Gratitude Network

06/01/2026

🌟 Reflections from the Impact Fellowship Summit

Last month, our Director of Programs, Morgan Banaszek, joined fellow Fellowship leaders in Washington, DC for the Impact Fellowship Summit, hosted by the Impact Fellowship Network!

Morgan shared a few takeaways from her time in the room:
✨ “It was brilliant to be among others so dedicated to running exceptional Fellowship programs. IFN has cultivated a community willing to dig into the hard questions — the ones those of us in this work are all asking.”

🌱 A clear theme emerged: the need for collaboration to bring leadership development programming for social impact leaders into the spotlight.

🤝 Morgan led a session on strengthening Fellowship programming by involving team members — exploring how we move beyond developing one leader to embedding Fellowship knowledge across an entire institution. Participants shared experiences, raised tough questions, and offered practical suggestions for designing more team-inclusive programs.

💡 One idea that surfaced and stuck with her: the importance of measuring relationship density within Fellowship programs as a meaningful indicator of impact.

🎁 The biggest gift? A group genuinely willing to share tactics, processes, and practical insights with one another. That kind of openness is what builds a stronger Fellowship ecosystem — one where we all rise together.

Grateful to IFN, IREX, WK Kellogg Foundation for bringing us together and for conversations with many thought partners sharing this space alongside us!

05/26/2026

Our 2026 Fellows have been selected!

We can’t wait to introduce you to the newest wave of changemakers joining our global community.

Stay tuned — the full announcement drops June 3. Keep an eye on our channels so you can celebrate with us! 🎉

🔗 Learn more about Gratitude Network Fellows: https://gratitude-network.org/who-we-support/

GratitudeNetwork

05/20/2026

📋 We’re looking for you.
The Gratitude Network’s inaugural Virtual Changemaker Pitch Competition is coming this summer — and before anyone takes the stage, the right leaders need to help decide who gets there.
We’re recruiting volunteer Application Reviewers to evaluate submissions from GN Fellows and Alumni whose organizations are changing the lives of young people across 130 countries.
This is your chance to lend your expertise to a process that matters.

What you’ll do:
✅ Review written pitch summaries and 3-minute pitch videos
✅ Score applications using a structured rubric we provide
✅ Complete reviews on your own schedule, within a 2-week window

Who we’re looking for:
🔹 Corporate professionals
🔹 Nonprofit and philanthropic leaders
🔹 GN Board and Advisory Council members
🔹 Donors and community champions

The time commitment:
🗓️ Review window: June –July 2026
⏱️ Approx. 3–5 hours total, at your own pace
No prior judging experience required. Just bring your perspective — we’ll handle the rest.
Find your voice. Own the room. Own your story. — that’s what we’re asking our competitors to do. Help us find the ones ready to do it.

📩 Interested? Email Erica Jeffries, Director of Impact & Engagement
[email protected]

YouthDevelopment GiveBack CorporateVolunteering

05/18/2026

⚖️ Your seat at the table is waiting. This summer, Gratitude Network Fellows and Alumni from across the globe will take the virtual stage to pitch their organizations — and we need exceptional leaders to help judge them.
We’re recruiting Pitch Competition Judges for the inaugural Virtual Changemaker Pitch Competition. The questions you ask and the scores you give shape which leaders move forward. For many of our Fellows and Alumni, this stage is a career-defining moment. Their pitches deserve your full attention — and your honest, expert score.
What you’ll do:

✅ Serve as a live judge at one or both virtual events
✅ Watch live pitches and participate in a judge-led Q&A with each competitor
✅ Score competitors using a structured rubric we provide
✅ Be formally recognized as an official judge of the Changemaker Pitch

Who we’re looking for:
🔹 Corporate professionals and executives
🔹 Philanthropic and foundation leaders
🔹 GN Board and Advisory Council members
🔹 Donors and impact investors

The time commitment — serve at one or both:
🗓️ Semifinals: July 31, 2026 · 90 minutes · Virtual
🗓️ Finals & Award Ceremony: August 7, 2026 · 90 minutes · Virtual
Be part of it.

📩 Interested? Email Erica Jeffries, Director of Impact & Engagement
[email protected]
NonprofitLeadership YouthDevelopment CorporateLeadership

05/15/2026

For over a decade, Gratitude Network Fellows and Alumni have been quietly changing the world — building organizations, serving communities, and leading movements across 130+ countries.
This summer, they’re taking the stage.

