Nonprofit Board Fellows

Become a Nonprofit Partner: Collaborate with Passionate Students & Increase Board Capacity!

Expand the capacity of your nonprofit board in partnership with innovative graduate students from the University of Michigan. Since 1999, we have placed 800+ Board Fellows with over 300 nonprofit organizations. Register for a virtual or in-person (Detroit & Ann Arbor) information session.

How It Works:

Application & Matching: Apply become a nonprofit partner before July 13th. When students return in the fall, we interview and match two graduate students with your board. Most Board Fellows are studying business, public policy, social work, education, sustainability, or public health.
Board Service & Projects: Board Fellows then serve for an academic year (Oct.-Apr.) as non-voting board members who attend meetings, serve on committees, and take on a curated strategy or governance project that is on your board’s “wish list”. Common projects include benchmarking, board recruitment/onboarding, governance documents, committee implementation/design, fund development strategy, marketing, program evaluation, and revenue generation.
Resources & Support: Program staff offer board resources, project scoping and support, and student guidance.
Community & Events: Both student Fellows and Nonprofit Partners are invited to workshops and networking events focused on various topics of board governance: fund development, board recruitment, and more!

Eligibility:

If your board does not meet one of these requirements, but you are still interested in becoming a Nonprofit Partner, please email boardfellows@umich.edu.

Your organization is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4).
Your board meetings are held no more than an hour’s drive away from Ann Arbor, or you have hybrid/fully virtual meeting options.
Your board will hold at least two meetings between October 2025 and April 2026.
Your organization has an operating history of at least two years.
Your board has at least five active members.

Interested? The application for 2025-26 will open in May. Register for an upcoming information session here. If you have any questions, contact boardfellows@umich.edu.

Timeline for Nonprofits

May – Information Sessions | Register here
May – Nonprofit application opens
July 13th – Nonprofit applications due
May-Aug. – Program staff meet with nonprofits
Early Sep. – Student applications due
Late Sep. – Student applicant interviews, Board Fellows matched and announced
Late Sep.-Early Oct. – Orientation for Board Fellows and Board Mentors
Oct.-Apr. – Students serve as Board Fellows

Our Nonprofit Partners include organizations like the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum/Leslie Science & Nature Center, Brilliant Detroit, Detroit Theatre Organ Society, Friends of the Children Detroit, North Star Reach, Playworks Michigan, Washtenaw Association for Community Advocacy, Washtenaw Housing Alliance, and many more.

300+

ORGANIZATIONS SINCE 1999

800+

BOARD FELLOWS PLACED

U-M SCHOOLS REPRESENTED

YEARS OF PROGRAM EXPERIENCES

If you are a nonprofit considering participating in the Board Fellowship Program, there are a few critical elements to ensure a successful experience:

Board Fellows voluntarily commit a similar amount of time per month as a full board member (no more than 10 hours/month); they attend board meetings, committee meetings, and complete their projects. We strongly encourage the Board Fellows and their mentor(s) to set a regular meeting and communication schedule at the beginning of their engagement.

To ensure an effective and mutually beneficial working relationship, the organization must:

Assign a board member to serve as the Board Fellows’ primary mentor
Assign a staff member as a primary point of contact with the organization
Provide a formal introduction to the organization and the expectations of board members
Enable the Board Fellows to complete one or two meaningful, mutually beneficial projects
Complete a mid-year and final evaluation of the Board Fellows’ progress

"The Board Fellows program never ceases to deliver exceptional candidates who take genuine interest in the functioning of nonprofits and how to improve this. We will never not want to participate in this amazing opportunity!"

- Brilliant Detroit

"We continue to be immensely grateful to the Board Fellows who work with us. Their time, energy, talent and insights help us advance our mission & vision. They also add vital capacity to our organization for the exploration of innovative and creative ways to make social change."

- Nonprofit Enterprise at Work (NEW)