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Business+Impact Summer Fund Program

Each summer, Business+Impact awards competitive grants for summer internships to MBAs and BBAs in the Ross School of Business as well as MPP students in the Ford School of Public Policy.  Additionally, the newly established Gordon Impact Entrepreneurship Fund provides support for BBA or MBA student internships with ventures or funders seeking to create societal impact.

If you are a student completing a social impact internship in the nonprofit, public, or private sectors, then you are eligible to apply for funding as long as the organization has a clearly defined social mission. This opportunity enables you to receive a stipend for summer internships in addition to project management, research, and industry coaching from B+I.

The application for summer internship support goes live every January. Students will need to complete the application and attach their resume and offer letter.

The two deadlines for Summer 2024 have passed (March 7th and April 18th). Each year, award decisions are made in two rounds after each of these dates and they are based on the level of need (taking into account other funding being received), consideration of the position and organization’s impact, and the quality of the application. Funding decisions for 2024 have been finalized.

“My learning this summer, particularly in the field of public health, was significant, thanks to a truly challenging and rewarding internship that would not have been possible without the B+I funding.”

— Riya Cherian (MBA/MPP ’25)

Business+Impact Summer Fund Program

Each summer, Business+Impact awards competitive grants for summer internships to MBAs and BBAs in the Ross School of Business as well as MPP students in the Ford School of Public Policy.  Additionally, the newly established Gordon Impact Entrepreneurship Fund provides support for BBA or MBA student internships with ventures or funders seeking to create societal impact.

If you are a student completing a social impact internship in the nonprofit, public, or private sectors, then you are eligible to apply for funding as long as the organization has a clearly defined social mission. This opportunity enables you to receive a stipend for summer internships in addition to project management, research, and industry coaching from B+I.

The application for summer internship support goes live every January. Students will need to complete the application and attach their resume and offer letter.

The two deadlines for Summer 2024 have passed (March 7th and April 18th). Each year, award decisions are made in two rounds after each of these dates and they are based on the level of need (taking into account other funding being received), consideration of the position and organization’s impact, and the quality of the application. Funding decisions for 2024 have been finalized.

Eligibility

  • Only internships served prior to graduation from U-M are eligible. (You must graduate no earlier than the December following your summer internship.)
  • Internships must be at least 10 weeks in length and total funding for graduate students (including B+I’s contribution) must not exceed $15,000. Total funding for BBA students (including B+I’s contribution) must not exceed  $7,000.
  • Eligible organizations can be a nonprofit, government, or clearly-defined social enterprise.
  • If you are not completing a traditional internship — opting instead to create your own summer experience delivering social impact — you can still apply to the Summer Fund. Contact B+I staff to determine if you are eligible.

Please note that we do not support courses, field placements, part-time activities, or projects that are undertaken for course credit. If you are uncertain if your internship or other summer project is eligible for the Summer Fund, contact B+I at businessimpact@umich.edu.

2024 Summer Fund Timeline

  • January – Applications open
  • March 7th @ 11:59pm – Application round one deadline
  • April 18th @ 11:59pm  – Final App deadline
  • May – Project planning
  • May – Aug. – Students complete internships and submit deliverables
275
INTERNS SUPPORTED SINCE 2010
200+
MISSION-DRIVEN ORGS SINCE 2010
$72K
FUNDING AWARDED IN 2023
28
INTERNS SUPPORTED IN 2023

Give-A-Day Fund for Summer Internships

The majority of MBA funds for summer internships are donations made by members of the prior MBA class through the student-led Give-A-Day Fund. Members of the MBA class donate a day of their regular salary in order to support those who have pursued social impact internships. A student board manages the fund and runs the fundraising process.

Donate

Give-A-Day Fund receives a Circle of Excellence award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education

Read a blog post about Ava Damri (MBA ’18), who received Give-A-Day support to work for Goodwill Central Texas in 2017