The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) has renamed the Fellowship for Equitable Development to the Irvin M. Henderson Fellowship as a way to honor the man who spent more than 30 years as a leader of its board of directors.
“Irv was a trusted friend and leader to NCRC for decades. He believed deeply in the power of community development to create lasting opportunity, but he also understood that progress depends on people who are willing to do the hard work of making it happen,” said Jesse Van Tol, NCRC’s president and CEO. “Renaming this fellowship in his honor is a fitting tribute to that legacy. Every new class of fellows will carry forward Irv’s commitment to developing leaders, strengthening communities and turning bold ideas into meaningful change.”
“Irvin’s friendship and leadership on the NCRC board helped shape this organization from its earliest days. He brought wisdom, conviction and a deep commitment to community development to everything he did, and he was always looking ahead to what more could be accomplished,” said Carol Johnson, NCRC’s board chair. “I can think of no better way to honor Irvin than by putting his name on a program that invests in emerging leaders and gives them the opportunity to build the skills, relationships and experience they need to carry this work forward.”
“Irvin was a fierce advocate, a skilled dealmaker and a dedicated community development practitioner who spent his career turning ideas into action and pushing for greater investment in communities,” said Sabrina Terry, NCRC’s chief of programs and strategic development. “We wanted to honor his legacy through a fellowship that carries that same commitment forward by investing in and developing the next generation of community development leaders.”
NCRC also launched its 2026-2027 cohort of eight student fellows paired with NCRC member organizations around the country thanks to funding from PNC Bank.
“We’re very excited to be starting our 5th year of the fellowship program,” said Laura Bentley, NCRC’s director of community impact. “With the addition of this year’s cohort, we’ll have paired 66 talented, passionate students with dedicated organizations doing real work to move communities forward. This program builds real-world experience for the fellows and helps our members expand services in their communities – a win/win.”
The fellowship placements cover a wide range of community development organizations that work to tackle the significant economic challenges facing their communities over the coming years, from preserving affordable housing and building community wealth to addressing extreme weather events, rising energy costs, health disparities and barriers to economic mobility. Fellows will receive up to $20,000 in stipend support for eight months of part-time work with an NCRC member organization.
View the new cohort of fellows and host organizations here.
NCRC would also like to congratulate the 2025-2026 cohort for successfully completing their fellowship programs. For more information on the Irvin M. Henderson Fellowship and steps on how to apply for future cohorts, visit www.ncrc.org/fellowship.
