Philanthropy Fellow (5257C), David & Lucile Packard Foundation #88658

University of California; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 78,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development budget

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

The Fellow will join the David and Lucile Packard Foundation through a partnership with UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, hosted at the Packard Foundation in Los Altos, CA. The program emphasizes philanthropy, civil society leadership, and cross-sector learning, with quarterly cohort activities and strong professional development.

Berkeley supervisors provide context for foundation work, access to resources, coaching, and a budget for attending relevant conferences, workshops, and seminars

Qualifications

• 2–3 years of experience in a related field.
• 2+ years in a full‑time professional position.
• Experience working in civil society organizations.
• Strong ability to analyze, conduct research, and synthesize findings.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Partner on MEL activities and contribute to CSL learning and research.
• Support strategy refinement with CSL team and grantmaking planning.
• Assist Program Officer and Portfolio staff with grants and related activities.
• Project-manage initiatives and events for CSL team.
• Maintain and expand knowledge management systems and processes.
• Prepare materials for program meetings, grantee meetings, and field visits.
• Travel to meet partners and attend conferences related to CSL goals.
• Engage with UC Berkeley and Foundation communities to advance professional goals.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Research skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Teamwork

Initiative

Education

Bachelor’s degree or related

Job description

Philanthropy Fellow, Civil Society and Leadership, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation (5257C) #88658

At the University of California, Berkeley , we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth . We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business offers a unique opportunity to champion new ideas, collaborate across boundaries, and continually learn in a workplace committed to creating a welcoming environment for all. Our distinctive culture is captured within our four Defining Leadership Principles: Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself. These principles distinguish Berkeley Haas as a unique environment, conducive to teamwork, collaboration, and career growth.

The Haas School of Business embraces flexible working arrangements for its employees. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs, and are subject to change.

The employer is the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff. The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world’s leading institutions of higher education, distinguished by its combination of internationally recognized academic and research excellence; the transformative opportunity it provides to a large and diverse student body; its public mission and commitment to equity and social justice; and its roots in the California experience, animated by such values as innovation, questioning the status quo, and respect for the environment and nature. Since its founding in 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world.

About the David and Lucile Packard Foundation

The David & Lucile Packard Foundation was founded in 1964 by David and Lucile Packard. The Foundation works with people and communities to create enduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world. We have worked with thousands of organizations and leaders in the U.S. and worldwide to advance progress in the critical areas of science, ocean and land conservation, climate change, women’s reproductive health and rights, and the well-being of children, families, and communities.

About the Civil Society and Leadership Initiative and Team

The Packard Foundation’s strategic framework asserts that civil society is central to achieving our goals, and ultimately, to realizing a just society. The stronger our civil society partners are, the further we can advance positive change together. The Civil Society and Leadership (CSL) Initiative invests in the strength of our partners, the resilience of civil society ecosystems, and a safe and thriving civic space. CSL sits under the Foundation’s Just Societies goal, but directly supports the work of all three Foundation goals across the geographies where we work.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is September 22, 2026.

Responsibilities

The UC Berkeley-Haas School of Business (through the Center for Social Sector Leadership) offers this unique fellowship in philanthropy at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, providing next-generation leaders the opportunity to engage in philanthropic work with a grantmaking team that supports grantees and invests in ecosystems across the Foundation’s goal areas.

The vision for the partnership between UC Berkeley and The Packard Foundation is to strengthen the future of philanthropy and civil society by providing recent graduates from diverse disciplines and backgrounds a professional-level introduction to philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. The goals of the fellowship are to 1) introduce recent graduates to philanthropy and the role of nonprofits to strengthen their impact in a future career and 2) introduce the Foundation to fresh ideas, new skills, and diverse perspectives. The fellow will join a cohort of four other fellows at the Foundation working on environment & science, families and communities, and Global reproductive health. There will be quarterly activities for the cohort of fellows.

The position will support CSL’s evaluation and learning, strategy implementation, and grantmaking and take day-to-day direction from a CSL Program Officer. The Fellow will be based at the Packard Foundation, in Los Altos, California, which currently operates on a hybrid schedule with staff going to the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The fellow will also enjoy full support from the Center for Social Sector Leadership. The Berkeley supervisor will provide context for the foundation world, access to resources for fellowship success, and personal coaching and supervision for the fellow. Since the purpose of the fellowship is to develop leaders, it also includes a professional development budget for the fellow to attend conferences related to philanthropy and civil society, take relevant workshops and seminars, receive professional career coaching, and develop specific skills and knowledge relevant to the fellow’s next career goal.

• Partner on CSL’s monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) activities, supporting research projects, coordinating internal team learning processes, and contributing to CSL’s mid-strategy reflection (2027-2028).
• Work with the Foundation’s CSL team to inform and refine strategy, including facilitating team deliberation and conducting research and analysis on relevant topics.
• Partner with the Program Officer and the Program Associate on grantmaking in a TBD CSL portfolio.
• Project-manage key initiatives and events for the team, such as strategy sessions during retreats.
• Maintain and expand the team's knowledge management infrastructure, identifying streamlined ways to store and analyze multiple data types.
• Provide support to relevant program officers, including preparation of materials and agendas for program meetings, grantee meetings, and field convenings; participation in grantee meetings and site visits, preparation of meeting summaries, and management of follow-up actions stemming from those meetings.
• Interact with the Foundation’s program and evaluation staff, grantees, funding partners, government agencies, and content experts as needed to complete assigned projects and gain exposure to strategic philanthropy in practice; travel to meet with new and existing partners, and attend conferences relevant to CSL and the Philanthropy Fellow’s professional goals.
• Participate in Foundation-wide activities that are relevant to both CSL and the Philanthropy Fellow’s professional goals and engage in both University and Foundation communities and professional development opportunities related to the Philanthropy Fellow’s work.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Professional Learning and Growth. Actively contributes to a team environment that fosters a culture of belonging for all, both within the unit and at Haas. Exemplifies Haas’ four Defining Leadership Principles: (1) Question the status quo; (2) Confidence without attitude; (3) Students always; and (4) Beyond yourself. Completes required training on time and engages in opportunities for learning pertinent to the position or at the suggestion of the supervisor.

Required Qualifications

• At least two to three years of experience and/or graduate-level education in a related field.
• A minimum of two years of experience working in a full-time professional position.
• Experience working in civil society organizations.
• Deeply capable as a strategic thinker and researcher; ability to analyze, conduct research, and understand studies.
• Demonstrated awareness about the current threats and challenges facing civil society.
• Skilled in developing systems and practices for effective knowledge management.
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills, including the ability to structure analysis, synthesize, and deliver reports that clearly explain complex topics.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and an ability to work effectively in a team setting.
• Demonstrated strong initiative and ability to efficiently manage multiple tasks and projects in diverse areas.
• Demonstrated ability to apply judgment in ambiguous situations and make sound decisions with limited information.
• Skilled in creatively and ethically using AI to support strategy and learning.
• Bachelor's degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in an organization to strengthen civil society, one that addresses issues related to enabling conditions and threats.
• High proficiency in conversational Spanish, French, or Bahasa Indonesian.
• Experience working internationally.
• Graduate-level education or comparable experience in international development, public policy, public health, social science, law, or related fields.

Salary & Benefits

This is a 100% full-time (40 hrs a week), exempt career position, paid monthly at an annual rate and eligible for UC Benefits.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $78,435.00 - $90,000.00.

Other Information

• This is not a visa opportunity.
• This position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement between UAW (United Auto Workers) and the University of California Regents for RP.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Misconduct

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

“Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.