Client & Project Criteria

Our target advisory clients are impact-driven business organizations that can articulate a clear social impact proposition for their core activities, including: impact investment funds, firms, or networks; for-profit social enterprises; and non-profit organizations that have or are developing at least a partial revenue model.

Potential projects should go beyond basic research and administrative tasks to address a complex though well-defined business challenge which has (or will have) real impact on the business. All projects should however also be addressable within the available timeframe - typically 150-250 person-hours over 10 weeks from October to December or February to April. 

Ideal projects will challenge and enable students to develop and exercise the knowledge and skills necessary for careers in impact investing and social enterprise management. As such, we particularly target projects relating to funding, investment, enterprise growth, impact assessment, and associated activities.

Application Process and Timeline

All prospective clients must submit a 2-3 paragraph project proposal and draft scope statement, which should include:

  • a brief overview of the organization, including business model and impact thesis;
  • an outline of the specific business challenge to be addressed or question to be answered (may include more than one possibility);
  • a listing of any required/desired sectoral or technical knowledge or skills;
  • a description of desired or potential deliverables;
  • the target timeframe;
  • the project sponsor / client contact's name, and an estimate of their availability over the project period.

The application and project timeline for fall 2017 is as follows:

  • Project Sourcing - Summer 2017
    • Introductory conversations with prospective clients - by August 4
    • Submission of draft project proposals (scope statements) - by August 11
  • Project Selection - August/September 2017
    • FSIG Management reviews project proposals and selects 4-6 projects for the upcoming semester based on interests and skills of available FSIG members - by early/mid- September
  • Client-Team Match and Introduction - September 2017
    • FSIG management identifies a team of students for each selected project, and connects the client contact and team lead to begin refining the scope of work and developing a project plan and timeline
    • - by mid-to-late September
  • roject work - October to December 2017
    • Commences - by late September / early October
    • Ends - by mid-December

A similar process for the spring semester kicks off in December, with project selection and team match by mid-January, and project commencement by late January / early February.

Please fill up below application form to apply for it. Thanks!

* Please contact alex.helsinger@tufts.edu or FSIG@elist.tufts.edu with any inquiries.