Berkeley Board Fellows is now Bears on Boards!
For 20 years, CSSL’s Bears on Boards program (formerly Berkeley Board Fellows) has provided fresh thinking to hundreds of local, community-based organizations. After a year of gathering input from our nonprofit partners, alumni, students, faculty, and advisory board, we are excited to announce that we are now accepting nonprofit applications for Bears on Boards, the newest iteration of this program.
The mission of Bears on Boards is to create the next generation of board leaders. The program offers Berkeley MBAs and other graduate students real experience sharing their talents and immersing themselves in social impact as they serve on a nonprofit board. Students serve in pairs as non-voting board members for a seven-month period, from October through April, gaining experience in governance and leadership and contributing their skills and perspectives to select nonprofit organizations. They spend eight to ten hours per month on the program as they attend board meetings, serve on a committee or task force, complete a strategic project for the board, and engage in program activities at Haas. They also receive mentorship and support from a designated board mentor and CSSL staff.
| What Students Get | What Organizations Get |
|
|
Information related to the 2023-2024 program for nonprofits, including the application, is now available on the “Nonprofits” page.
Students can learn more and apply on the Bears on Boards Students Page.
If you are interested in participating next year or have questions, please email [email protected].
Past Client and Fellow Testimonials
David Riemer
Board Member, Destiny Arts Center
Destiny Arts Center has enjoyed working with the Berkeley Board Fellows for over a dozen years. The Fellows have tackled numerous strategic projects, stepped in to help us evaluate our business model in times of crisis, and generated new ideas to expand our thinking. One Fellow even “graduated” onto our board and became Treasurer. The program is well-run and is a tremendous way to introduce young leaders to new ways to make a difference in the world.
Zuren Hsueh
MBA Class of 2021
BBF was an incredible opportunity to sit on a nonprofit board and see how decisions are made at a high level. It was fascinating to be in the room where the board responded to major events, whether it was key personnel changes or the early stages of COVID-19. In addition, we were able to become more integrated with our local community and drive a strategic and impactful project.