Curtis W. Meadows, Jr. Social Enterprise Fellows (formerly Ford Fellows)

The Curtis W. Meadows, Jr. Social Enterprise Fellows program matches teams of UT Austin graduate students to serve as nonprofit consultant fellows with NGOs in Latin America. Working in an interdisciplinary team, a Meadows Fellow can expect to provide management consulting services on issues of strategy, marketing, finance, human resources, and sustainability for a nonprofit organization.

The RGK Center welcomes student recommendations for NGOs who would benefit from Meadows Social Enterprise Program but does not guarantee placement with an NGO due to personal connection.

2012 - Haiti Project

• Haiti Project: January 3-16, 2012
  
• Priority applications Due Sept 15, 2011
• Final application deadline: Sept 20, 2011 

In January 2012, join a team of six UT Austin graduate students working in the rural mountain community of Creve, Haiti, approximately 100 miles northeast of Port Au Prince.

Project Scope

Building on the results of a community needs assessment conducted by Meadows Fellows in 2011, the local community has identified two specific projects for implementation in January 2012: (1) to set up a microfinance program and (2) to develop a community water supply. Additional project details appear below. To prepare for successful in-country implementation of these projects, selected students will be expected to register for the academic course associated with this project and fully participate in all preparatory sessions and meetings.

Background

This project is taking place under the auspices of an existing collaboration between local community leaders and the ConcernedChristian Citizens of Cedar Creek Lake, a nondenominational 501(c)3 that has been making twice annual visits to the community with volunteers from Texas and Louisiana since 2000. Community improvements completed to date include building two schools with water wells, a small clinic and training of localhealthcare workers and the education of local school children, as well as provision of financial resources to support the U.S. graduate studies of a young man from the village.

Funding

Funding for this program is provided by the McCombs Texas MBA+ Leadership Program and the RGK Center. The RGK Center will cover a substantial amount of direct travel costs to participate in the program, including flights from Florida to Port-au-Prince, in-country flights and all in-country food and water. In addition to this support, students will receive $800 stipends to help defray additional travel costs associated with the project, such as the purchase of required UT travel and health insurance, immunizations and flights to the departure city in Florida.

Course Credit

Students selected to participate in the program will register and pay for 3 hours of academic course credit at the LBJ School of Public Affairs in the Spring 2011 semester. Dr. David Eaton is the lead faculty member for the course. In addition to the Haiti travel and participation, attendance at seven preparatory meetings in Fall 2011 and three meetings in Spring 2012 to discuss project outcomes and deliverables and todeliver presentations to the UT community, NGO client and funders and interested parties in Dallas. There will be four required work products for this course:

1. a plan for fieldwork due prior to departure (per project team)
2. a report on the field experience in Haiti (individual)
3. a proposal for funding expansion of each team project (class)
4. three presentations to the audiences indicated above (class)

The Fall 2011 class meetings are expected to occur on Fridays in October and November.

To Apply

Submit your resume and a letter of interest that includes any relevant French or Creole language ability to Moira Porter, moira@austin.utexas.edu. Priority consideration will be given to students who submit materials by 5:00 PM Thursday September 15 and attend the info session and conduct NGO interviews on September 17. Please also direct any questions to Moira.

Project Team A: Microfinance Program for Women in Creve, Haiti

The villagers of Creve, in Bombardopolis District, Haiti are interested in developing a not-for-profitorganization to make small, low-interest micro-finance loans to women to begin small industries that can sustain families. The micro-finance institution would operate as a bank, helping women develop proposals for small loans; screen applications for loans; select beneficiaries; manage re-payments; and promote women’s financial independence. Funding for the micro-finance bank is being raised initially by the Creve villagers themselves and by a non-profit organization of US-based churches, the Concerned Christian Citizens of Cedar Creek Lake, a 501-c-3 based in Fort Worth, Texas. The UT/Austin graduate students will be expected to help the villagers incorporate a non-profit bank under Haiti’s banking and non-profit regulations, create a board and rules for the non-profit bank, establish procedures for managing bank deposits and soliciting applications for loans, etc. It is also expected that the graduate students will help the communityseek funds elsewhere to provide capital for loans.

Project Team B: Developing a Community Water Supply in Creve, Haiti

The villagers of Creve, in Bombardopolis District, Haiti are interested in developing a not-for-profitwater utility to organize a community water supply system in Creve. The utility would contract with a firm that drills well to produce a water supply source of sources; connect the sources into an initial public water supply system that can serve those potential users in downtown Creve who can pay for piped water; develop a plan to extend the public supply system to others in Creve over time; create a system of water tariffs to generate funds that can sustain and maintain the water system and expend it through the community. Funding for the community water system infrastructure is being raised initially by the Creve villagers themselves and by a non-profit organization of US-based churches, the Concerned Christian Citizens of Cedar Creek Lake, a 501-c-3 based in Fort Worth, Texas. The UT/Austin graduate students will be expected to help the villagers incorporate a non-profit utility under Haiti’s water utility and non-profit regulations, create a board and rules for the non-profit utility, develop initial plans for the community water supply system; establish procedures for a water fee system that can sustain and extend the water system; and help the community seek funds elsewhere to provide capital for well-drilling and infrastructure creation.

2011 - Haiti

In January 2011, a team of six graduate student fellows from the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the McCombs School of Business traveled to the small rural town of Creve, in northwestern Haiti. Working in collaboration with a faith-based U.S. nonprofit that has been active in the Creve community for the past ten years, the Meadows Fellows were tasked with interviewing local stakeholders and developing a community needs assessment and plan to prioritize future investments.

Another Side of Haiti - UT Know

2009 NGO Projects:

• Centro para el Fortalecimiento de Organizaciones Civiles (Mexico)
• DiscoverHope (Peru)
• We Improve Tomorrow (Guatemala)

Previous Programs

• Summer 2008 Program
• Summer 2007 Program
• Summer 2006 Program