Board Fellows Program
The Board Fellows Program places Foster MBA and Evans MPA students as non-voting board members of local nonprofit organizations. With 75+ graduate students and over 2.5 million people impacted annually, this is one of the largest Board Fellows Programs in the country and serving nonprofits throughout Washington State as well as California and New York.
What to Expect
Students develop board leadership skills through three channels:
Board Service
Students attend regularly scheduled meetings of the board (generally monthly) from September to May and actively participate in one board committee. Students are non-voting members of the board but are encouraged to participate in discussions and share their unique knowledge and perspective.
Board Project
Each board will be assigned two student board fellows, and together the students complete a board-level project for their nonprofit. Students work with their board mentor to identify a project that is important to the board of directors, uses the fellows’ skills and furthers the work of a board committee or the board as a whole.
Board Leadership Class Webinars
The Board Leadership Class Webinar assist the student in maximizing their learning by matching best-practice frameworks that they apply through their board service. Among topics covered are:
- The fundamental responsibilities of board members
- The challenges faced by board members during these present times
- The ways boards shape the organization’s strategic direction
- The ways that board members can strengthen their organization’s financial management and stability
- The strengths and limitations of various board governance structures
Why be a Board Fellow?
Seeing your knowledge in action is one of the most important, and rewarding experiences you can have as a student. No matter where you are in your educational career, the Board Fellows Program is a great way to start using your business education to make meaningful impact in our local communities. Here are some of the things you can look forward to during the program:
- Develop a solid foundation in board governance and professional consulting practices through board projects with nonprofits
- Build affective, and creative skills for community leadership through board service and committee participation
- Make an impact that will be felt way beyond the time you serve on the nonprofit board through the work you do and the people you meet.
- Earn credit to fulfill MBA/MPA electives
Check out one of our prerecorded information sessions for more details about the program.
Application Timeline and Notification Dates
The Foster Board Fellows Program offers one per year—each fall. You may apply on March 2, 2020 after all the nonprofits have been selected for the upcoming academic year.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Friday, April 17, 2020 | Student applications and resumes sent to Nonprofits |
| Monday, April 20 – Friday, May 1, 2020 | Nonprofits review and select the top 6 students they wish to interview |
| Friday, May 1, 2020 | Last day to turn in student selection |
| Friday, May 1, 2020 | Selected students are notified to schedule an interview with Nonprofits |
| Monday, May 4 – Friday, May 22, 2020 | Interview schedule and interview |
| Friday, May 22, 2020 | Last day to turn in Nonprofit ranking and student ranking after interview |
| Monday, May 25 – Friday, May 29, 2020 | Matching done by CBDC |
| Monday, June 1, 2020 | Matching announces to Nonprofits and students |
Eligibility
Application opens to students who are completing their second or third year of studying including Full-time MBA, Evening MBA, Hybrid MBA, TMMBA, and MPA.
The 2020-2021 Board Fellows Program opens to Class of 2021 (2-year programs) and Class of 2022 (3-year programs).
Application Requirements
- Complete an online application
- Complete a short essay question
- Resume
Matching Process
Questions?
CONTACT
Vy Nguyen, [email protected], (206) 543-3681