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

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

    Commitment. 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/scholar 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 July.

    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 summer deadline.
    4. Matches, informed by student preferences, are made in Fall and Winter.
  • Golub Capital Board Fellows Program is designed to provide mutual benefit to the fellow/scholar and organization. Nonprofit partners support the success of this partnership in the following ways.
    • Assign a board mentor to the fellow/scholar. 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/scholar 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/scholar 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.
    • Review the LOU. After being matched with a student, the nonprofit must review and agree to 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/scholars must complete their projects by the end of their program time.

    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 student?
    • Is the project strategic?
    • Is the project suited to the student’s experience and expertise?

    Recommended process. Early discussion of the project is key to its success. Work with the student to identify a project area. In the fall, finalize the project scope and details. (Note that fellows typically attend internships in the summer but scholars do not.)

    It’s best to identify a project that the student can complete, to an extent, on their own time. Students 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/scholar 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/scholars 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.

    While serving on a board, students are required to complete the Kellogg course Board Governance of Nonprofit Organizations and 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 (Scholars and Fellows)
    Summer The Golub Capital Board Fellows program sends application to interested nonprofits.

    Summer

    		 Applications due from nonprofits.
    October (Scholar)/February (Fellow) Nonprofits learn whether they are matched with a Scholar or Fellow.
    October (Scholar)/March (Fellow) Matched nonprofits attend orientation event on Northwestern’s Evanston campus.
    October - May (Scholar)
    April - May (Fellow)     		Nonprofits begin working with students. Scholars/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. Scholars graduate and end their board service.
    June - September Quiet period; fellows are typically away at summer internships, but are encouraged to call in to board/committee meetings.
    Year 2 (Fellows)
    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

    America SCORES Chicago

    American Red Cross of Illinois

    Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Chicago

    Carole Robertson Center for Learning

    Center for Conflict Resolution

    Center for Independent Futures

    ChiArts Foundation

    Chicago Architecture Center

    Chicago Cares

    Chicago International Charter Schools

    Chicago Run

    College Possible Chicago

    Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund

    Easterseals, Inc.

    Erie Family Health Centers

    Erie Neighborhood House

    Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project

    FirstRepair

    Gateway to Learning

    Greenlight Family Services

    Habitat for Humanity Chicago

    Heartland Animal Shelter

    Hephzibah Children's Association

    Holiday Heroes

    Housing Forward

    Howard Brown Health

    Infant Welfare Society of Evanston

    Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art

    Just the Beginning - A Pipeline Organization

    Kaleidoscope

    La Casa Norte

    Lawrence Hall

    Learning Bridge Early Education Center 

    Midtown Educational Foundation

    Minds Matter Chicago

    MudlarkTheater Company

    My Block My Hood My City

    Namaste Charter School

    NAMI DuPage

    National Kidney Foundation of Illinois

    National Office, The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award USA

    Northlight Theatre Inc.

    One Million Degrees

    OneGoal

    Openlands

    Pacific Marine Mammal Center

    Playworks Illinois

    RAICES

    Reading In Motion

    Recovery on Water

    Rogers Park Business Alliance

    Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicago & NW Indiana

    Roycemore School

    Sarah's Circle

    Scientific Adventures for Girls

    Share Our Spare

    Snow City Arts

    Social Venture Partners Chicago

    Teachers Supporting Teachers

    The Cradle

    The Joffrey Ballet

    The Night Ministry

    The Simple Good

    The Theraplay Institute

    Uniting Voices

    VOCEL

    Working in the Schools

    YMCA of the Rockies

    YMCA of the USA

Contact us about the Golub Capital Board Fellows Program