The John Gardner Fellowship Program was established in 1985 by Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley to honor alumnus John W. Gardner, former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare under President Johnson. The fellowship encourages highly motivated graduating seniors to pursue careers in public service. Three fellows from each university are chosen annually and provided with placement assistance, a $27,500 stipend, and a senior mentor in their placement organization.[1] Past placements have included the White House, the Department of State, and nonprofit organizations at the national, state and local levels.[2] For full list, see here: http://igs.berkeley.edu/programs/gardner/opportunities.html.
Initial funding for the fellowship was provided by the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Educational Foundation of America, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Millennium Fund, and the late Michael Walsh. Over time, additional foundations, corporations and individuals, including growing numbers of fellowship alumni, have contributed to the program.
The John Gardner Fellowship Association is an association of John Gardner Fellowship alumni from both Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, whose mission is to carry on Gardner's legacy of public service and ensure that the Fellowship programs at both schools have adequate resources for success.