Frequently Asked Questions
Please review the following list of Frequently Asked Questions about Aspiranet’s Encore Fellowship Program. If you have a question not addressed below, please contact us to learn more.
How many Encore Fellows are working at Aspiranet?
Aspiranet welcomed seven Encore Fellows in September, 2011. One additional fellow will join the cohort by February, 2012.
How are the Fellows selected?
When the work host role is aligned with the candidate’s expertise, interests, values, priorities and work style, it increases the likelihood that the position will be a mutual match. Fellow candidates are selected based on the following considerations:
- Area of expertise: Does the individual have skills and abilities that will advance the work and mission of Aspiranet?
- Commitment: Is there a demonstrated interest and investment in the area of nonprofit work? Has the individual previously been involved in related community issues?
- Adaptability and readiness: Is the individual well-prepared for making the switch to nonprofit work?
- Suitability and match: Is there a good fit between the candidate’s skills and personal goals with Aspiranet’s mission, culture, organizational structure and staff?
- Interest in an encore career: What is the individual´s level of interest in pursuing social purpose work beyond the Encore Fellowship?
What are the fellow backgrounds, where are they working and what are they doing?
The fellows come from diverse professional backgrounds, including leadership positions in municipal government, nonprofit management, information technology, marketing, banking and education. The infusion and integration of such significant talent into a single nonprofit is a powerful model for delivering sustained impact.
Each fellow has been matched with a member of the Aspiranet Senior Management Team in a year-long, mission-central role that well leverages their talents and delivers sustained organizational impact. Their work assignments reflect the social issues of the agency’s portfolio – foster care and adoption, child and family services, youth development and education, and behavioral health – and are contributing to improvements in business development, organizational strategy, new venture creation, marketing, staff development, and site operations.
Do the fellows meet regularly? Do they receive common training?
Fellows participate in monthly cohort meetings to support them in their work assignments, and learn from leaders in the field and others who have made the transition from for-profit to nonprofit careers. The primary focus of the fellowship is the work assignment which furthers the fellows’ professional development by applying prior work skills to a new sector and developing a network of relationships in the nonprofit sector.
How much are the Aspiranet Encore Fellows paid?
Fellows are awarded a $25,000 stipend for their 1,000 hour, half-time, 12-month fellowship assignments.
How can I apply to become an Encore Fellow?
If you are interested in becoming an Encore Fellow we’d like to hear from you! Please submit an online application and resume if you want to be considered as a fellow candidate.
Who is sponsoring the Encore Fellows?
Aspiranet is a recognized leader in the development of innovative social and educational services for children, youth and families. Our vision is to take collective action to support communities and families as they love and care for children. The agency has 35 core family support programs – in foster care and adoption, child and family services, youth development and education, and behavioral health – in 44 rural, urban and suburban locations, and an annual budget of $50 M. Since its formation in 1975 Aspiranet has scaled its delivery of social services throughout California, employing over 1,100 full and part-time staff that provide direct services to over 2,500 children, youth and families on a weekly basis.
What are the programs and services in the Aspiranet Network?
Aspiranet’s 35 core family support programs offer a unique range of services based on supporting strengths and promoting success in individuals and families throughout California. Browse our programs by type, name or location.
Who is coordinating the Encore Fellows program at Aspiranet?
Janet Luce, Program Director: jluce@aspiranet.org; 650-866-4080, ext 1162
Are there plans for expansion?
Aspiranet is the first nonprofit in the nation to establish its own internal Encore Fellowships program, in partnership with Civic Ventures’ Encore Fellowships Network. The program is at the heart of a growing national trend of skilled, experienced professionals at the end of their mid-life careers being matched with social purpose organizations in order to further their mission and serve as an experiential pathway to transition into the next phase of their career.
Aspiranet has been a leader in deploying encore talent to social purpose work. Through our flagship Experience Corps Bay Area and Encore Parenting-Kinship Navigation programs, and now the Encore Fellowships program, the agency has been an innovative force in the encore movement. We intend to expand the Encore Fellowships Program across our statewide Encore CA network.
How can companies/sponsors join the program?
Organizations interested in providing sponsorship for Aspiranet’s Encore Fellowships program should contact us.
What does success look like?
The fellowship program provides a unique opportunity for fellows to take meaningful action, using skills and knowledge that they already have, while learning firsthand about the nonprofit sector and exploring potential work options. The fellowships are a success when the work assignments well-leverage the fellows’ talents and improve the agency’s capacity to execute on important strategic initiatives, and – as a result of their yearlong contributions and learning – the fellows are well-prepared for post-fellowship social purpose work.
