Our Mission

Our mission is twofold: (1) provide Harvard MBAs with valuable community leadership development through placement as non-voting members on nonprofit boards and (2) provide MBA talent to advance critical projects for nonprofit organizations.

Program Description

The Board Fellows Program matches Harvard MBA candidates with the boards of directors of nonprofit organizations for eight month engagements. Fellows attend board sessions and relevant committee meetings while completing a strategic project for the organization under the mentorship of the executive director or a current board member. Board Fellows work with the board to refine and develop the project scope, target key deliverables, conduct necessary analysis, and ultimately prepare recommendations for review.

Examples of past projects include:

• Board governance and development
• Marketing strategy
• Capital campaigns and advancement planning
• Impact assessment and goal-setting
• Constituency engagement

Both students and organizations benefit from the Board Fellows program: MBA candidates develop valuable leadership skills, experience working with challenges specific to the nonprofit sector, and direct access to the organization's leadership team. Organizations receive critical analysis and recommendations on a strategic project, access to future business leaders, and affiliation with the Harvard Business School community. Students and organizations are supported throughout the process by training programs and other resources.

Boards and participating Fellows should expect a time commitment of 2-3 hours per week (including board and committee meetings).