2026 Bertha Challenge Fellowship – Paid Award for Activists, Journalists, Filmmakers & Lawyers
For change makers operating at the nexus of politics, profit, and power, the Bertha Foundation’s 2026 Bertha Challenge Fellowship for activists, Journalists & lawyers provides a fully financed, one-year opportunity. Whether you’re an activist, investigative journalist, filmmaker, or movement lawyer, this fellowship will help you broaden your impact by providing tools, assistance, and global visibility.
At Travel to Abroad, we champion global learning and impact. The 2026 Bertha Challenge aligns deeply with our mission—empowering change-makers who tell truth, defend justice, and build stronger democracies. This annual fellowship offers more than funding—it’s a launchpad for projects rooted in grassroots power and long-term strategy.
Whether you’re an activist, journalist, filmmaker, or lawyer, Travel to Abroad provides the tools to succeed:
- Actionable application checklists
- Sample MoUs and host search guides
- Q&A with Bertha alumni
Stay connected as we guide you through the application, every step of the way.
For more such opportunities visit our Category Fellowships Abroad.
Table of Contents
Why This Bertha Challenge Fellowship Matters?
The era of our global emergency demands bold interventions. The 2026 Bertha Challenge fellowship invites projects that:
- Expose collusion between governments, oligarchs, and corporations dismantling democracy and human rights
- Defend civil society—free press, judicial independence, environmental justice
- Confront authoritarian threats, surveillance, and the rise of technological feudalism
- Provide sustained, community-rooted approaches toward systemic change.
Who Is Eligible?
Activists & Journalists
- Minimum 5 years of experience in investigative work, advocacy, or movement-building.
- Demonstrable ties to communities or grassroots groups.
- Affiliation with a host organization (NGO, media, community collective).
Filmmakers
- At least 5 years in filmmaking, with one completed project.
- Commitment to non-extractive, community-centered storytelling.
- Host must be a registered production company.
Lawyers
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in movement lawyering—litigation, testimony, legal mapping.
- Strong partnerships with affected communities.
- Host must support project delivery and payroll.
All Roles
- Proficiency in spoken and written English.
- Legally structured host organization capable of payroll, benefits, and fund administration.
Bertha Challenge Fellowship benefits include:
- Up to USD 64,900/year to match your salary at a host organization
- Project Fund: up to USD 10,000 for creating your final deliverable
- Connect Fund: up to USD 5,000 to support collaboration
- Mentorship and peer support via regular check-ins
- Global convening at the start of the program.
Timeline and format:
- Fellowship runs full-time for 12 months, starting January 2026, while you work from your home region.
- Includes one in-person convening and regular virtual meetings.
Important Dates
- Applications open: June 16, 2025
- Deadline: July 28, 2025 at 23:59 UTC.
Selection Criteria
Bertha welcomes applicants globally, with key requirements:
- English proficiency for spoken and final public work.
- Proven 5+ years’ experience for all categories (activists, journalists, filmmakers, lawyers).
- For filmmakers and lawyers: demonstrable commitment to community-rooted and non-extractive practices.
- Host organization must be legally set up to administer funds, payroll, and benefits.
How to Apply
- Develop your project idea: A clear, community-rooted approach aligned with this year’s theme.
- Select a host organization: Must process payroll and support your fellowship.
- Gather required documents: Resume/CV (≤2 pages), 2–4 referees, signed MoU, and portfolio/work samples.
- Submit online via their form (available June 16). Application questions are preview able via PDF.
- Interviews may follow; expect fellowship decisions by Nov 24, 2025.
What Sets It Apart
- Expanding focus beyond climate to broader authoritarian threats.
- Community-rooted, systemic vision: Must demonstrate long-term strategy—even beyond the fellowship year.
- Multidisciplinary inclusion: For the first time including filmmakers and lawyers alongside activists and journalists.
Success in Action – A Snapshot
Bertha alumni have driven impactful projects like:
- Investigations into ecological exploitation and political corruption in South Asia
- Legal campaigns defending marginalized communities through strategic action
- Documentaries giving voice to suppressed narratives all grounded in their local contexts and carrying momentum beyond the fellowship year.
Final Thought
The 2026 Bertha Challenge Fellowship is a rare chance to amplify your work at the intersection of systemic accountability and community empowerment. With generous funding, mentorship, and a global support network, the program is ideal for experienced practitioners aiming for high-impact outcomes.
Apply by 28 July 2025—and let Travel to Abroad support your journey as you take a stand for justice.
