Bush Fellowship 2027: Up to $150,000 for Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota Leaders

Bush Fellowship 2027: Up to $150,000 for Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota Leaders

The Bush Foundation’s 2027 Fellowship is a substantial personal leadership-development award for people who are already making change happen in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or one of the 23 Native nations that share that geography. The Foundation expects to select up to 30 Fellows. Each selected Fellow can receive up to $150,000 to support a self-designed Fellowship plan lasting up to two years.

This is an important distinction: the Bush Fellowship is not a conventional project grant, business loan, or prize for completing a defined program. It is an investment in the applicant’s ability to lead more effectively. A Fellow might use the time and resources to pursue training, build relationships, study a policy area, visit a place with relevant experience, reduce work commitments, or otherwise develop the capabilities needed to advance a significant vision for equitable change. The plan must be about the applicant’s leadership growth and future impact.

The 2027 application window opens on September 22, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time and closes on October 6, 2026 at noon Central Time. That is a short window, so potential applicants should begin assembling their story, evidence and Fellowship plan before the form opens.

Key details at a glance

The award amount is a maximum, not a guaranteed flat payment for every applicant. The Foundation describes the Fellowship as providing resources based on each Fellow’s self-designed plan. Applicants should therefore build a realistic plan around the development they need rather than treating $150,000 as a general-purpose personal grant.

What the Bush Fellowship supports

The Foundation is looking for leaders with three connected qualities. First, applicants need a record of impact: they have made good use of opportunities, solved problems, worked through obstacles and achieved results. The record does not have to come from one particular profession. The program welcomes leaders from business, government, nonprofit work and other sectors. What matters is the change the applicant has helped create and the way they have led.

Second, applicants need a vision for significant, equitable change. The Foundation asks candidates to think beyond maintaining an existing project or improving a single task. The relevant question is what larger change the applicant wants to help make happen in their community, why that change is needed, and how the applicant is positioned to contribute. The vision should benefit people and communities in the eligible region.

Third, applicants need a plan for their own development. The plan should identify the skills, experiences, relationships, networks or knowledge that would make the applicant a more effective leader. It should also explain why those opportunities are important now and why they would be difficult to access without the Fellowship. A strong plan connects personal development to the applicant’s larger vision without turning the Fellowship into a project budget.

The Foundation gives several examples of possible plans. A Fellow might study public-policy advocacy and join a policy fellowship, travel to learn from a language-revitalization movement, or take time away from regular work to develop the capacity needed for a larger leadership challenge. These examples are not a required menu. They show the range of self-designed activities the program can support when they are tied to a clear leadership trajectory.

Who is eligible

The basic eligibility test is specific and should be checked before investing substantial time in the application. You must be at least 24 years old at the time of the application deadline. You must be a resident of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or one of the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. You must also have lived in the region for at least one continuous year before applying.

The Foundation states that there are no specific citizenship requirements. A non-U.S. citizen may apply if the residency requirements are met, although the Foundation notes that it may need to withhold income taxes on Fellowship payments and report those payments and withholdings to the Internal Revenue Service. That tax point is not a reason to assume a particular net payment; applicants with questions about their circumstances should seek appropriate tax advice.

Some exclusions also apply. A person who previously received a Bush Fellowship, Bush Artist Fellowship, Bush Leadership Fellowship, Bush Medical Fellowship or Enduring Vision Award is not eligible. Family members of a current Bush Foundation staff member or board member are also excluded under the Foundation’s stated definition of family.

Government and elected officials should read the additional restrictions carefully. The Foundation explains that, because of Internal Revenue Service rules, certain federal, state and local officials may use a Fellowship only in a degree-granting program. The official eligibility page defines the covered categories in more detail. Do not assume that public-service employment by itself makes a person ineligible, but do not assume that every possible Fellowship plan is permitted either.