✨ Introducing the Virtual Changemaker Pitch Competition — a first-of-its-kind global pitch competition celebrating the leaders, the missions, and the stories that have been fueling change all along.
Applications open May 18th.
That’s all we’re saying for now. 👀

Follow along and be the first to know when the doors open. Tag a Fellow, an Alumni, or a changemaker in your life who needs to see this. 👇

GlobalLeadership NonprofitLeadership Changemaker StayTuned

05/13/2026

🌍 A Journey of Gratitude: What if the secret to scaling impact wasn’t just resources — but the right network behind you? 💡

Meet Samyak Jain, Founder of Involve Learning and a 2020 Gratitude Network Fellow. 🌟

In just 5 years, Samyak and his team have grown their programs from under 1,000 students to over 1 million served. That’s not just growth. That’s an EXTRAORDINARY example of what’s possible when a passionate leader has the coaching, tools, introductions, and network to scale their vision.

That’s exactly what the Gratitude Network Fellowship is built for. Equipping non-profit leaders with everything they need to take their organization to the next level. 🌱
🎥 During a recent trip to India for the Journey of Gratitude, the Gratitude Network team had the privilege of hearing Samyak’s story firsthand — and it was nothing short of breathtaking. In the newest episode of the Journey of Gratitude series, Samyak shares the journey behind this incredible growth and what the Fellowship has meant to him as a leader.

▶️ Watch his story here: https://youtu.be/yDhh0eyHdyM

👉 Follow the Journey of Gratitude: www.gratitude-network.org/journey

We are so incredibly proud of Samyak and the entire Involve Learning team — proof that when purpose meets the right support, scale is possible.

Meet other Gratitude Network Fellows: https://gratitude-network.org/who-we-support

💬 What do you think is the biggest barrier non-profit leaders face when trying to scale? Share your thoughts below.

NonProfitLeadership

05/08/2026

Meet Padmavathi Vasanthan, Managing Trustee of COROAT and 2025 Gratitude Network Fellow.💛

“This coaching journey helped me move beyond program delivery and toward something deeper — building tools that support psychological resilience in marginalized communities. It directly contributed to the development of the Manasu app and strengthened my commitment to making emotional well-being accessible to those with the least access to it.”

This is what investing in leaders looks like. Thank you, Padmavathi, for the incredible work you are doing. 🌍

Fellowship

05/05/2026

Gratitude to the 39 reviewers from 12 countries who thoughtfully reviewed 66 semi-finalist applications for the 2026 Fellowship.🌍✨ Your diverse perspectives and commitment to impact guide the next generation of changemakers and strengthen the heart of the Gratitude Network community.

Across time zones, sectors, and areas of expertise, this incredible group of Alumni Fellows, Coaches, Partners, Board members, Ambassadors, and Supporters came together with a shared purpose: to select our next cohort of visionary leaders and organizations improving the lives of children and families around the world. 🤝💛

Learn more about the Gratitude Network Fellowship: https://gratitude-network.org/fellowship/

Fellowship LeadershipDevelopment ApplicationSelection

05/01/2026

🌍 A Journey of Gratitude: What if the key to a child’s future wasn’t just academics — but character? 💡

Meet Mayank Solanki, Founder & CEO of Val-Ed Initiatives — and a 2021 Gratitude Network 2021 Fellow. 🌟

Inspired by his father, Mayank learned early that talent is meant to serve. That conviction led him to build Val-Ed Initiatives — a youth-led social enterprise delivering transformational education to children, youth, and families across various states in India.

Through innovative, curriculum-integrated programs, Val-Ed helps young people develop love, integrity, focus, and positivity — the building blocks of not just good students, but good humans. 🌱

🎥 In this newest episode of our Journey of Gratitude series, Mayank shares the story behind his work and what the Gratitude Network Fellowship has meant to his journey as a leader and changemaker.

▶️ Watch his story here: https://youtu.be/8awdfGfMT_Q

👉 Follow the Journey of Gratitude: www.gratitude-network.org/journey

We are so grateful for Fellows like Mayank, who remind us that educating the whole child — head and heart — is how we build a better world.

Meet other Gratitude Network Fellows: https://gratitude-network.org/who-we-support

💬 What values do you think are most important to nurture in the next generation? Share your thoughts below.

YouthEmpowerment EducationForGood FellowSpotlight SocialEntrepreneur ChildrenAndYouth ImpactLeaders IndiaImpact LeadershipInAction

Mayank Solanki's Journey of Gratitude | Val-Ed Initiatives, Banglore, India