Sample Profiles

Sometimes the best was to see how a new idea would work is through an example. So, on this page, read about a hypothetical exchange of a rising star in India working at a youth citizen sector organization India, who does an fellowship at a US citizen sector organization for a year. Read about this sample profiles here.

Ashraf PatelSample Indian CSO Partner Profile: Pravah

Ashraf Patel founded Pravah in 1992 and was awarded an Ashoka Fellowship in 1994. Pravah is an Indian CSO with deep experience in the areas of youth development, theater, and psychology. They are well known for their innovative training methodologies in the field of citizenship education. In particular, they focus on equipping young people with the skills essential to building sensitivity and responsibility towards society, and developing them into positive “Changemakers”. Pravah has a staff of XX people and currently participates in international fellowships where young professionals come to volunteer for an extended period of time through the America India Foundation, VSO and AIESEC While they have received international volunteers, they have never sent one of their staff members to do a year of volunteer work overseas. Ashraf is supportive of one of her best mid-level staff members to do a year of service in a like-minded nonprofit in America, and to return to Pravah the next year to share the knowledge the person learned overseas.

Sample Fellow Profile: Gita Pandey (hypothetical person)

Gita Pandey grew up in the southern part of India, in Kerela, but came north to study at Delhi University. She planned on going into the Indian Administrative Service (the government) like her parents, but was drawn to social work after seeing the poverty in the nation’s capitol and volunteering at an NGO called Childline. She decided to get her Masters in Social Work at the Tata Institute in Mumbai – the best school of social work in all of Asia – and then returned to Delhi to work for Ashraf Patel doing youth development work at Pravah. She has been there for three years now is the Program Manager for the “ChangeLooms” program that helps young people start project that give back to their community. She is very committed to a career in the citizen sector in India, but is anxious for a new experience. Privately, Ashraf calls Gita “one of the best in the organization who she can see starting her own CSO one day.” She has never been to the U.S. but would be interested in going, especially to learn how CSOs operate differently in the West.

Sample U.S. Nonprofit Partner Profile: Youth Venture

Youth Venture is a spin-off of the prestigious Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, located just outside of Washington, D.C. with offices around the country. The organization is almost ten years old and has approximately 35 people on staff, the vast majority of whom are AmeriCorps VISTA Members who commit one year of service to the nonprofit. Youth Venture’s program recruits young people who have ideas to start civic-minded organizations, clubs or businesses and provides them support, financial and otherwise, to turn their dreams into reality. Youth Venture partners with organizations all over the country to reach as many young people as possible to create a national network of socially-minded young people who are making a difference in their communities. Youth Venture is open to working with one-year volunteer programs, and even though they have a lot of AmeriCorps Members, would be willing to take an Atlas Corps Fellow to bring in someone who has 3-4 years of experience in the field, a new international perspective, and a reputation for high quality work.

Other Areas For Partnership: The above profile matches to youth oriented nonprofits, but the same “perfect” match could be found for CSOs addressing: arts, disability, education, environment, gay/lesbian, health (HIV/AIDS), homelessness, human rights, human trafficking, immigration, peace, poverty, women’s issues, and many more.