What the application asks you to explain

The online application is built around six substantive questions. The first asks for the applicant’s identity, journey to leadership and track record in creating change. The response can be up to 1,500 characters, roughly 300 words, or the applicant can submit a short video or audio response of up to two minutes. The Foundation says to select one option rather than doing both.

The second question asks for a vision of large-scale equitable change and why that change is needed in the applicant’s community. It allows up to 2,500 characters, roughly 500 words. The third asks what it will take to make that vision happen, who needs to be involved, what support is needed and what role the applicant will play. That response allows up to 2,000 characters, roughly 400 words.

The fourth question tests fit and connection. Applicants explain why they are the right person to lead the effort at this time and how they are connected both to people already working on the issue and to people most affected by it. The limit is 1,500 characters, roughly 300 words. The fifth asks about leadership goals over the next several years, including possible growth in people management, partnership building, navigating complexity, influencing systems, deepening expertise or sustaining the work. It allows up to 2,000 characters, roughly 400 words.

The sixth question is the practical Fellowship-plan question. Applicants describe the specific skills, experiences and connections they want to pursue, why they matter, how they will pursue them and how they will strengthen leadership and advance the stated vision. The limit is 2,500 characters, roughly 500 words. The Foundation recommends working offline or saving progress as the application develops, and it encourages applicants to share a draft with other people for feedback.

How selection works

The selection process has several stages. Bush Foundation staff and board members, past Bush Fellows and community leaders participate in reviewing candidates. The Foundation says it considers the written application, references for semifinalists and an in-person interview for finalists.

Bush Fellow alumni review the applications and choose roughly 90 semifinalists. The Foundation’s published timeline says semifinalists will be notified between December 1 and December 4, 2026. Staff conduct reference and background checks for finalists. If a background check raises an issue, the Foundation says it will contact the finalist to understand the situation.

Finalists are notified between March 10 and March 15, 2027. Finalist interviews are scheduled for April 15, April 19 and April 22, 2027. Community reviewer panels then choose the next class. Selected Fellows must attend the Bush Fellowship retreat from May 19 through May 21, 2027, and the 2027 Fellows are expected to be publicly announced in June 2027.

The 2026 program received almost 1,200 applications, according to the Foundation. That figure is useful context for preparation: eligibility alone is not enough, and a polished biography without a specific leadership plan is unlikely to communicate the full fit. The Foundation also says that the application process can be valuable for helping applicants think through their leadership journey, even if they are not selected.

What the funds cannot do

The Fellowship’s flexibility has boundaries. Funds cannot be directed to another person or organization. They cannot be used to fund a business or program, pay off debt, make political contributions, pay lobbying expenses or cover campaign-related expenses. Applicants should not present the request as a way to expand an existing nonprofit, launch a company, or cover the operating costs of a community project.

Instead, describe the personal development that will make the applicant more capable of advancing the work. If a course, travel period, sabbatical, coaching relationship or other activity is relevant, explain the leadership gap it addresses and how the experience will change the applicant’s future contribution. The plan should make sense as an investment in the person, even though the Foundation expects that stronger leaders will contribute to broader community change.

Because the Foundation shares some additional spending limits with each new class, applicants should treat the published restrictions as the baseline rather than assuming every proposed expense will be approved. If a plan includes an unusual cost, ask the Foundation through its contact hub before submitting instead of building the entire application around an uncertain interpretation.

How to prepare a competitive application

Start with one clear change story. Identify a problem, the people affected, the change you want to see and the role you have already played. Then select two or three concrete examples that show how you acted, what changed and what you learned. The Foundation is asking for a track record, not a résumé in paragraph form. Specific outcomes, decisions, partnerships and obstacles are more useful than a long list of titles.

Next, separate the vision from the plan. The vision explains the equitable change that is needed. The plan explains how you will grow into the leader who can help make that change possible. Applicants often weaken this distinction by describing a new program they want to operate. Use the plan to name the missing capabilities: perhaps systems thinking, coalition building, public communication, policy analysis, technical knowledge, organizational leadership or a deeper connection to affected communities.

