Donation Supports Social Business

Harvard will soon create a social entrepreneurship fellowship program at three of its graduate schools, after receiving a $10 million donation aimed at encouraging students to enter the fledgling field.

Beginning next fall, the gift from the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation will front the cost for 20 students to attend the Kennedy School of Government (KSG), the Graduate School of Education (GSE), or the School of Public Health (SPH). These students will pursue social entrepreneurship—an emerging field that combines profitable business with charitable social work.

“This is going to provide a magnet to students...so that they can launch their own enterprises, or they can become second-generation leaders in enterprises that are already underway,” said David R. Gergen, who is the director of the KSG’s Center for Public Leadership, the unit spearheading the program.

The gift will fund 20 fellows in its first year and 25 in each of five subsequent years, according to Gergen, who added that Harvard received over 1,000 applications for the fellowship.

The University will announce the names of the fellows in June.

Patricia White, director of the GSE’s financial aid office, called the program a “fantastic package” because it offers students both full tuition and an additional stipend. She said those perks may help sway GSE students who are hesitant about entering the traditionally low-paying public service field.

“It would be great if it could be expanded to affect more students in the future,” she said.

The gift will also seek to foster collaboration between already-existing programs that have to do with social entrepreneurship across the University.

Dean of SPH Barry R. Bloom could not be reached for comment yesterday, but in a press release he proposed several potential projects that could be funded with the donation. He said the money may be used to promote student endeavors in developing health systems, drugs, and vaccines. The fund could also encourage students to promote education about health and human rights issues in developing countries.

The Reynolds Foundation is headed by social entrepreneur Catherine B. Reynolds, who made millions as the founder of a privately-funded alternative to government student loan programs.

The foundation made national headlines in 2001, when the Smithsonian Institution rejected a $38 million gift from Reynolds after a dispute over her desire that the money be used to create a hall of achievement featuring Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart, among others.

In response to the Smithsonian’s rejection, Reynolds wrote a letter accusing the museum of promoting a mindset that “only movements and institutions make a difference, not individuals.”

—Staff writer Javier C. Hernandez can be reached at jhernand@fas.harvard.edu.