University Initiatives

The Grassroots Business Fund works with leading universities throughout the year to offer students the opportunity to gain valuable field experience in the social investment sector.  While GBF constantly seeks new ways to provide students with experience, much of the student’s involvement is centered on evaluating the social impact of GBF’s investments.  In the past, students have worked with GBOs such as Sero Lease and Finance Limited (SELFINA), a microfinance institution that provides loans and leases to low-income women entrepreneurs in Tanzania, and LabourNet, a network that enables informal-sector micro and small entrepreneurs to get information about training and job opportunities that match their skill sets in India.

GBF partners with universities through three different programs:

Student Teams – Student teams work with GBF staff and management from GBF’s client organizations for two to three months prior to deployment to the field.  Over winter or spring breaks students work closely with the client management team on a variety of projects including social impact metrics work. 

Graduate Summer Fellowships – Summer Fellows spend two to three weeks at GBF headquarters in DC becoming familiar with the GBF and its client organization.  The experience at GBF headquarters is then followed with six to eight weeks in the field working directly with the client organization.  Past projects have included designing and implementing systems for quantifying social metrics and assisting with GBF’s due diligence process

Headquarters Internships – Undergraduate or Graduate students work at GBF headquarters in DC during the fall or spring semesters.  These students work part-time at GBF while continuing with their academic coursework.  Past projects have included reviewing GBF’s Social Return on Investment calculations for its portfolio.

Below is the timeline of GBF’s 2009-2010 university partnerships:

Fall/Winter:

University of Pennsylvania (Student Team)

University of Michigan Ross School of Business (Student Team)

Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) (Graduate Internship)

Spring:

Georgetown University Social Impact Audit

University of Michigan Ross School of Business – The William Davidson Institute – MAP Program

Summer:

University of Michigan – The William Davidson Institute (Lauren Miller, Graduate Summer Fellow)

Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) (Marisa Gerla & Sara Taylor, Graduate Summer Fellows)

Columbia School of Business – Pangea Advisors

Future Partnerships:

Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and School of Business at Princeton University

If you are a current student or faculty member and are interested in learning more about GBF please contact us at info@gbfund.org.