The Torchlight Collective is a community of global consultants that share an ethos of hard work, learning, integrity, joy, and care. Torchlight members are excited to collaborate and scale up human rights-based approaches in more visionary, interdisciplinary projects that compel lasting and broad social change. The Collective enables members to participate in bolder initiatives to build resilient, rights-based structures while still maintaining our independent consulting practices. Together we are able to access the partners, experts, and opportunities required to amplify our individual impact and expertise through a collaborative infrastructure. In doing so, we aspire to be a decolonizing, collectivist alternative in our fields.

There are two ways to engage with Torchlight:

1. As a member

2. As a collaborator

MemberSHIP

Experts join the Collective to enjoy these benefits:

• Opportunities to lead and/or contribute to teams driving complex and visionary projects

• Access to leading subject-matter and technical experts across the world

• Work in collaboration with a team that holds shared values in social justice, structural change, and empathetic professionalism

• Enjoy the Collective’s supportive structures that help ensure healthy boundaries and working relationships with clients

• Participate in a collectivism experiment to support scalable change in the field while supporting peer experts

• Benefit from working with top project managers in the field 

• Enjoy the stability of protected daily rates despite client’s project budgets

• Higher day rates for experts systemically underpaid (including younger professionals and professionals located in the Global South)

• Collaboration without competition. The Torchlight Collective is never competitive with members who decide to pursue opportunities independently. 

Membership Tiers

Our Membership structure seeks to honor the experience and contribution of members while embedding stability and equity across projects and members through our pay structure. We use Protected Day Rates, which guarantee members receive their rate regardless of the project budget. This structure also enables us to remit payment to members systemically underpaid. Upon joining as a member, the Collective and the member will designate the appropriate tier. Members often transition up tiers as they gain experience and name-recognition in the field as well as play key leadership roles within the collective.

What you bring to the collective

In addition to your unique skillset and experience, you’ll agree to contribute these areas to the Collective:

• Participate in 80% of all team meetings which happen every two months

• Support a minimum of two Business Development opportunities a year. Activities that qualify include supporting the submission of RFPs or working with Torchlight leadership to cultivate new relationships that lead to project proposals

• Amplify Torchlight Collective’s presence in the field through:

  • Writing 1 blog post a year

  • Suggesting social media content to share (ongoing)

  • Mentioning Torchlight during presentations and conferences (where appropriate) 

  • Sharing relevant marketing materials at conferences and meetings (where appropriate) and / or attend conferences and meetings on the Collective’s behalf

• Contribute to Collective-wide visioning, strategy, and growth

• Share resources, experiences, and network connections to expand our joint knowledge and capacity with the Collective (whenever you feel comfortable)

Who Should Join the Collective

You’re a professional in the global health, human rights, and/or international development spaces who sees a bigger vision for the work you do as a consultant. You’re interested in supporting and investing in a collective approach to health and community equity. Not only do you thrive in collaborative, interdisciplinary teams, but you are invested in supporting your peers and cultivating opportunities for cross-pollination. You want to grow alongside your colleagues. You see the Torchlight Collective as a pathway to amplify and embolden your values and mission for locally-based, community-driven solutions in the global health sector.

We specifically encourage individuals who have any of these identities, expertise and skillsets to apply:

• Global South origin

• BIPOC

• LGBTQ+

• Fluency in Arabic, Spanish, and French

• Regional expertise within Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia

• Curriculum Development

• Youth Engagement & Participation

• Advocacy Campaign & Innovation

• Global Health & SRHR

• Economic Empowerment

• Sexual and Reproductive Rights

• Comprehensive Sexuality Education

• Advocacy Resource Mobilization

• Climate Change Advocacy

• Refugee & Migration

• Movement Building

How to ApPLy

There are two types of roles to apply for with The Torchlight Collective:

1. As a member (outlined above), when the call for members is open.

2. As a collaborator. Learn more and apply here.

Applications for membership are currently CLOSED until the second half of 2023. If you’d like to be notified on the next application, sign up for our newsletter. We’ll email you when our next application period is open.

Application Checklist

• Bio (150 words or less)

• CV or Resume

• 3 professional references

• Answers to the following questions:

  • What excites you about the Torchlight Collective?

  • How do you hope to contribute to the growth of the Collective?

  • Describe your current consulting practice. (Who do you work with, one what kinds of projects do you work, how long have you been consulting, what kinds of projects or clients do you avoid, etc)

  • How do you believe being a Torchlight member will enhance your consulting work and professional growth?

  • What are questions or concerns you have that we can answer for you in the recruitment process?

The Review Process

After reviewing your application, we will reach out to select candidates to meet with our Collective’s leadership and discuss if the Collective and you are a mutual fit. Thereafter, current members vote on accepting the incoming cohort.

Email Membership@TorchlightCollective.org with any questions about the recruitment process, the Torchlight Collective and member benefits, or to get notification of the next open call.

How does the Torchlight Collective Operate

Torchlight is built on the conviction that together we can scale meaningful change. To do this, we have a lean operational infrastructure that enables projects to quickly spin up with interdisciplinary teams located across the globe. Our leadership focuses on securing business opportunities, strategic visioning and scaling up Torchlight’s capacity, strengthening Torchlight’s voice in the field, and growing membership benefits in a sustainable way. 

We use a lean participatory governance model whereby Collective members weigh in on key touchpoints to develop processes, business strategies, and decisions collaboratively. Therefore our recruitment, visioning, the strategic planning, project infrastructure, business development, and membership services are Collective-designed and maintained. Learn more on our organizational design ethos here. From a legal and taxation standpoint, the Torchlight Collective is legally owned by Lindsay Menard-Freeman, who is supported by a Finance Manager, Kenya Nelson Stevens.

What do Admin Fees fund?

• INSURANCE - protecting the Collective’s project and activities from liability across any type of project

• LEGAL - due diligence in contracting to ensure terms, conditions, and project scopes are equitable 

• TAXES - maintaining good tax standing with relevant governments, so the Collective is able to take on projects located across the world

• ACCOUNTING - efficiently processing expenses and client invoicing. Also includes maintaining budgets across projects, which enables bigger contracts to support underfunded yet essential projects in the field

• SOFTWARE - licenses for access for project and collaboration essential tools across communication, collaboration, project management, and more that members have access to while working on projects with the Collective

What do project surpluses fund?

• BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT - funding resources, structures, and efforts in cultivating potential project opportunities, new ideas, and client relationships

• PROJECT MANAGEMENT - ensuring projects of all sizes and services run smoothly, support members, and surpass client and partner expectations

• OPERATING INFRASTRUCTURE - ensuring key activities across projects, membership, business development, marketing, and finances function symbiotically, scale up over time, and embody the Collective’s vision and values

• MEMBER RATES - supporting equitable pay for experts systemically underpaid (including younger professionals and professionals located in the Global South). Also protecting members’ day rates across projects to enable the Collective to take on more impactful projects that are underfunded. 

• MARKETING - funding resources, assets, and efforts in developing Torchlight as a leader in the field

• MEMBER BENEFITS - expanding benefits, services, and professional development opportunities for members to use in Collective projects as well as their personal and professional projects