Summer Fellowship Program
Fellowship Instructions
The Social Enterprise summer experience allows students to develop skills and knowledge, while having high responsibility and high impact. Organizations with summer internships represent education, arts and culture, environment, human services, international relief, nonprofit consulting, community development, and other social enterprises. Projects include new business development, strategic partnerships, high-tech initiatives, marketing, and more.
The Fellowship is for Harvard Business School MBA students. Applications are accepted for review on a rolling basis and awards will be made on a funds-available basis.
The Social Enterprise Initiative is available to support you in any step of the job search or application process, and encourages students to contact the office as you are evaluating opportunities and scoping projects. See the Resources for the Social Enterprise Summer Job Search, Advice from Past Summer Fellows, and Descriptions of Past Summer Experiences sites for further information.
Application Process and Timeline
1. Find a Qualifying Job
To be considered for a Fellowship, an applicant must first secure
a summer opportunity with a social enterprise in the U.S. or abroad.
You may apply for one of the posted positions, or create your own position.
The HBS Job Bank and the "Guidelines and Suggestions on Search" portion of
this website are good places to start. Note that positions are posted for you
to be aware of opportunities, but taking a posted position does not guarantee
that a fellowship will be granted. See Eligibility section below for more details on qualifying criteria for organizations and positions.
2. Submit Your Application
Applications will be accepted for review on a rolling basis (see schedule below) and decisions will be made on a funds–available basis throughout each period until all funds have been allocated. The Fellowship has approximately 75 open spots.
No applications will be accepted after May 4, 2010.
| Applications received on or before... | ...will have a decision on or before... |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, March 2, 5:00 pm | March 16 |
| Tuesday, March 24, 5:00 pm | April 6 |
| Tuesday, April 6, 5:00 pm | April 20 |
| Tuesday, April 20, 5:00 pm | May 4 |
| Tuesday, May 4, 5:00 pm | May 18 |
Applications must be complete and submitted via email and in hardcopy form to the Social Enterprise Initiative (Loeb, 3rd Floor) between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm in order to be accepted for review (see application for specific instructions). Incomplete applications will not be reviewed until all information is submitted. Applications submitted after 5:00 pm on a deadline date will be reviewed in the next round. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed until all information is submitted, and no applications will be accepted for review after May 4.
If after receiving your application, the Fellowship Selection Committee needs further information, you may be contacted for some follow–up questions.
Eligibility
1. Candidates
The fellowship is primarily for students completing their first year of the MBA program or for students completing the first or second year of the MBA/MPP or MBA/MPAID joint degree programs that have not participated in the program previously.
If funding is still available in the final review round: the Committee may consider applications from second year MBA students and students that have previously participated in the program. Students can submit their applications at any time, and if funding is available in the final round the applications will be reviewed in the order received. These internships must end by August 31.
Applications are accepted for review on a rolling basis and awards will be made on a funds–available basis. Students are eligible to receive awards a maximum of two years.
2. Organizations
Government agencies and recognized nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax status (or overseas equivalent), in the U.S. and abroad are eligible. For–profit organizations with a significant focus on social impact will be considered on a case–by–case basis (see "Note on Summer Fellowships at For–Profit Organizations" below). The Fellowship Committee will not approve positions with job responsibilities that are determined to be sectarian or politically partisan. Funding may be limited if there are multiple applications to the same organization. Special circumstances can be discussed with the Social Enterprise Initiative and reviewed by the Selection Committee.
3. Projects
Only projects that demonstrate the application of management
skills and material covered in the MBA program are eligible. Projects
that are exclusively research–oriented are unlikely to be approved.
4. Positions
Only positions that demonstrate the application of management skills and material covered in the MBA program are eligible. Projects that are exclusively research–oriented are unlikely to be approved.
Selection Criteria
1. Quality of the Job
The determination of the quality of the job is a function of the level of responsibility, the significance of the managerial opportunity, the chance for managerial development, the opportunity to work with senior management, and the commitment of the host organization to the Fellow and the summer position. The Committee is particularly interested in the degree to which the student will use skills gained during the MBA program. Unsupervised project work is unlikely to receive funding. The applicant should explain clearly in his or her application, to the extent
possible, the specific activities that he or she will perform at the host organization.
2. Impact on the Host Organization and Community
The Committee considers the degree to which the proposed position provides benefits to the host organization and the broader community it serves.
