Participate in the Community Impact Fellowship Program

Overview

Since 1984, the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University has encouraged students to explore public service through full-time professional fellowships. 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 undergraduate and co-term 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.

The CIF program funnels graduating Stanford students into entry to mid-entry level public service and social impact roles. 

Directed by the Cardinal Careers team of the Haas Center for Public Service, the Community Impact Fellowship serves to kickstart the post-Stanford service careers of young professionals graduating from undergraduate and coterminal master's programs at Stanford. Fellows are supported by a professional mentor, an advisor from the Haas Center, and a professional development cohort of like-minded fellows. Employers (partner organizations) range from public interest nonprofits, philanthropic foundations, social impact companies, government agencies, and other service-oriented organizations. Positions are typically 12-24 months in length. Fellows are paid and provided health insurance coverage by the employing organization.

Mission

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.

Benefits of Our Program

• Once a organization agrees to participate and submits a job description, we do the following:
  • Promote open roles across the university, leveraging our networks of campus partners and service-minded students;
  • Collect and conduct initial screening of applications, ensuring their completeness;
  • Share organized application packets with partner organizations to review and conduct interviews.
  • Note: We cannot require partner organizations to hire a Fellow. We ask that partner organizations participate with a good faith intention to consider hiring applicants.
• Before, during, and after the fellowship, we provide Fellows with the following:
  • Professional and leadership development opportunities, beginning with a required day-long event, New Fellows Orientation;
  • A professional development stipend;
  • Quarterly social cohort gatherings;
  • Quarterly individualized coaching meetings;
• As a partner, you would be eligible to conduct free employment recruitment at Stanford events, host info sessions, use ad hoc meeting space at the Haas Center (by appointment), and participate in our local community partners events.

Expectations of Partner Organizations

The Community Impact Fellowship program is dedicated to collaborating with partner organizations dedicated to the growth of young professionals in public service. We work to ensure that Fellows are supported and that they are a value add to the partner organization throughout the fellowship term. Our team and our Fellows are guided by Stanford's Principles of Ethical and Effective Service.

• Community Impact Fellowship partner organizations provide 12-24 months of meaningful and compensated work. This work should begin in the summer or fall after Fellows’ graduation.
• The Community Impact Fellowship is a partner organization-funded fellowship; organizations employ and pay the Fellow for their labor.
• Fellows receive a base pay of at least $52,000 from the partner organization, plus benefits during their fellowship. Please note that to be competitive, many partner organizations offer above $52,000. We ask that Fellows be compensated at a rate equitable with entry- or mid-entry level roles in your organization and provided with health insurance at no cost to the Fellow.
• 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 partner organizations to develop a meaningful work plan for Fellows.
• Partner organizations provide a mentor for each Fellow to guide the Fellow's professional development for the fellowship term. A mentor may be their supervisor or another colleague within their workplace.
• Mentors agree to fill out a year-end evaluation form provided by the Haas Center as well as provide periodic updates about their Fellow to Haas Center staff. This helps us ensure the quality of the program for all parties.
• 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.
• While our partner organizations are welcome to continue to employ Fellows beyond their fellowship term, it is not an expectation or requirement that a Fellow be retained as an employee.

Program Timeline

• August-December: Employers apply to participate in the Community Impact Fellowship (CIF) program; Cardinal Careers team meets with employers to answer questions and agree on partnership; Employers confirm capacity to hire a Fellow through the CIF program; 
• December 1, 2026: Deadline for employers to submit job descriptions for the CIF opportunity board; 
• September-January: Cardinal Careers hosts information sessions for students promote the CIF program ahead of opportunity board launch; Individual advising is offered to students;
• December 15: Opportunity board opens for student applications;
• February: Deadline for student 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.

Current and Past Partners

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