How to Apply or Nominate a Candidate

We are now accepting applications for the 2012 cohort! Nominations are due by May 2nd.

Please download the 2012 Guidelines for Nomination, 2012 Nomination Form, and 2012 Target Seats Matrix, then fill out and return the nomination form with the required documents listed in the guidelines. Submit completed applications to Riana Shaw Robinson at riana[at]urbanhabitat.org or via postal mail to 1212 Broadway, Suite 500, Oakland, CA 94612.

How to Nominate Candidates

Urban Habitat invites organizations to nominate to the BCLI individuals from within their organizations, campaigns, and networks. Nominees may be affiliated with organizations in several ways, including  as staff member, project partner, and community partner.

Urban Habitat will consider candidates from outside our target jurisdictions; however, the emphasis in this year’s cohort is on target seats at the city level in Oakland, Richmond, and San Francisco; and at the county level in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco.

And though we are open to nominees who have a variety of experience and knowledge, ideal nominees should:

• Be personally focused on advancing equity for low-income people and people of color.
• Have some level of experience advocating for equity issues, preferably in terms of working through relationships that cut across sectors (including nonprofit, labor, government, business, and faith).
• Have a demonstrated commitment to social, economic, and environmental justice either as a core personal/professional mission or as part of a personal/professional mission.
• Have some level of experience working on one or more local and/or regional planning issues, such as transportation justice, equitable development, affordable housing, quality jobs, environmental justice, and environmental health.
• Be well-regarded among advocates, preferably from across sectors, including those working inside and outside the decision-making system for local and regional jurisdictions.
• Have at least a working knowledge of how decisions are made at the local and regional level in their jurisdictions.Have some experience interacting with local decision makers at the various levels of governance (e.g., commissioners and agency staff, city councils and advisers, and elected officials and staff).
• Be credible and professional, with no foreseeable obstacles to appointment.

Program Cycle and Timeline

The BCLI supports one cohort a year on the following timeline:

• Nomination Packet and Target Seats Released: February 15

• Program Information Sessions: February 16 - March 30

• Nominations Accepted: February 15 - May 2

• Interviews: May 21 - June 22

• Cohort Selection Finalized: July 16

• Training Sessions: August 8 - January 12

• Graduation Reception: January 16