CASE STUDY:
The Civic Leaders Fellowship
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Overview/Goals of the CLF
How it Works – Program Implementation
Legal Issues for Community Foundations
Ongoing Oversight – Matters that Arise
Progress, Results and Q & A
Susie Nelson, CFOV and Judy Sjostedt, PACF
Overview/Goals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71IehqG0G3I
Program Process
• Identify employment method (contract partner)
• Establish Independent Advisory Panel
• Design competitive application processes and
selection means for applicants and employers
• Criteria for applicants
• Criteria for employers
• Advertise the program widely
• Use the Advisory Committee to select students
and businesses – try to match
Program Process continued …
• Schedule interviews for selected students and
businesses [PACF did not use interviews]
• Find additional businesses (won’t always be
perfect matches)[AFTER students selected]
• Plan Friday Leadership Sessions: differs by
cohort year – Year 1 is group learning focused;
Year 2 community team focused; Year 3
personal/career focused
• Plan orientation for students and businesses
Program Process
• Pre-test for students (civic and community
knowledge and interest)
• Students work for six full weeks M-Th with a
different F program depending on cohort year
• Program director – visit employers periodically
during the six work weeks
• End of session evaluations
• Administer post-test for students
• End of session group luncheon/other activity
Legal Issues to Consider at Each Stage
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Accomplishing Employment
Application Prep and Candidate Recruitment
Donors and Donor Involvement
Appropriate Engagement of Employers
Applicant Selection and Hiring
Operational Issues
Accomplishing Employment
Before soliciting applicants, consider:
• Will students receive compensation?
See Fair Labor Standards Act, Fact Sheet 71, Wage
and Hour Division, US Dept. of Labor.
• Wages or stipends? Rate? Overtime?
• How will employment be accomplished? (Foundation
as employer, contract employment service, etc.)
• Understand worker’s compensation, taxation, etc.
• Determine how job-related reimbursements occur.
Application Prep – Candidate Recruitment
Be aware of EEO protections in crafting the application.
Questions must be:
• Non-discriminatory – employers are explicitly
prohibited from certain pre-employment inquiries
• Clearly work-related – request approval up front to
secure any needed background checks, drug testing
• Understand the concept of reasonable accommodation
• Understand that while one can ask questions about
such topics as interest in returning to the area,
responses are unenforceable
Establish the process (hard copy, online, etc.)
Donors and Donor Involvement
• No gifts to individuals – gifts to program only!
Can target a gift to a specific geographic community,
but use great caution if only one donor-one applicant.
• No donors – not even in a minority capacity – involved
in selection or assignment processes.
• ABSOLUTELY NO PAY TO PLAY! If a donor is also a
potential host employer, NO relationship whatsoever
to whether receives an intern.
• Be aware-some grantors may not permit resources to
be used to support a student at a for-profit entity.
Appropriate Engagement of Employers
GROUND RULE: Student experience is primary;
employer involvement supports students.
Foundation role: orientation to internship,
outline program expectations in advance.
Employer role: deliver a safe, healthy work
environment free of hazard or harassment,
provide a localized orientation for intern.
Employer cannot: select or interview intern,
employ student outside of program; displace
existing employees or supplant with
Foundation interns.
Planning for a Safe, Healthy Work
Environment
• OSHA Compliance – does student need any
specialized equipment? (steel-toed shoes)
• Training – does student need any particular
training to function safely? (safety procedures,
special protocols - hospitals)
• Job-related matters – what does student need to
know to work there? (HIPPA Privacy rules,
proprietary info protection, for ex. photos of work
sites can be a concern)
Applicant Selection and Hiring
Establish a process by which to select students.
Outline criteria for selection in advance so it can be applied
fairly; ensure non-discriminatory.
Foundation conflict of Interest, confidentiality policies
apply when making the selections – no employers or
donors on selection panel.
Choose students before employers; match students to
employers-no employer involvement.
Ensure any pre-related testing occurs pre-hiring (drugtesting for certain employers, for ex.)
Extend offers, explain terms in writing (contract, etc.).
Ongoing Oversight-Matters that Arise
• Means to report time (approvals needed, etc.)
and/or to request reimbursements
• Protocol for reporting of illness, etc.
• Appropriate-inappropriate workplace
behaviors (reporting harassment, for ex.)
• Protocol for emergencies (example, vehicle
accident, student injury at work, etc.)
• Terminating a participant
• Handling renewals
• And, just when you think you’re safe…
Progress, Results and Q &A
Year One: 14 students and employers
PACF: 15 student participants and employers, 1 student term.
Year Two: 34 students and employers
PACF: 14 first year, 12 second year; CFOV: 8 first year
Year Three: 45 students and employers
PACF: 15 first year, 8 second year, 6 third year
CFOV: 8 first year, 8 second year
So far: all-gains in knowledge and interest, 2
local jobs, 1 McNair Scholar, several higher
education, greater civic engagement.
Questions?