Make the timing persuasive. Explain what has changed in your work, community or leadership responsibilities that makes this the right moment for the Fellowship. If you need time away from a current role, describe what that time would allow you to do and how you would return the learning to your leadership. If you plan to remain employed, explain how the Fellowship activities fit around that commitment without promising more than you can sustain.

Use feedback carefully. A trusted reviewer can identify jargon, unsupported claims and gaps between the vision and the plan. The Foundation specifically says the applicant should remain the main writer and editor. Its guidance allows tools such as AI to simplify writing or remove jargon, but not to invent the applicant’s ideas or plans or write the application for the applicant. The final responses should sound like the person who will be interviewed.

Finally, test the draft against the criteria, not against a generic fellowship checklist. Does it show results and character? Does it demonstrate curiosity and openness to learning? Is the change vision large and equitable enough for the program? Is the applicant’s connection to affected people credible? Does each proposed experience clearly build leadership capacity that would otherwise be hard to obtain?

Common mistakes to avoid

The most serious mistake is applying for the wrong kind of money. A request to hire staff, buy equipment for a nonprofit, expand a commercial product or complete a community program does not match the Foundation’s explanation of the Fellowship. Reframe the application around the applicant’s development only if that is genuinely what the opportunity would support.

Another mistake is treating geography as a minor detail. The one-year continuous-residency rule, the eligible states and the 23 Native nations are central eligibility conditions. Confirm the facts before applying, particularly if you recently moved, divide time between locations, or identify with a Native nation whose geography should be reviewed carefully.

Avoid writing a broad aspiration without a leadership mechanism. “I want to improve equity” is not a plan. Name the change, the people and systems involved, your current role, the capabilities you lack, and the experiences or relationships that will build those capabilities. Also avoid presenting yourself as the sole person who can solve a community problem; the application explicitly asks who needs to be involved and what role you will play.

Do not leave the plan until the final question. The first five responses should create the logic for the sixth: track record, vision, implementation role, connection, leadership goals and then the specific development plan. Keep the character limits visible while drafting so the submitted version remains focused rather than compressed at the last moment.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Bush Fellowship open to people outside the United States?

The Foundation says there is no specific citizenship requirement. The applicant must still meet the age, residency and one-year regional residence requirements, and non-U.S. citizens may face tax withholding and reporting on Fellowship payments.

Is this a grant for a nonprofit or startup?

No. The Foundation describes it as an individual, self-designed leadership program and says funds cannot be used to fund a business or program. A nonprofit or business leader can apply, but the proposed use must center on that person’s leadership development.

Can the Fellowship pay off personal debt?

No. The Foundation expressly lists debt repayment among the prohibited uses.

Do I need a doctorate or a particular job title?

The published criteria do not require a specific degree, profession or sector. They focus on leadership impact, character, learning, a vision for equitable change and a credible plan for development. The age and regional residency rules still apply.

When will I know whether I am a semifinalist or finalist?

The published 2027 timeline says semifinalists will be notified December 1–4, 2026, finalists March 10–15, 2027, and finalist interviews will take place on April 15, April 19 and April 22, 2027.

Where should I check for the application form and updates?

Use the official Bush Fellowship program page and the official application questions and criteria page. The program page identifies the opening time, deadline, selection timeline, spending limits and preparation resources. The criteria page contains the eligibility rules, question prompts and character limits.

Official links and next steps

Before September 22, confirm your age and regional residency, write a short track-record outline, define the equitable change you want to help make happen, and list the leadership skills or experiences you need next. Draft the six responses offline, keep within the published limits, and ask people who know your work and community context to review the draft. On September 22, return to the official program page for the live application instructions and submit before noon Central Time on October 6, 2026.

The Bush Foundation Bush Fellowship page is the authoritative source for the 2027 dates, award description, selection schedule and spending limitations. The Bush Fellowship application and criteria page is the authoritative source for eligibility and the six application questions. If either page changes, follow the Foundation’s current instructions over summaries elsewhere.