-Deshpande Fellowship Program-
Social entrepreneurs lead and innovate wide‐scale social action to effectively and efficiently benefit needy populations. The Foundation believes that social entrepreneurs are essential to the social development sector and supports social entrepreneurship as a core activity. As such, the Deshpande Foundation has initiated the Deshpande Fellowship Program, a unique opportunity for budding social entrepreneurs.
The Deshpande Fellowship Program (DFP) is a six‐month long opportunity for young social leaders to be trained in the knowledge, skills, and practices necessary for success in the development sector. The training will be both classroom and field based, with emphasis on active and applied learning experiences. Using both prior and Fellowship experiences, Fellows will then be expected to design and implement a social innovation with a partner institution in the Sandbox. The Fellowship will be a demanding learning experience, providing a comprehensive education that will prove invaluable to a Fellow’s future ventures.
Overall Objectives for Deshpande Fellowship Program
The six‐month training of the DFP aims to:
Build the Fellow’s knowledge of the history and current context of development and social entrepreneurship, both in India and internationally;
Establish the softskills necessary to be effective managers and leaders;
Train the next generation of social entrepreneurs and change agents in specific technical skills, providing them with the tools needed to leverage their efforts for significant change;
Prepare a human resource network to innovate and implement efficient, scalable approaches for resolving the world’s most intractable challenges facing developing economies.
Content
Technical and soft skills included in the DFP training include the following:
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Social Entrepreneurship
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Strategic Planning
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Logical Frameworks
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Markets and Marketing
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Monitoring and Evaluation
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Survey Design, including Village Mapping
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Financial Mgmt, including Basic Accounting & Economic Principles
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Legal Systems, including Right to Information
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Human Resource Mgmt, including Leadership and Mgmt
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Use of Technology
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Governance
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Fundraising
In addition to these content areas, emphasis will be placed on communication skills, including: reading, writing, and effective speaking. The program’s intensive writing component will include both components of English‐language structure as well as advanced tutoring in writing grants, press releases, and case studies.
Details
The Fellowship Program will run from June 23rd to December 22nd. The Fellows range in age from 22‐20 years old, and their previous work experiences includes grassroots experience, information technology, and media design. Most candidates have a working knowledge of development, and thus we are looking to bolster each Fellow’s knowledge through concrete, skills‐based technical knowledge. Each week will incorporate lectures given by a variety of guest speakers, most of whom will be respected authorities on each topic. At the same time, local partners will work with each Fellow to guide each Fellow’s field experience and provide feedback.
