Community Impact Fellowship

The Community Impact Fellowship program places graduating Stanford students into full-time jobs at participating public interest organizations, philanthropic foundations, social impact companies, and government agencies. Through this program, fellows kickstart their post-Stanford service career supported by a professional mentor, an advisor from the Haas Center, and a professional development cohort of like-minded fellows.

Overview

Through the Cardinal Careers Community Impact Fellowship, graduating seniors and co-terms are placed in full-time, paid positions. Hiring partner organizations range from public interest organizations, philanthropic foundations, social impact companies, government agencies, and more. Positions are typically 12-24 months in length. Fellows are paid and provided health insurance coverage by the employing organization. Haas Center staff does not necessarily have direct experience with, nor do we professionally endorse, partner organizations.

Since 2020, over 100 fellows have launched their public service careers through a Community Impact Fellowship.

• Read about the current Community Impact Fellows
• Learn about other post-graduation Haas Center fellowship opportunities

Application Deadline

Students: The application portal will open on December 15, 2026.
Employers: We are accepting applications for the 2027 cycle (Apply by December 1, 2026)

Student Eligibility

To be eligible for a Community Impact Fellowship, you must be in your senior or co-term year at Stanford. We encourage applicants from any field of study, issue area interests, and levels of experience. US citizenship is recommended to apply for this fellowship; work permit requirements vary by employer.

Student Application Information

Community Impact Fellowship roles are pre-arranged or self-designed.

To apply for a pre-arranged role, review job descriptions available on the opportunity board (opens December 15, 2026). Submit applications for pre-arranged roles via SOLO, Stanford On & Off-Campus Learning Opportunities. Application materials include the following:

• One letter of recommendation: Your letter of recommendation should be written by someone who can attest to your fitness for a professional work environment, your ability to think creatively, and your leadership. The author of your letter should be a supervisor or equivalent.
• A cover letter or statement of interest (One per position): A cover letter or statement of interest is required for each position you apply for. Your letter or statement should demonstrate that you understand the position and employer, possess relevant skills, and would be a good fit for the job.
• A resume
• An unofficial transcript

We encourage applicants to apply to multiple opportunities to maximize the likelihood of securing a Community Impact position.

Self-designed: Any graduating Stanford student who has accepted a role in a public service organization may apply to join the Community Impact Fellowship. In the interest of building a stronger community of young professionals in public service, any Community Impact Fellow will receive the program benefits of leadership and professional development, mentorship, and cohort community.

To learn more, schedule a conversation with Program Director Ben Weissman (benidw@stanford.edu). 

Program Timeline

• August-December: Employers submit job descriptions to be included in the Community Impact Fellowship opportunity board;
• December 15: Opportunity board opens for applications;
• February: Deadline for applications; Cardinal Careers collects and validates completeness of applications materials;
• March: Cardinal Careers sends employers applications to review; Employers conduct interviews and determine which candidates will receive offers;
• April (On a specific date TBD): Employers extend offers to selected candidates; Accepted candidates will completed required Fellowship Agreement form, removing themselves from any competing application processes;
• May: Fellows are required to attend a one-day in-person New Fellows Orientation event for professional development and cohort community-building;
• June: Graduation; Fellows relocate as needed;
• Summer/Fall: Fellows begin working at host organization.

Fellowship Components

The Cardinal Careers Community Impact Fellowship program aims to:

1. Recruit talented students graduating from Stanford into full-time work in public service and social impact;
2. Assist public interest organizations in finding qualified staff to hire;
3. Engage with and build a network of alumni working in and committed to public service.

Student Fellowship Requirements

By accepting a Community Impact Fellowship, you commit to the following program requirements:

• Attend Cardinal Careers New Fellows Orientation (late May);
• Complete a workshop on the Principles of Ethical and Effective Public Service;
• Participate in regional professional development sessions and social gatherings throughout the fellowship;
• Participate in quarterly check-in meetings with the Community Impact Fellowship coordinator to discuss your individual fellowship experience, share your work and projects, make program recommendations and provide advice to incoming fellows;
• Provide the program with a year-end report detailing the fellowship experience and activities.

