Silicon Valley Encore Fellowships are intended for former corporate employees who want to pursue work in the nonprofit sector. Fellow recruitment, selection and matching is a highly selective process involving corporate sponsors, Civic Ventures and nonprofit hosts. The 2010 Silicon Valley Encore Fellows program will select 10 to 15 fellows and match them with yearlong, half-time nonprofit assignments.

Eligibility
Applicants must have extensive corporate experience (15+ years) at the professional, management or executive level.

Selection Considerations

• Area of expertise – Skills and abilities to advance the work and impact of the nonprofit
• Commitment – Demonstrated interest or previous involvement in the area of nonprofit or community work
• Adaptability and readiness – Readiness for making the switch from the corporate sector to the nonprofit sector
• Suitability and match – Strong fit between the fellow's skills and his or her personal goals and the nonprofit's mission, culture, organizational structure and staff
• Interest in an encore career – Strong interest in pursuing social purpose work beyond the encore fellowship

Matching Steps

• Step 1 – Applications are reviewed to determine readiness, level and area of interest, and potential skill set match with nonprofit needs.
• Step 2 – Candidates are interviewed by Civic Ventures to gather more information and preferences and to begin to identify potential nonprofit assignments.
• Step 3 – Candidates interview with up to three nonprofits. This step is likely to involve other meetings and activities (such as shadowing, site visits and conversations with other staff). Fellow candidates are encouraged to learn more about the nonprofits through Web site research, review of materials, etc.
• Step 4 – Civic Ventures coordinates offers from the nonprofits to create a mutually agreeable assignment.
• Step 5 – The matched nonprofit and fellow jointly develop a specific statement of work laying out roles and responsibilities, goals and milestones, supervision, time frame and other factors.

Submitting Your Application
Download an application here. The form includes:

• Your contact information, which will not be shared outside of Civic Ventures, except with potential nonprofit work hosts
• Questions about your prior work and community experience, skills, personal goals and motivation for seeking an Encore Fellowship as a transition to an encore career
• Your resume, which you should include in your submission
• Questions regarding your preference for scheduling, location and area of interest

Please email your completed application to Janet Luce at jluce [at] civicventures.org. Please contact Janet regarding questions or issues.

Timeline
Fellows applications for the Silicon Valley Encore Fellows spring 2010 program will be accepted between Wednesday, January 20, and Monday, March 1, 2010. Fellowships will be awarded on a rolling basis, beginning immediately, until all fellowships are awarded. The interview, matching and selection process will take place in February and March, with work assignments running April 2010 through May 2011. After submitting an application, you will receive immediate confirmation of your submission electronically. Applicants will be notified regarding their admission to the interview round within four weeks of submission.