible.

Selection Process

Grants will be awarded to applicants who show high potential as ongoing leaders within their sections. Funds will be available in the form of reimbursement of up to $1,000 per person to attend the Leadership Forum at the IES Annual Conference. Up to three awards are available for each District.

* Restrictions – Reimbursement for lodging of up to two nights only. Airfare and other travel expenses are permitted. IES Annual Conference registration and meals are not included. Grant is non-transferrable.

Judging Criteria

  1. Relevance – Will this specific Leadership Forum help the applicant achieve their leadership goals?
  2. Drive – Has the member shown willingness to stick with section activities, even when things may not go as planned or objectives are not always achieved?
  3. Communication skills – Can the applicant not only express themselves clearly and effectively on the application, but demonstrated communication effectiveness with their section on programs and tasks they undertake? Regional Directors must research with their section.
  4. Accomplishments – What have they been able to do in IES so far? What would they like to achieve?

Application Process

Applicant must submit the below three items to their District Chair to be considered.

  1. A letter of request, including any details that may augment the application.
  2. A letter of recommendation from a section officer that the applicant has worked with as a member of the IES.
  3. A one-page essay, on why the applicant thinks he or she should be awarded the grant.
      Items to address in the essay include:

    • How attending the leadership forum will relate to the applicant’s future as an IES Officer?
    • Identify ways the applicant will be able to share knowledge and experience from the Forum with others in their section. Is there a potential “team” of leadership in their section to work with?
    • What are the applicant’s career goals? How can the grant help them achieve these goals?
    • How does the applicant think the Leadership Forum will help build their skills? What do they want to get out of the event?

Please send any questions to Michael Austerlitz mausterlitz@ies.org