The Center for Progressive Leadership is a relatively new nationwide non-profit which seeks to build a progressive farm team of leaders ready to ready to run for any office at the city, state and national level. This program has chosen PA as one of its key states and is seeking a diverse pool of applicants for its fellowship program. Check out their website here to learn more about the fellowship and to nominate yourself or others for a spot. The deadline for fellowship program applications is August 12th.

Click "read more" to see why I think this program is so valuable.

For anyone who has ever run for or staffed a campaign for elected office, you'll likely agree with me that money is the key to winning the race you are in. This is because field organizing, advertising, and an unlimited quantity of time to run around and get endorsements and recruit volunteers all come with a cost. Access to resources in electoral politics is what has traditionally favored candidates with some degree of privilege or access to power over those without. As they say, it's not what you know, but who you know...

Luckily for us progressive Philadelphians, the Center for Progressive Leadership has targeted our state to build a stronger infrastructure for progressive power. CPL is launching a fellowship program for emerging progressive leaders. This program is sort of a leveling device in that anyone with a passion and desire to work for progressive ideals can apply to be a fellow. The selections process is based purely on the merit of each applicant. The result is likely to be a pool of bright, energetic and dedicated progressives who we can draw from to provide fresh ideas and new leadership in the state house and on City Council.

Because CPL will chose applicants for fellowships based on the quality of their ideas and the degree of passion they exhibit for making change, the nepotism and favortism that often pervades politics can be eliminated. Once in the program, fellows will have the chance to meet political experts, donors and mentors who often only interact with the political elite. The result is likely to be a breaking down of barriers and the creation of a new class of political leaders who better represent all of us.

CPL is by no means a progressive holy grail; it alone will not solve the problems that Philadelphia progressives face. However, CPL offers those of us who want to build a base of political power for people committed to racial, economic and social justice another tool to use. I think our ability to make changes based on a shared vision of the way things ought to be can only emerge from a collaborative process in which we all try and do lots of different kinds of things. In other words, this liberal desire to sometimes house our entire movement in a mythic and monolithic organization is flawed. Instead, lots of different targeted and focused efforts, such as the CPL fellows program, is how we're gonna win in the long run.

Check out the CPL fellows program here