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Graduate Student Programs

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.

2023-2024 STUDENT APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN

Information Session:

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 effective 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
  • Projects can be used for practical experience credits upon approval

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 February 27, 2023 after all the nonprofits have been selected for the upcoming academic year.

DATE EVENT AUDIENCES
Monday, December 19, 2022 – Friday, February 17, 2023 Nonprofit application opens Nonprofits
Monday, December 19, 2022 – Friday, February 17, 2023 Nonprofit application reviewed* CBDC & Nonprofits
Monday, February 20, 2023 Nonprofits be notified CBDC & Nonprofits
Monday, February 27, 2023 – Friday, March 31, 2023 Board Fellows application opens Board Fellows candidates
Friday, March 31, 2023 Board Fellows application deadline Board Fellows candidates
Monday, April 3, 2023 Board Fellows applications & resumes sent to nonprofit CBDC
Monday, April 3, 2023 – Friday, April 14, 2023 Nonprofits review & select the top 6-8 students they wish to interview Nonprofits
Friday, April 14, 2023 Last day to turn in student selection to interview Nonprofits
Monday, April 17, 2023 Students are notified if they are selected to be interviewed CBDC & Board Fellows candidates
Friday, April 21, 2023 Interview schedule available CBDC, Board Fellows candidates & nonprofits
Friday, May 5, 2023 Interview/ Matching Day CBDC, Board Fellows candidates & nonprofits
Friday, May 12, 2023 Last day to turn in nonprofit ranking & student ranking Nonprofits & Board Fellows candidates
Monday, May 15, 2023 – Friday, May 19, 2023 Matching CBDC
Monday, May 22, 2023 Matching announcement to nonprofits & students CBDC
Friday, June 2, 2023 Last day to accept Board Fellows offer Board Fellows candidates

*Nonprofits’ applications will be reviewed simultaneously between December 19, 2022 and February 17, 2023.

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 2023-2034 Board Fellows Program opens to Class of 2024 (2-year programs) and Class of 2025 (3-year programs).

The application will be opened on Monday, February 27, 2023.

Application Requirements

  • Complete an online application
  • Complete a short essay question
  • Resume

Matching Process

Matching Process

 

Questions?

CONTACT
Vy Nguyen, [email protected], (206) 543-3681

The Power of Access: Impact Lending to Underserved Communities (FIN 579)

Do you want to gain valuable career skills and expand your professional network through this unique opportunity for hands-on experience in financial consulting? Consider applying for our MBA Lending Course entitled The Power of Access: Impact Lending to Underserved Communities (FIN 579), this winter.

Class Purpose: Engage our MBA students in working with small BIPOC businesses to gain access to business loans. Teams of students will perform financial assessments, risk analyses, forecasts and create loan packages for these businesses to submit Commerce Bank for approval. In addition to helping businesses secure debt financing, MBA students will learn about how systemic bias can play into the gaps in access to capital.

Class Goal: Perform complete analyses of BIPOC businesses seeking debt financing, working with business owner(s) to project future financing needs over the life of the loan. Once this work is completed, students will complete Commerce Bank loan packages for a select group of businesses to the Commerce Bank for approval.

Winter Quarter Class Times:
Tuesdays, January 3, 2023 – March 14, 2023
6:00pm – 8:50pm

Class Instructor: Michelle Purnell-Hepburn

Application Based Course
Practical Experience Credit
4 Credits

Program Timeline

Applications Due: Rolling basis
Program Begins: Jan 3, 2023
Program Ends: March 14, 2023
PROGRAM COST: Free
Application Link:

Apply now

For more information, contact:

Kennedy Cockrel, Assistant Director
Consulting & Business Development
[email protected]

Graduate Student Programs

Ascend Fellowship

Ascend Fellows will work with Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) during the 2023-2024 academic year. Each MBA Ascend Fellow will work with 1 or 2 companies and complete a project that will take approximately 50 hours of work per company over a six-month period (October 2023-March 2024). These MBA Ascend Fellows will also connect with other MBA Ascend Fellows nationwide in support of the Consulting and Business Development Center’s Ascend National Cohort. Strong candidates for this position will be those with interest or experience in business consulting.

MBA Ascend Fellows can receive a stipend ($1,500 per company) or practical experience credit (2 credits per quarter).

Duties

  • Work with C-suite leaders to develop and implement solutions to operations, financial management, supply chain, technology, and marketing challenges. This work will help MBEs develop and implement strategies and capabilities to support enterprise-wide decision-making that will lead to measurable improvements. MBA Ascend Fellows will also be paired with business coaches supporting these businesses.
  • Analyze issues, interview staff, formulate and make recommendations, and help MBEs implement leading practice solutions.
  • Leverage a ‘business first lens’ across functional and industry topics to shape strategic agendas, drive enterprise transformations, and deliver innovative solutions to clients. And have a passion for tackling a variety of business, technological, and organizational challenges head-on.
  • Work both independently and collaboratively with a team.
  • At the end of the program:
    • Students will receive critical constructive feedback head-on. Work they have done over the last six months with the assigned businesses.
    • Students are required to conduct an oral presentation and submit a written deliverable to their assigned businesses after their projects.

Qualifications

  • A critical thinker, tech-savvy innovator, entrepreneur, and purpose-driven leader who thrives in ambiguity and enjoys working in a team environment.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills and professionalism with co-workers and customers.
  • Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, spelling, grammatical and proofreading abilities.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, Outlook) and other presentation/ analysis tools.
  • Must be a self-starter with great initiative, multi-tasking activities, customer service, and problem-solving skills.
  • Able to meet deadlines and work under pressure.
  • Experience working with business owners of color.
  • Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without needing employer sponsorship, now or at any time.

Timeline
February 28: Application Opens

May 1: Application Closes

May 5: Applicants will be notified if they are selected for an interview.

May 8 – 11: Interviews

May 15: Fellows selected and notified.

May 22 – 26 (exact date TBD): Welcome Session I (In-Person at UW Foster)

September 5 – 8: MBE matching

September 18 – 22: Matching announced.

September 25- 29 (exact date TBD): National Cohort Opening (meeting MBEs) In-person.

October – May: Progression and completion of the Fellow’s Project. Fellows will be communicating with MBEs on the scope and requirements of their project- through remote meetings. Expect a mid-point check-in with CBDC and a final presentation at the end of the project.

End of May: National Cohort Closing (with MBEs) In-Person at UW Foster.

Apply
Fill out the application with your basic contact information, submit a resume and cover letter, and address your relevant experience.

Application

Contact
Martha Flores Perez
[email protected]