Become a Bonner Fellow!
The Bonner Foundation is hiring for a two-year fellowship focused primarily on advancing campus food security and expanding Bonner recruitment. This full-time position is a natural fit for a Bonner alumnus who wants to bring their local service experience, leadership, creativity, and knowledge to our national network. We are prioritizing Bonner alumni in our search, and while the Fellow will begin with these two core areas of responsibility, there will be room to shape the role around the successful candidate’s strengths and interests. Learn more about this position below.
Bonner Foundation Fellow (Two-Year Fellowship) — Princeton, NJ (Hybrid)
Location: Princeton, NJ (in office 4 days/week)
Type: Full-time, two-year fellowship
Start: TBD (Est. January 4, 2027)
Website: bonner.org
About the Bonner Foundation
The Bonner Foundation is a small, mission-driven foundation based in Princeton, NJ focused on college access, higher education innovation, civic and community engagement, and social impact. Through sustained partnerships with college campuses in the Bonner Program, and through our efforts related to food security, we "seek to improve the lives of individuals and communities by helping meet the basic needs of educational opportunity and food security."
Fellowship Overview
This two-year fellowship is an exceptional opportunity for a recent college graduate to contribute to high-impact national work while developing deep experience in program strategy, partnerships, communications, research, and field-building. The role is especially well-suited to alumni of the Bonner Scholars or Bonner Leaders Programs (or those with comparable service-based leadership experience).
The Fellow will support the Foundation’s work across three priority areas and contribute to additional needs as they arise.
Key Responsibilities (Approximate Time Allocation)
1) Advance College Student Food Security Initiative (50%)
Help the Foundation learn from and connect best practices in campus-based food security programs and explore pathways to strengthen student-led initiatives across our network. This will include synthesizing best practices from leading models, identifying opportunities to build a learning network of students who share tools, strategies, and outcomes, and exploring national policy and advocacy pathways related to student food insecurity, informed by organizations such as Swipe Out Hunger and the Student Basic Needs Coalition.
2) Expand Recruitment Pipelines into Bonner Programs (30%)
Increase recruitment of Bonners across our network with an emphasis on expanding pathways for students who are first-generation and/or from lower-income backgrounds, making it easier for students to match up with the Bonner Program at the campus that is a best fit for the applicant. The emphasis will be on building and managing relationships with national and regional college access organizations; developing outreach strategies for students, counselors, parents/guardians, and advisors; and coordinating with campus partners to strengthen recruitment and yield strategies.
3) Additional Foundation Priorities (20%)
Contribute to other projects and time-sensitive needs, including planning, communications support, meeting preparation and follow-up, and cross-team coordination.
What We’re Looking For
Required / strongly preferred:
Bachelor’s degree (completed by start date)
Demonstrated commitment to service, civic engagement, and/or community-based work
Strong writing skills and ability to synthesize information into clear briefings and materials
Research, facilitation, partnership development, or program design experience
Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities
Comfort working independently in a small, collaborative team environment
Ability to work on-site in Princeton, NJ four days per week
Travel to campuses and national partner organizations and conferences
Helpful (not required):
Experience with student success, college access, or higher education programs
Experience with communications, digital outreach, social media, or marketing
Bonner Scholars / Bonner Leaders alumni experience (or similar)
Familiarity with Notion app
Professional Growth & Support
The Fellow will gain experience in national network-building, partnership strategy, communications, and program development, with mentorship from Foundation staff and exposure to campus leaders and partner organizations.
How to Apply
Link to application submission form → https://bonner.notion.site/159a06a1773180288f97ebd7fb37f256
On the application form, you will be asked to submit your resume, cover letter, writing sample/portfolio, a reference, and respond to short answer prompts. We suggest you review the application submission form page before drafting your responses to these prompts.
Due Date
Applications will be processed on a rolling basis. The final date for application will be Friday, December 4, 2026.