As a brand-new nonprofit working with seed funding, we need to be especially careful about legal and tax requirements. On the advice of our legal and tax advisors, we can only hire within the United States right now.
We know this may be disappointing to hear, especially given the incredible international interest in the fellowship. We’ve received more than 300 strong applications from candidates based in the U.S., and we’re already working hard to give each one thoughtful attention with the capacity we have.
Looking ahead, our hope is to grow these fellowships into part-time employment opportunities. U.S. employment law sets clear boundaries between contractor and employee roles, and hiring internationally at this stage could make that transition more complicated later on. There are also tax and compliance issues involved in hiring overseas contractors. In some countries, foreign organizations are required to handle local tax withholding or meet other legal obligations, which could expose us to liabilities we’re not equipped to manage yet.
