Through initiatives by Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, both Stanford University and UC Berkeley have summer philanthropy fellowship programs placing students full-time for the summer in Bay Area foundations.

This year the two schools of students met together to share their experiences in a session led by myself. Students have been placed in large and small foundations undertaking research projects, getting involved in grantmaking, and learning what local philanthropy is all about.

I would like to see philanthropy fellows from all higher education institutions in the Bay Area.

“I learned that philanthropy is about asking the right questions and listening for the right answers, whether they are spoken or unspoken.” – Sadia Saiffudin, a 2014 Fellow placed at PVF

“In an increasingly diverse and developing era, the call for deeper collaborative action and strategic planning in addressing pressing societal issues has also become a high priority in the field.” – Carmen Ross, a 2014 Fellow placed at Northern California Grantmakers, reflects on what she learned in her placement.