Overview

Every day, organizers step into the fire — carrying communities through crisis, fighting against injustice, and daring to imagine and realize a better world. The weight is real. The pace is relentless. Radical Release is a space to breathe, return to yourself, and remember that wellness is not a luxury — it is the root of sustainable leadership.

At a time when organizers are being called to work harder than ever, Radical Release offers a different kind of invitation: to see healing not as separate from the struggle for justice, but as essential to it. By centering the experiences of those navigating overlapping systems of oppression, the program creates a space where participants can reclaim their narrative, cultivate resilience, and ground their leadership in both care and courage.

Through Radical Release, leaders will:

• Learn ways of exploring one’s story and beliefs

• Discover tools and practices for engaging holistic health

• Create an evolving plan of action to sustain a long, constant, and intentional process of healing

Program Details

Radical Release is a 20-week online learning community composed of 10 healing-centered sessions designed to support movement leaders in self-discovery, narrative reflection, and long-term sustainability planning. Grounded in the power of storytelling, each session invites participants to explore a different layer of their personal story, uncovering new perspectives and practices that strengthen personal growth, care, and collective action.

Participants can expect a rich, interactive experience that includes:

• Guided meditation to center and ground participants

• Group dialogue to share insights and build connection

• Small group exercises to explore narratives in depth

• Individual reflection to integrate learning and insight

In addition to the bi-weekly cohort sessions, participants receive five hours of one-on-one coaching to support the creation of a personalized plan for ongoing healing, resilience, and sustainability.

Leaders who complete the program also receive a $2,000 Rest for Resilience Grant, which can be invested in their self-care plan to sustain practices that nurture long-term well-being.

Eligibility

We define leadership expansively and welcome applications from individuals who do not hold formal leadership positions. Candidates must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in the fields of community organizing or labor. Eligible applicants can reside anywhere in the United States. We strongly encourage applications from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Ideally, we are looking for candidates who:

• Work at a membership organization and/or power-building organization 

• Are leading or are part of issue-based or electoral campaigns

• Are at high-risk of burnout

Participants must be able to attend the in-person retreat and all 10 virtual cohort sessions, take advantage of the 5 individual coaching sessions, and complete reading, written reflection assignments, and occasional 1:1 narrative coaching between learning sessions.

Key Dates

The program launches with a week-long in-person retreat from February 8, 2026 to February 13, 2026, followed by bi-weekly virtual sessions. The bi-weekly sessions run from 12–2:30 PM EST:

• February 21, 2026

• March 7, 2026

• March 21, 2026

• April 4, 2026

• April 18, 2026

• May 2, 2026

• May 16, 2026

• May 30, 2026

• June 13, 2026

• June 27, 2026

Cost

Thanks to the generosity of our funders we are able to offer this program at no cost to participants!

How to Apply

We are accepting applicants on a rolling basis, so be sure to apply before the priority deadline!

Priority Deadline:  

Oct. 30, 2025

Have Questions?

Attend our upcoming info session on Wednesday, October 22 at 1 PM ET. Recording will be made available to registrants.