With a comprehensive approach to advocacy leadership development, the Fellowship Program was launched in Fall 2023 to create a profound and lasting impact on the lives of veterans and their families.

The mission of IAVA’s Fellowship Program is to empower and connect post-9/11 veterans, providing them with the skills, resources, and support needed to become effective leaders in advocacy. We believe in the power of leadership to bring people together around significant issues and motivate action for personal and societal change.

Through our advocacy-focused leadership development initiatives, we strive to equip veterans with the skills to identify key issues, collect relevant data, analyze policies, and understand multiple stakeholders’ perspectives. Our program emphasizes self-determination, empowering veterans to advocate for themselves and others, and providing them with the necessary tools and experiences to develop as leaders.

Leadership Fellows

IAVA Member Advocates go through a rigorous application process to be selected to participate in IAVA’s Member Fly-In, an annual event in Washington, DC where they advocate with IAVA on behalf of the post-9/11 generation of veterans.

From this exclusive group, a select few are invited to hone their advocacy leadership skills through IAVA’s intense Fellowship Program which emphasizes self-determination and initiative. By providing Fellows with the necessary tools and experiences to develop as leaders, IAVA further empowers them to advocate for themselves and others.