Sand Hill Philanthropy Fellowships: San Francisco Foundation (Policy and Innovation) - Summer 2026
Through the Sand Hill Philanthropy Fellowships, a Cardinal Quarter opportunity, Stanford undergraduate students can spend the summer working in full time positions with Bay Area grantmaking foundations and philanthropic organizations that are prearranged by the Haas Center.
The Sand Hill Foundation Fellowship in Philanthropy was created in spring 2000 to honor the memory of Tom Ford, a member of the Haas Center’s National Advisory Board and a former Stanford University Trustee. Throughout his life, Ford strongly believed in sharing with the community and in the immense potential of young people. With the generous support of Susan Ford Dorsey's Sand Hill Foundation, the Sand Hill Foundation Fellowship is modeled after this philosophy. The goal of the program is to bring more young people into philanthropic work by providing students with intensive summer experiences.
Each Philanthropy Fellow receives a base stipend of $7000 to cover most of the essential costs associated with an unpaid service experience. Financial aid and supplemental funding are available to students who qualify.
Three summer fellowship positions are available with the San Francisco Foundation's Policy and Innovation Team.
Description of Organization:
Founded in 1948, the San Francisco Foundation is one of the nation’s largest community foundations—a grantmaking public charity dedicated to improving life within a specific local region. Our mission is to mobilize resources and act as a catalyst for change to build strong communities, foster civic leadership, and promote philanthropy in the San Francisco Bay Area. Together with community leaders, nonprofits, and donors, we are committed to advancing racial equity and economic inclusion to ensure that everyone in the Bay Area has a chance to get a good job, live in a safe and affordable home, and have a strong political voice.
Description of Projects:
Through the Fellowship, interns will have the opportunity to learn about the philanthropic sector and experience grantmaking firsthand–everything from reviewing proposals to participating with grantee site visits.
The intern’s key responsibilities will be to conduct, analyze, and present research. Potential research projects could include:
- Preparing materials to share with community leaders.
- Organizing grantmaking data and doing a portfolio analysis that informs future decisions.
- Synthesizing input from grantees on metrics and evaluation tools to measure engagement and power-building.
- Support the Policy and Innovation teams (GCC, PBF, HAP) with projects and events
Desired Skills, Experiences, and Qualities:
Strong research skills required; flexible and comfortable in navigating a new environment; curious and self-directed; experience in organizing for racial and/or economic justice strongly preferred.
Work Arrangement and Start Date:
Hybrid work arrangement, 1-2 In-person one day week (~14 hours) in San Francisco. The team is usually in the office on Tuesdays. The tentative start date is June 23, 2025.
Eligibility:
For complete eligibility requirements, please review our program policies in its entirety.
Applicants must be:
- enrolled at Stanford for the winter and spring quarters of this academic year (2025-26);
- be in good academic standing and not on suspension; and
- enrolled as a first-year, sophomore, or junior (from all academic disciplines), or a senior who will be returning for a co-term program during the following academic year
Graduating seniors are only eligible for Round 2 opportunities if funding is available after the February deadline, and the Round 2 deadline may be in early April. Students who have begun their coterm programs are not eligible to apply. Priority will be given to students who have completed fewer than two previous Cardinal Quarter opportunities.
Requirements:
Selected fellows are expected to begin their fellowship following the completion of spring quarter classes and no later than July 6, 2026. All fellows are required to work with their community partners 35-40 hours/week for nine consecutive weeks.
Please review the complete program policies for additional requirements. Other commitments include the following:
Spring Quarter
- Complete and online program orientation
- Complete the Engaging in Ethical and Effective Service in-person workshop or worksheet.
- Identify and meet with an on-campus mentor at least once.
- Design a personal learning plan and share the learning plan with the site supervisor and on-campus mentor.
- Complete all required pre-orientation forms.
Summer Quarter
- Submit a brief preliminary report
- Submit a final report, complete a program evaluation, and correspond with fellowship donor(s) as requested by fellowships program staff.
Fall Quarter
- Meet with on-campus mentor at least once
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Participate in outreach activities to share the experience and help publicize the program
Selection Process:
For those who seek assistance, advising is available through the Haas Center to help students develop their applications. Please reach out to a Cardinal Quarter Peer Advisor or email cardinalquarter@stanford.edu for an advising appointment with program staff.
This fellowship is intended for individuals whose application, references, and interview demonstrate
- an integration of the fellowship experience with the applicant’s academic, personal and/or career goals
- prior demonstrated interest or involvement in the subject area, including related coursework
- a compelling match between applicant’s skills and interests and an organization’s work and needs
- strong potential for the fellowship experience to deepen a candidate’s understanding of an identified community issue or challenge
Complete applications are screened, finalists interviewed, and fellows selected by the host organizations with the intention to award fellowships within six weeks of the application deadline. Applicants are responsible for checking their Stanford email (including Spam folders) and responding promptly to interview invitations. Failure to respond to an interview invitation will result in withdrawal of the application.
Applicants must respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email to a fellowship offer, or the offer will be rescinded. Once an applicant accepts a fellowship offer, the student should promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied that they have accepted another offer and to withdraw their candidacy.
