2025 Application Questions and Selection Criteria

We recommend viewing the application questions and selection criteria as a whole to see how they connect to one another.

Application Question 1 (submit in video or in writing):

We know leadership looks different in every community. Tell us who you are and what leadership means to you. Submit this response as a 3-minute video or in writing. You cannot choose both. (Maximum 1,765 characters or roughly 300 words, if you’re submitting a written response.)

Bush Fellows have diverse backgrounds, come from different sectors and have different life experiences that have led to them becoming the leader they are today. We want to understand your journey to leadership, your work and experiences that have shaped you as a leader.

Application Question 2:

Tell us about your track record: How have you used your influence to create change? Be clear about your specific role in making change happen. (Maximum 1,765 characters or roughly 300 words.)

Bush Fellows have a track record of getting things done at any stage of their careers or development. They see obstacles as opportunities for growth. They know how to bring people together to work on solutions.

Application Question 3:

We are looking to understand what change you want to help make happen and why? (Maximum 2,500 characters or roughly 500 words.)

Bush Fellows embrace big ideas and aren’t shy about trying different things. They see connections between the big and small things that add up to transformational change. They apply what they know and have learned — and remain open to — new ways of seeing problems and solutions.

Application Question 4:

We are looking for more information about how your unique experiences and perspectives will help you bring about the change you envision. Why do you believe you are positioned to lead these changes? (Maximum 2,000 characters or roughly 400 words.)

Bush Fellows know their experiences influence how they lead and how they create change. A sense of community — and their connection to it — is important to them and often defines the way they lead. Fellows are shaped by all of their experiences in life, work and play.

Application Question 5:

This is a description of your leadership plan. What specific skills, experiences and connections do you need to grow your capacity to lead and change the trajectory of your leadership? (Maximum 2,500 characters or roughly 500 words.)

Bush Fellows are ready to explore what they need to get to their destination for change within themselves and community. This is a chance to think big about what is possible for you that wouldn’t otherwise have been without a Fellowship.

We ask for some basic information to create your application. We ask everyone to complete this step, even if we have your information from previous applications.

We ask the following:

• Salutation (picklist)
• First name
• Middle name
• Last name
• Your name is part of your identity and we hope to address you with the accurate pronunciation. If you would like, please share how to pronounce your name. For example, you could spell it phonetically or provide an example, like “rhymes with ….” (open text field)
• If you would like, please share your gender pronouns.  (open text field)
• Email Type (picklist – Personal, Office, Alternate)
• Email
• Phone type (picklist – Office, Home, Mobile)
• Phone
• Home street
• Home city
• Home State (picklist)
• Home Zip Code
• What is your date of birth?
• Please share your gender identity. (open text field)
• Which racial/ethnic groups do you identify with? Select all that apply.
  • American Indian/Alaska Native
  • Asian/Asian American
  • Black/African American
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander
  • Some other race
  • White
  • I prefer not to answer
• If you selected Black/African American or Asian/Asian American in the question above, please also select the following options, if applicable.
  • African Immigrant/Refugee
  • Southeast Asian
• If you are currently enrolled in a tribe(s), please select which tribe(s) from the list below.
  • Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
  • Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
  • Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
  • Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe
  • Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
  • Grand Portage Band of Chippewa
  • Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
  • Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
  • Lower Sioux Indian Community
  • Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
  • Oglala Sioux Tribe
  • Prairie Island Indian Community
  • Red Lake Chippewa Indians
  • Rosebud Sioux Tribe
  • Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
  • Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe
  • Spirit Lake Nation
  • Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
  • Three Affiliated Tribes
  • Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
  • Upper Sioux Community
  • White Earth Band of Ojibwe
  • Yankton Sioux Tribe
  • Other
• Select the option that best describes your current area of work.
  • Academic
  • Business
  • Nonprofit
  • Public
• How did you hear about the Fellowship?
  • Bush Fellow
  • Email
  • Flyer
  • Referral
  • Website/Internet search
  • Other

If referred by a Bush Fellow, Bush Foundation staff or a member in our community, please list their name and email address below. We ask for this information so we can thank people who refer applicants and make sure they have up-to-date information about the program.

Name:

Email:

• We recommend Chrome or Firefox as your web browser and using a computer or tablet to submit.
• If you work offline on your application, you can copy and paste your responses into the online form. Note that the character count might vary.
• To copy and paste, use the “paste as plain text” option or remove any formatting, like bold or italics beforehand. To create a bulleted list, use asterisks (*) or hyphens (-).
• Make sure you have a current resume to upload.
• You can save as you go and return to the application. You should receive an email confirming your saved application with a link. Check your junk or spam folder if you don’t see it.
• Once submitted, you will receive a copy of your responses via email.

Need help? Contact us at staff@bushfoundation.org, 651-379-2249 or use our online scheduling tool to schedule a call with us.

You are welcome to upload a short video to answer only question #1. We’re trying this out as another way for people to share who they are in a different format.

This is not required and does not affect your chances of getting a Fellowship.

The link to upload your video will be available within the application portal.