Fellowship History & Background

Since 1984, the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University has encouraged students to explore public service through full-time fellowships in the summer and after graduation. The Community Impact Fellowship — founded in 2003 as the Stanford Public Interest Network (SPIN) Fellowship Program and re-launched in 2017 — has placed over 200 graduating Stanford students into full-time paid positions at over 50 organizations. And our program is growing; Since 2020, over 100 fellows have launched their public service careers through a Community Impact Fellowship.

Expectations of Partner Organizations

• Community Impact Fellowship partners provide 12-24 months of meaningful and compensated work, to begin in the summer or fall after graduation.
• The Community Impact Fellowship is a partner-funded fellowship; organizations employ and pay the fellow for their labor.
• Organizations are asked to offer a minimum of $52,000 for 12 months of work and to provide health insurance at no cost to the Fellow. We ask that fellows be compensated at a rate equitable with entry- or mid-entry level roles within a given organization.
• Each fellow is granted responsibilities that include at least one project that the fellow can manage for the duration of their fellowship.
• If desired, the Cardinal Careers team will work with Fellows to develop a meaningful learning plan.
• Partner organizations provide a mentor for each Fellow to guide the Fellow's professional development. The mentor may or may not be the same person as a Fellow's primary supervisor. The Cardinal Careers team can facilitate additional networking connections for Fellows.
• Fellows agree to fill out pre-, mid-, and post-surveys provided by the Cardinal Careers team. These surveys help the team generate and promote resources to meet fellows' needs.
• Community Impact Fellows should be permitted to participate in quarterly check-in meetings with the program director and attend professional development events organized by the Haas Center. Check-in meetings may be scheduled during working hours. Professional development events typically occur after working hours, for which an occasional early release from work may be helpful.
• Partner organizations are not obligated to employ fellows beyond their fellowship term. An individual Fellow is welcome to inquire about the possibility of continued employment once they are established in their role at the host organization.

Testimonials

“This fellowship provides both professional learning and growth opportunities for the fellows, and brings energy, enthusiasm, and bandwidth to the work our organization does… Our core backbone staff team is small. Having additional support to move the work forward in big and small ways with the fellows is very important to us being able to reach our goals.”

-2018 Community Impact Mentor

“I don't think that any entry-level job gives you these types of opportunities that I have [had]. This fellowship allowed me to work on a mission that I am truly passionate about and do meaningful work.”

-2016 Community Impact Fellow

Current and Past Partners

The following list includes all current and former partner organizations that have hosted Community Impact Fellows.

• Abode Services
• All Stars Helping Kids
• ASAP/Common Sense Media
• Ashoka
• Children’s Rights
• City of San José
  • City Manager's Office
  • Clean Energy Department
  • Department of Public Works
  • Innovation Technology
  • Mayor's Office of Tech & Innovation
  • Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services
• City Innovate
• Community Housing Partnership
• CommunityConnect Labs/GreatNonprofits
• DonorsChoose.org
• Education Pioneers
• El Concilio of San Mateo County
• Foundation for College Education
• Friends for Youth
• Frontier Group
• Green Ivy Educational Consulting/Luminaria Learning
• Health Leads
• Ikaso Consulting
• John Gardner Center for Youth & Their Communities
• Jumpstart
• King Philanthropies
• Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation
• LifeMoves
• MetroPlus
• Mission Investors Exchange
• North East Medical Services
• Noora Health
• NYC District Attorney’s Office
• Pacific Autism Center for Education
• Partners in School Innovation
• Partnership for Public Service
• The Primary School
• Ravenswood Family Health Network
• Redwood City Together
• The Representation Project
• San Jose Clean Energy
• San Mateo County Health Coverage Unit
• Santa Clara County Public Defender's Office
• SIRUM
• Strengthening Communities Corps
• TalkingPoints
• Teach for America
• UCSF Medical Center
• Uncommon Schools
• Young Invincibles
• Youth Policy Institute
• Venture Leadership Consulting
• VoteAmerica

More Information

• Read about the current Community Impact Fellows
• Learn about other post-graduation Haas Center fellowship opportunities