Golub Capital Board Fellows Program

Nonprofit Partners

Dorri McWhorter speaking at a podium in front of an audience at the Kellogg Global Hub

Bring a fresh perspective to your nonprofit board

Each academic year, the Golub Capital Board Fellows Program partners with Chicago-area nonprofit organizations to host fellows on their boards of directors.

Nonprofits who participate in the Board Fellows program benefit in a number of ways: tapping into the talents and insights of a Kellogg student; delegating an important strategic project to a fellow; accessing the Kellogg and Northwestern community; and developing the next generation of civic leaders.

  • Through the program, fellows serve on nonprofit boards as ex-officio members. Each fellow is assigned a board mentor and works in close collaboration with the executive director/CEO of the organization throughout their board service.

    Role of fellow. Typically, boards treat their fellows as peers; fellows sit at the board table and contribute to board discussions. However, the way in which the fellow participates on the board should be collectively determined by the nonprofit’s executive director/CEO, board of directors, board mentor and fellow. The goal is to help fellows to deepen their understanding of how a board deliberates and makes decisions.

    Commitment of fellow. A nonprofit can expect a fellow to commit a similar amount of time to the board as an active board member. In the summer, however, fellows often travel outside of Chicago for internships. During this time, fellows are asked to call into board meetings or attend board functions if they are in the area.

    Participation on committees. In organizations where board responsibilities are completed at the committee level, the fellow is encouraged to participate on a committee. Students often complete a project that is directly related to the committee’s area of focus.

  • The program welcomes applications from nonprofits interested in hosting a fellow. Applications are due annually in October.

    To Apply:
    1. Email Golub Capital Board Fellows to arrange a meeting between your organization and the program manager.
    2. If your organization and the program are deemed a good fit, the program manager will send you an application to complete.
    3. Submit your application before the fall deadline.
    4. Matches, informed by student preferences, are made in January.
  • Golub Capital Board Fellows Program is designed to provide mutual benefit to the fellow and organization. Nonprofit partners support the success of this partnership in the following ways.
    • Assign a board mentor to the fellow. A good mentor is someone who has served the board of directors long enough to have a thorough understanding of its work. Former board chairs are often very good mentors. The mentor should be a current member of the board, have time to provide advice and guidance throughout the fellowship, and support the fellow's project work.
    • Collaborate to scope a project. The executive director/CEO, board mentor and fellow should work together to determine a project for the fellow to complete.
    • Attend two events. Both the executive director/CEO and board mentor are asked to attend the Nonprofit Orientation (held in March) and annual Golub Capital Board Fellows breakfast (held in May).
    • Provide orientation and guidance. The organization should spend time orienting the fellow to the board and organization. In addition, mentors should schedule regular meetings (e.g., once a month or more) with the fellow outside of board meetings.
    • Sign an LOU. After being matched with a fellow, the nonprofit must sign a Letter of Understanding (LOU) that outlines student and nonprofit expectations.

  • Kellogg requires each fellow to complete a strategic project for the nonprofit organization. Fellows must complete their projects by the end of April in the second year of the program.

    Defining success. Golub Capital Board Fellows defines a good project as one that is (1) important to the board of directors (2) uses the fellow’s skills and expertise and (3) furthers the work of a board or board committee. When identifying and scoping a project, consider the following questions:

    • Is this project important to the board of directors?
    • Will the results be discussed and used by the board?
    • Is the project clearly defined and discrete (i.e., it has a beginning and an end)?
    • Is the project agreed upon by the mentor, the executive director/CEO and the fellow?
    • Is the project strategic?
    • Is the project suited to the fellow’s experience and expertise?

    Recommended process. Early discussion of the project is key to its success. In the spring of the first year, work with the fellow to identify a project area. In the fall, finalize the project scope and details. (Note that fellows typically attend internships in the summer.)

    It’s best to identify a project that the fellow can complete, to an extent, on their own time. Fellows typically have demanding schedules; they have to balance board service with their full-time studies (which includes courses in board governance) while actively seeking employment.

    Presenting the project. It is expected that the Fellow present their work to the board at the end of the fellowship.

