Step beyond the classroom and into leadership.
The Sanford Board Leadership Initiative (SBLI) offers Duke Master of Public Policy (MPP) students a unique opportunity to gain real-world governance experience while making a meaningful community impact by serving as non-voting board members for local non-profit organizations.
Student participants collaborate with nonprofit leaders, contribute policy-informed insights, and support strategic decision-making at the highest level of organizational leadership. Designed for students who want to lead, influence and serve, the SBLI allows students to see how mission-driven organizations operate, navigate challenges, and translate policy into practice.
Nonprofit partners benefit from the fresh perspectives, analytical skills, and policy expertise of Sanford graduate students, while students build leadership capacity, expand professional networks, and strengthen their understanding of nonprofit governance.
Contact Us!
For more information about the SBLI program, please contact Mackenzie Phelps.
Student Experiences with SBLI
Jesse Davis MPP’26
Organization
StepUp Durham
Main activities
- Attended monthly meetings to discuss priorities and align project goals with organizational strategy
- Designed and administered a digital literacy survey for participants, then analyzed responses
- Translated insights into a board-facing presentation, mapping participant needs to Durham Tech training pathways
- Supported fundraising efforts like assisting with an event which raised $150,000.
Jesse at a StepUp meeting.
did your experience add value to your time in the MPP program?
The experience allowed me to bridge my technology policy concentration with real-world community needs in Durham. By collecting original data and mapping it to concrete workforce pathways, I was able to operationalize concepts from my courses, digital equity, reentry policy, human-centered design, stakeholder engagement, and program evaluation. SBLI also gave me hands-on board experience, strengthened my ability to communicate findings to organizational leadership, and reinforced my commitment to public-sector/ nonprofit partnerships that support marginalized populations.
biggest takeaway?
Public Policy is first and foremost about people. What do the people need? What are some challenges they encounter in everyday life? Getting to speak to StepUp Durham participants who are using the program to find work and turn their lives around, and include their voices in my work, is a powerful reminder that policy decisions are not abstract; they shape real lives. Hearing their stories grounded my work in empathy and reaffirmed why equitable, accessible workforce development matters so deeply.
Would you recommend SBLI?
I would absolutely recommend SBLI to a peer. SBLI is one of the best experiential learning opportunities you can engage in at Sanford. Being on a non-profit board gives you the chance to explore the process of running an organization while also giving back to the local Durham community. By applying the analytical policy framework that you develop in classes to the real challenges that non-profits encounter, you become a better policy professional.
Paige Allen MPP'26
Organization
North Carolina Center for Nonprofits
Main activities
- Proofreading, editing, and making additions to the weekly nonprofit policy newsletters that reach hundreds of nonprofits across NC
- Researching proposals to increase the de minimus indirect cost rate in North Carolina for nonprofit contracts with state agencies and local governments
did your experience add value to your time in the MPP program?
Yes! My experience with the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits allowed me to refine my state- and federal-policy level research skills and make meaningful connections with nonprofit leaders doing critical work on the ground in their own communities. I am grateful to have been part of a nonprofit that intentionally serves and collaborates with other nonprofits throughout North Carolina. Over the past year, my own roots in North Carolina grew immensely, and I was constantly reminded that passion and purpose work hand-in-hand.
biggest takeaway?
A willingness to be challenged, build relationships, and go the extra mile will always increase the impact you can make in the policy sphere.
Would you recommend SBLI?
Absolutely! The SBLI program is one of the reasons I chose to come to Sanford. The lessons you will glean from strategic governance and mission-driven work will be carried with you into any future professional endeavors. You will also have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the power of the nonprofit sector in a place you call home.
The SBLI program is one of the reasons I chose to come to Sanford. The lessons you will glean from strategic governance and mission-driven work will be carried with you into any future professional endeavors.
Paige Allen MPP'26