3. Qualifications
The Committee will consider the student’s commitment to the issues addressed by the host organization, qualifications for the position, and ongoing interest in social enterprise.
4. Length of Fellowship
To provide maximum benefit to the host organization as well as a meaningful learning experience for the student, sponsored Fellows should work full–time at the organization for between eight and twelve weeks. Fellowships under eight weeks are unlikely to receive funding. The maximum number of weeks for which HBS provides a financial award is 12 weeks.
5. Salary Requirements of the Host Organization
The Fellowship Committee regards financial support from the host organization as a very important sign of commitment to the applicant. The host organization is expected to pay a salary of $600–$1,000 per week. In the past, organizations without funding in their budget have approached board members, individual funders, or foundations for support.
If students are applying for the Social Enterprise Summer Fellowship and receiving less than $600 per week from the organization, we ask the organization to supply additional information on the salary level in their sponsorship letter. Examples could include operating budget of organization; salary schedules for other graduate–school interns or similar level employees in the organization; cost to organization if project was done on a consulting basis; or cost of living difference if organization is based in a developing country. This information will be reviewed carefully by the Selection Committee in the decision process. Students who receive the fellowship will receive up to the weekly maximum per student (see details on Award Calculation below).
Award Calculation
The goal of the fellowship award is to supplement the salaries students receive from host organizations to help support summer expenses. The overall award amount is based on the weekly award amount and the length of the fellowship. The weekly award amount is determined based on the organization's contribution with a maximum weekly Fellowship award amount of $600 per week (to bring the maximum amount to $1,200 per week). If students receive additional funding from other sources, these amounts will also be factored into the Fellowship award amount. All students whose applications are accepted will receive notification (as outlined in the "Award Process and Payments" section) of an award up to $600 per week based on the organization contribution.
The following table illustrates awards received by students in the summer of 2009.
Host organization contribution/week |
HBS award/week |
Total/week |
|---|---|---|
$1,000 |
$200 |
$1,200 |
$600 |
$600 |
$1,200 |
< $600 |
$600 |
$600 plus organization's contribution |
Award Process and Payments
Applicants will receive a decision with a preliminary award amount by the date specified in the "Submit Your Application" section. Students will receive the HBS Fellowship award in three installments in July, August, and September (the final check will be processed following submission of the final report). Awards to students are intended to provide additional funds to Fellows to offset tuition expenses. Because services are not provided directly to the Harvard Business School and accordingly do not represent salary compensation, students do not receive a 1099 for the HBS contribution to their fellowship. Harvard will not deduct taxes for U.S. Citizens from their award payments, but international students may have taxes deducted from their award payment (International students can check with the Harvard
International Office for details). All students should consult with a tax advisor on how
to report the fellowship award on their taxes.
Note on Travel and Work Outside of the United States: Students who are working or traveling to countries on the U.S. Department of State Travel Warning list should contact the Social Enterprise Initiative. Your application will be reviewed and determined on a case–by–case basis, based on University and HBS guidance.
Travel Awards
If organizations are unable to support a student's transportation to and from the internship site, the student may be eligible for a travel award. This is intended to cover transportation to and from the internship site for the Fellow and does not cover travel within the internship, travel for partners, or other travel–related expenses such as hotels, vaccinations, etc. After students receive a fellowship, they will be asked to submit a separate request for travel awards. The Committee will grant travel awards on a funds available, case–by–case
basis. When travel awards are granted, they generally cover only a portion of the full travel costs.
Obligations of the Fellow
In fulfilling the goal of giving back to the HBS community and promoting effective transfer of knowledge, each Summer Fellow is expected to fulfill the conditions of the Fellowship:
1. Write i) a paragraph for publication and ii) a summary report (3–5 pages) on his or her experience, due no later than September 7, 2010. This is intended to brief alumni donors or clubs who sponsor the program; offer advice to students interested in applying for a Fellowship in the future; increase awareness of program among students;
2. Attend a de–briefing session the following fall.
In addition, the Fellow may be asked to: speak in both organized and informal settings to other students about the summer experience; attend an event with alumni sponsor; write an article on the summer experience.
Contacts
All questions concerning the Fellowship should be addressed to the Social Enterprise Initiative: 617.495.6421, se@hbs.edu.
The conditions of the HBS Social Enterprise Summer Fellowship are subject to change from year to year.