    Past projects: Topic areas

    Financial Strategy & Analysis

    Business planning
    Funding evaluation
    Benchmarking
    Pricing Analysis/Strategies

    Fundraising analysis

    Annual fund trends
    Planned giving best practices
    Fundraising innovation

    Governance & Strategy

    Dashboard development
    Junior/advisory board development
    Board evaluation
    Strategic Planning
    Enterprise Risk Management

    Marketing & Insights

    Brand audit
    Website and social media strategy
    Data analysis
    Customer evaluation and data analysis
    Market research
    Hiring practice evaluation
    Succession planning

    Talent Management/Human Resources

    Compensation analysis

  • Fellows can serve as valuable members of nonprofit boards. On average, these students are 28 years old and have approximately five years of work experience. They bring skills and expertise from a variety of industries; some have worked for major corporations and consulting firms while others come from the public and nonprofit sectors.

    Before serving on a board, fellows are required to complete the Kellogg course Board Governance of Nonprofit Organizations. While serving on the board, the fellow must be enrolled in Advanced Board Governance, a 10-session course.

    Fellows come to board service with some knowledge of the following topics:
    • An overview of nonprofit sectors and role of nonprofit boards
    • An overview of nonprofit funding sources (e.g., fundraising, earned and raised revenue, government grants and contracts)
    • Fiduciary and legal duties and expectations
    • Nonprofit accounting and basic finance
    • Basic responsibilities of board members
    • Parliamentary procedure and how boards get work done
    • Roles and interactions of board chairs and chief executives of nonprofits
    • Life stages of nonprofit organizations
    • Habits of highly effective boards
  • Program timeline for nonprofits
    Year 1
    October The Golub Capital Board Fellows program sends application to interested nonprofits.
    December Applications due from nonprofits.
    February Nonprofits learn whether they are matched with a student.
    March Matched nonprofits attend orientation event on Northwestern’s Evanston campus.
    April - May Nonprofits begin working with fellows. Fellows are introduced at a board meeting and assigned to a committee and mentor. Projects are outlined.
    Late May Golub Capital Board Fellows Program hosts annual breakfast on Northwestern’s Evanston campus.
    June - September Quiet period; fellows are typically away at summer internships, but are encouraged to call in to board/committee meetings.
    Year 2
    October - May Mentors and fellows meet. Fellows attend board and committee meetings and work on projects.
    April / Early May Projects are completed. Ideally, fellows present work to boards or relevant board committees.
    Late May Golub Capital Board Fellows Program hosts annual breakfast on Northwestern’s Evanston campus.

  • Access Contemporary Music
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    America SCORES Chicago
    American Red Cross of Illinois
    Between Friends
    Bottom Line Chicago
    Burst Into Books
    Carole Robertson Center for Learning
    Center for Independent Futures
    ChiArts Foundation
    Chicago Architecture Center
    Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education
    Chicago Botanic Garden
    Chicago Cares
    Chicago Children's Choir
    Chicago Humanities Festival
    Chicago International Charter Schools
    Chicago Run
    College Possible Chicago
    Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund
    Delta Institute
    DuSable Museum of African American History
    Easterseals
    Enterprise for Youth
    Erie Family Health Centers
    Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project-Proyecto de Ayuda para Trabajadores del Campo y Jardineros-FLAP
    Gateway To Learning
    Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network
    Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana
    GlobeMed
    GlobeMed NFP
    Green City Market
    Greenlight Family Services
    Hephzibah Children's Association
    High Jump
    Howard Brown Health
    Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
    The Joffrey Ballet
    Josselyn
    Kaleidoscope
    Kidney Cancer Association
    Lawrence Hall
    Learning Bridge Early Education Center
    Metropolitan Planning Council
    MIDTOWN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
    Minds Matter Chicago
    My Block My Hood My City
    Namaste Charter School
    National Kidney Foundation of Illinois
    National Office, The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award USA
    Night Ministry
    Northlight Theatre
    OneGoal
    Open Books
    PEAK
    Peer Health Exchange
    PEER Services Inc.
    Playworks Illinois
    Reading In Motion
    Regina Dominican High School
    Rogers Park Business Alliance
    Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana
    Roycemore School
    Sarah's Circle
    Share Our Spare
    Snow City Arts
    Social Venture Partners Chicago (SVP Chicago)
    Teachers Supporting Teachers
    The Cradle
    The Night Ministry
    Uptown United
    Working in the Schools
    YMCA of the USA
    Youth Job Center

Contact us about the Golub Capital Board Fellows Program