As part of its commitment to experiential learning, the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University gives students an opportunity to participate as members of nonprofit boards through its Board Fellows Program.
Through participation in the highly selective program, Kellogg students get a chance to learn about the challenges of being a board member, and nonprofits benefit from the business expertise the students bring.
Setting the Kellogg Board Fellows Program apart from similar initiatives at other schools is the fact that participants are required to enroll in a class on nonprofit board governance before and while serving as a board member. The class provides a theoretical focus designed to complement the experiential learning component, says Anne Cohn Donnelly, a clinical professor in social enterprise at Kellogg and the academic director of the fellowship program.
The Board Fellows Program was launched in 2003 by three Kellogg students in collaboration with the school’s administration. As Board Fellows, students serve as nonvoting board members, attend board meetings and work on projects that tap their expertise while providing clear value to the nonprofits. Students then share their experiences with each other to gain varied perspectives on the array of organizations involved as part of the program.
This year, 52 students were selected from 146 applicants to participate in the program. Graduates often go on to serve on nonprofit boards while working in the corporate world, drawing on the experiences they gained as Board Fellows.
Case in point: Kellogg Board Fellow Erin Linville, who graduated last spring and assumed a position this fall on the board of Evanston-based nonprofit GlobeMed, a national organization of university students working to advance global health equity.
Board Fellows academic director Donnelly recommended Linville to GlobeMed, which was trying to take its work to the next level.
“We are a fairly young board and we were looking for someone who could add some organizational business acumen to the diverse board,” GlobeMed executive director Victor Roy said. “Not only do Kellogg MBAs have that mindset anyway, but through the Board Fellows Program, they have experience with a real nonprofit in Chicago and that appealed to us.”
Linville, who served as a Board Fellow with Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago while at Kellogg, felt prepared thanks to the program to take a board position so soon after graduating.
“Board Fellows helps you determine what you want in a board experience,” Linville said. “You get to hear the experiences of your peers and understand various organizations and their strategic issues. It also helps you learn how to evaluate an organization so you can figure out if it’s a place where you can add value.”
Since joining GlobeMed’s board in September, Linville has already made an impact on the organization and was instrumental in helping the board implement a committee structure, according to Roy.
“Our students and graduates want to give back and can do that through board service while in the corporate world,” Donnelly said about the Board Fellows Program. “They see it as a source of fulfillment in their life.”
To learn more about the Kellogg Board Fellows Program, click here.
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