The mission of Atlas Service Corps ("Atlas Corps") is to create a global partnership for development through an innovative Fellowship that identifies rising, mid-career citizen sector leaders to volunteer in other countries at like-minded organizations to share unique perspectives, learn best practives and return home to strengthen the global citizen sector.

Atlas Corps is just now begining a two-year pilot program to prove the value, sustainability and scalability of this program.  In this pilot, we are identifiying mid-career Citizen Sector leaders in India and Colombia to volunteer for one year at likeminded US Citizen Sector Organizations.  Each US "Host" organization, pays a cost-share to Atlas Corps for each Fellow ($16K) that covers about 40% of the program costs.  Overtime, this cost-share will increase to make the Fellowship nearly 100% sustainable.

Atlas Corps has identified seven Host organizations for our first year, but we are still looking for the outstanding Fellows in India and Colombia and appreciate your help spreading the word.  In addition, we are seeking more Host organizations now, to participate in the second year of the Fellowship.

We have an outstanding website and encourage you to visit it - www.atlascorps.org - and to get involved.  Thank you for your support and interest!

Atlas Corps was founded in 2006 while Scott Beale was living in India and working with the U.S. State Department.  Through his experiences interacting with Citizen Sector leaders while at State and in his previous jobs with Ashoka and OSCE in Bosnia, Scott realized the incredible talent and perspectives that international citizen sector leaders had to offer.  He discussed his idea of creating a fellowship program that identified mid-career citizen sector leaders from the global south to volunteer in U.S. with numerous CSO leaders in India and decided to take the plunge and launch Atlas Corps. The key insight of Atlas Corps is that the global south should not be seen as a destination for support, but rather as a partner in international development.

In March 2006, Scott left India, returned to the U.S. and began discussing the idea with CSO and foundation leaders in the U.S., after getting married in May, he and his wife moved to Bogota, Colombia and he launched Atlas Corps in the summer of 2006 with a series of launch parties in New York, DC, Chicago and Delaware. From August to December, Scott raised $250,000 by signing up seven Host organizations (Ashoka, AYUDA, Free the Slaves, GlobalGiving, Mobilize, Youth Service America & Youth Venture), two foundations (Humanity United and the Omidyar Network), two corporations (Dupont & Timberland), and over 250 individuals. Scott also developed an impressive 9-member Board and dignataries to be part of the Senior Advisory Board, including Bill Drayton, the founder of Ashoka, and Senator Harris Wofford, one of the founders of the Peace Corps.

From January to March 2007, Scott recruited an impressive staff in DC, Delhi and Bogota that includes U.S. Program Director, Kimi Wetteraeur who has organized a global south-US exchange program in the media sector; India Country Director, Heather Sullivan, a Return Peace Corps Volunteer who has worked throughout Africa and the Middle East; and, the Colombia Country Director, Alejandra Henao, a Colombian CSO leader who has worked with the Organization for American States.

Atlas Corps is now recruiting 7 CSO leaders, 5 from India and 2 from Colombia, to volunteer for one year in the U.S. starting August 2007. Please consider nominating somone now and visit our website for more information!