Golub Capital Launches Nonprofit Board Fellows Network with Seven Leading Business Schools to Develop Impactful Nonprofit Board Members

November 13, 2024 at 09:00 AM EST

Golub Capital has committed over $10mm to date to engage the next generation of board members and drive positive social impact across the nonprofit ecosystem

Golub Capital today announced partnerships with seven leading business schools to establish or expand Board Fellows Programs (BFPs) at each school. The BFPs prepare MBA candidates and alumni to become impactful nonprofit board members.

“Good board members dramatically improve the effectiveness of nonprofits,” said David Golub, President at Golub Capital. “The Golub Capital Nonprofit Board Fellows Network will deepen the pool of impactful nonprofit board members, while fostering collaboration among leading business schools around how to support positive social impact. Our goal is to continue expanding the program to accelerate progress across the nonprofit ecosystem.”

The business schools that Golub Capital has partnered with include:

Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business will establish a new Golub Capital Board Fellows Program, grow the number of fellows to more than 50, and deepen ties with Pittsburgh’s strong nonprofit and foundation-oriented community.

University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business will look to become one of the largest Board Fellows Programs in the United States with a goal of reaching 120 fellows annually and sharing its board self-assessment tool with members of the network.

Yale School of Management will significantly grow and institutionalize their existing program by providing new staff support and faculty guidance for student leaders, offering a for-credit course for Board Fellows and developing a set of teaching case studies that can be used across the network.

University of Chicago Booth School of Business will strengthen its existing program of over 80 fellows per year, developing a culminating showcase day for students to share their project learnings, expanding skill building and networking opportunities for Chicago nonprofit partners and experimenting with broadening program eligibility.

Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania will expand and enhance its existing program, inviting students from other graduate schools to take part along with MBAs and piloting a range of new initiatives to deepen engagement with alumni and its nonprofit partners.

New York University Stern School of Business will grow and restructure its existing program to include a range of strategic consulting projects along with board governance and will explore development of the first Global Board Fellows program.

Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management: Golub Capital supported its first Board Fellows Program in 2021 at Kellogg. Through the launch of this network, the Firm will also extend its funding of Kellogg’s program, enabling Kellogg to expand its program to serve students in their accelerated and part-time MBA programs. Currently, Kellogg’s Board Fellows Program prepares over 100 top MBA students annually for board service at Chicago-area nonprofits through a combination of academic coursework, board placement and strategic consulting.

A recent survey by Kellogg of 200 alumni showed that fellows are more likely to serve on nonprofit boards (55%) compared to non-board fellow alumni (38%). Participants in the program are also four times as likely to serve in leadership positions in nonprofits compared to non-participants.

“The Golub Capital Board Fellows Program has provided a valuable and practical learning experience for our students,” said Allison Henry, Director of the Golub Capital Board Fellows Program at Kellogg School of Management. “Fellows graduate with improved leadership skills, a strong professional network and practical knowledge on how to effectively serve on nonprofit boards.”

Since 2021, Golub Capital has also established Social Impact Labs at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

About Golub Capital

Golub Capital is a market-leading, award-winning direct lender and experienced credit asset manager. We specialize in delivering reliable, creative and compelling financing solutions to companies backed by private equity sponsors. Our sponsor finance expertise also forms the foundation of our Broadly Syndicated Loan and Credit Opportunities investment programs. We nurture long-term, win-win partnerships that inspire repeat business from private equity sponsors and investors.

As of July 1, 2024, Golub Capital had over 950 employees and over $70 billion of capital under management, a gross measure of invested capital including leverage. The firm has offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit golubcapital.com.

About the Golub Capital Social Impact Accelerator

The Golub Capital Social Impact Accelerator sponsors philanthropic initiatives where the Firm’s investment is expected to have a multiplier effect on the impact of nonprofit organizations. The two signature programs of the Golub Capital Social Impact Accelerator are the Social Impact Labs and the Nonprofit Board Fellows Network.

The Golub Capital Social Impact Labs at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Northwestern Kellogg School of Management and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business engage the next generation of business leaders and academics to accelerate progress across the nonprofit ecosystem.

The Golub Capital Nonprofit Board Fellows Network develops MBA candidates and alumni at leading business schools to serve as impactful nonprofit board members through classroom and experiential learning.