Experienced professionals from Silicon Valley are pursuing encore careers with nonprofits as part of a pilot program.

Ten experienced corporate managers and leaders are making the transition to encore careers with educational and environmental organizations via Encore Fellowships provided by the Silicon Valley Encore Initiative.

The initiative, sponsored by Civic Ventures in partnership with Hewlett-Packard Company and nine innovative nonprofits, is following the progress of the 10 fellows in order to inform national efforts to create programs to facilitate transitions to encore careers. Initial funding has been provided by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Fast Company magazine recognized Encore Fellowships with its Social Capitalist Award in 2008.

The awards were given to the “most influential and effective social entrepreneurs who are solving the world’s problems” and the organizations they have helped to create. The winners, Fast Company writes, “use the tools of business to solve the world’s most pressing problems” and “demonstrate a consistent and unusually large impact on society.”