Action Research With A Mission

Blog

Last week, our 2020 Global Social Benefit Fellows (GSBF) presented their projects working with Miller Center alumni social enterprises over the past 10 months. When I exited their Action Research with a Mission Virtual Open House I thought to myself, “I just might have the best job in the world!” I trust you’ll be equally inspired by our video.

The fellows’ presentations highlighted not only their resilience but also their ability to pivot and to provide meaningful contributions while working in an ambiguous environment. They also learned that they could, even from thousands of miles away, create a value exchange with their assigned social enterprises, have an impact, and be part of the solution to end poverty and protect the planet.

Miller Center has launched the GSBF Endowment to drive our vision of providing action research with a mission to Santa Clara University students. We are almost halfway to our $10M goal for this award-winning program from which 12 fellows have been awarded Fulbrights and 3 have been selected as SCU valedictorians. Support for the GSBF Endowment will continue our tradition of excellence as we round the corner on the GSBF 10th anniversary.

Thank you to our remarkable student fellows! We are tremendously proud and look forward to watching all you accomplish from here! Thanks also to the inspiring social enterprises who hosted our fellows, and to the families and friends who encouraged the students on this exciting, albeit virtual, journey.

Author

  • Brigit Helms, Executive Director

    A Santa Clara University alumna, Helms is a veteran leader in global development, financial and economic inclusion, economic policy, and social entrepreneurship. Helms is the author of Access for All: Building Inclusive Economic Systems (2018), and has published papers and bylined articles in publications including the MIT Technology Review, The Guardian, the Journal of Microfinance, and The Huffington Post. She is a board member at the AlphaMundi Foundation, which seeks to boost the social and environmental impact of portfolio companies of impact investor AlphaMundi Group. She is also on the board of the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee USA, which works to empower the poor in 11 countries across South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.