Background

Singer–songwriter John Legend wrote the song “Show Me” as a prayer about the state of the world and the individual’s place in it.  He founded the Show Me Campaign in 2007 after visiting Millennium Villages in Bonsaaso, Ghana and Mbola, Tanzania.  Show Me has gone from a song to a call to action to join the movement to end global poverty.

The Show Me Campaign Fellowship Program, being piloted in 2009, is a key initiative in this effort.

Show Me Campaign Vision and Mission

We envision a world in which all people have the opportunity to flourish free of the devastating effects of poverty.

Our mission is to end poverty through sustainable development, education and service at the individual, family and community levels.

Applications lacking any of the below information or arriving after the closing date/time will not be reviewed:


Purpose/Scope of the Show Me Campaign Fellowship Program

The Show Me Campaign Fellowship Program is offering a total of three $3000.00 fellowships for volunteers who have unpaid internships in the area of global poverty alleviation or related fields during the summer of 2009. Applicants must have completed their junior year of college at an accredited college or university and be entering their senior year of college in the fall of 2009.


The goal of the Show Me Campaign Fellowship Program is to encourage more young people to take on volunteer internships in the area of poverty alleviation and related fields. While working in emerging communities at home and abroad, young people share their experiences and learning with others. Show Me Campaign Fellowships support talented and passionate young people engaged in volunteer work with transformative potential for emerging communities around the world and here in the US. Show Me Campaign Fellowships are intended to assist in closing the affordability gap for poverty alleviation work so that all are able to serve.

Application Process

Please be sure to include all of the following elements in your application submission due by 11:00PM EDT, May 15, 2009.

Online applications can be completed at http://tinyurl.com/Showmefellows.
I. Cover Letter (not more than 150 words)
Include the following information in your cover letter:


  • Work Start Date Work End Date
  • Proposed Hosting Organization
  • Country of volunteer placement
  • Organization contact person Name and Title
  • Organization contact person Email:
  • Organization contact person Tel. No.

II. Budget Form (not more than 1 page)

III. Current Resume or CV

IV. Statement of Purpose

Provide a 3 minute video proposal describing your internship project. Answer the following three questions:


  1. How will this work benefit poor communities via the hosting organization
  2. How does this internship relate to your larger personal or career goals in the area of global poverty alleviation or related fields
  3. What are the quantitative and qualitative measures that you will use to evaluate the success of your internship?


In rare instances, the Show Me Campaign Fellowship Program will review and grant a Fellowship to support the implementation of exceptional start-up proposals. For those proposing start-ups, you’ll need to demonstrate tangible impact during this summer and answer an additional question:

  1. What unaddressed gap will your start up initiative fill?

V. Sponsor Letter

Provide a letter of offer from your hosting organization.

VI. Show Me Campaign Online Community Participation Pledge

Develop and maintain a personal profile and a host organization profile within the Show Me Campaign service-oriented online community (www.showmecampaign.org). Your responsibilities include creating and maintaining a blog highlighting the community in which you are working, your hosting organization’s mission and goals vis-à-vis poverty alleviation, and demonstrable measures of the progress and impact being achieved. Critically, we ask you to share information that will help others become more informed on nexus of issues related to poverty and join the fight to end it.

Decisions will be announced on May 15, 2009 via email and inaugural Fellows will be featured in the Show Me Campaign online community.