Jean Donovan Fellowship

The Jean Donovan Fellowship offers undergraduates a high-impact community-based experience rooted in the Ignatian Center's mission of a Faith that does Justice. Fellows work with organizations in communities with little access to wealth, power and privilege in the US and internationally. Fellows deepen their understanding of solidarity and vocation through pre-and post-experience gatherings that engage students in reflective practices informed by Ignatian Spirituality.

Jean Donovan was a lay American woman who went to El Salvador in 1977. Jean was seeking more meaning and purpose with her life and after local volunteer work in Cleveland she went to El Salvador to work with war refugees. Jean had very little knowledge of where El Salvador was or its history but a strong conviction that it was where she was meant to be. Jean accompanied a refugee community in La Libertad and was providing nutrition, shelter and transportation to communities facing devastation during the war.

Jean along with Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke, Ita Ford and Dorothy Kazel were murdered by the Salvadoran Military in December 1980. Jean’s life has come to represent an authentic transformation rooted in humility, faith and fellowship. It is increasingly important for today’s students to connect with the suffering in our world, and enable their own transformations. The Jean Donovan Fellowship allows students to create this opportunity, and the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education provides the guidance for critical reflection in a structured and nurturing environment.

“Jean Donovan was twenty-six years old when she went to El Salvador, and she was very much a child of her time. She was not a saint or a hero. She was idealistic and vulnerable; she had a great sense of fun, and she was hungry for life and experience.”

-Salvador Witness: The Life and Calling of Jean Donovan by Ana Carrigan p. 8

“What moved me about Jean’s story and what compelled me to want to write about her, was her youth, her accessibility, the integrity and modesty with which she approached her task as a lay missioner, and her political naivete. She never lost the innocence she brought to the complicated world in which she found herself. Jean was not trying to impress anyone. She went to El Salvador searching for more meaning and purpose in her life. She found what she was looking for helping the war victims of a humanitarian catastrophe caused by U.S. and Salvadoran government policies. Working in the refugee camps and among the orphans of El Salvador’s war, for the first time in her life she met the face of extreme poverty and need, and she was awed and humbled by what she saw. She opened up her large and generous heart and embraced this strange new culture, the culture of poverty and as she did so she lived out the eternal paradox, that only by giving can you receive, and only when you are useful do you find happiness.”

-Salvador Witness: The Life and Calling of Jean Donovan by Ana Carrigan p. 9

Watch the Documentary "Killed in El Salvador: An American Story"

Laurie Laird was instrumental in implementation of the Jean Donovan Fellowship when it was created in 2000 through a gift from the Jesuit Community and leadership from Catherine Wolff. She leaves behind a great legacy through her leadership at the Ignatian Center and her contributions in the field of community-based learning. Through Laurie's leadership the structure for the Fellowship includes a comprehensive preparation process and post-experience retreat. Laurie worked with over 150 Jean Donovan Fellows. Many of these Fellows have considered Laurie as a mentor to them on their journey to live more fully into the Ignatian values of solidarity, simplicity and compassion.  In 2013 Laurie relocated to Portland, Oregon where she served as the Associate Director of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Northwest and currently serves as the Director of the Moreau Center at University of Portland. She leaves behind a great legacy through her leadership at the Ignatian Center and her contributions in the field of community-based learning. Each year a Jean Donovan Fellow seeking to work on issues related to food justice, women in the developing world or with local organizations will be selected in honor of Laurie. This Fellow will have the opportunity to share his/her proposal and to meet with Laurie. Gifts to this Fellowship should be directed to the Ignatian Center's Laurie Laird Jean Donovan Fellowship.

Central to the Jean Donovan Fellowship are the relationships that Fellows develop with individuals and communities. It is through these relationships that Fellows begin to deepen their understanding of solidarity and vocation and work toward these learning objectives.

1. Cultivate a greater understanding of the assets and challenges facing the community in which the Fellow works.

2. Grow in commitment to specific key virtues of solidarity, simplicity, and compassion/empathy.

3. Develop a broader and deepening understanding of personal vocation.

4. Develop a deepened faith life.

5. Explore the meaning and intersections of service, authenticity, and humility.

Accompaniment-based Service - At the heart of the Jean Donovan Fellowship is the idea that Fellows accompany people with less access to wealth, power, and privilege. Fellows should seek placements and be in a role to work directly with or alongside people served by the host organization. At a minimum, accompaniment-based work should comprise approximately half of a Fellows work responsibilities ~15 hours/week of the 30 hours/week.

Simple Living - A core value of the Jean Donovan Fellowship is simplicity. Donovan Fellows are asked to embrace this value, which is rooted in the Ignatian value of Detachment. Living simply fosters increased presence, attentiveness to spirituality, justice and environmental sustainability.

Placement, Location, Dates - Fellows should seek a placement with a non-profit and/or community-based organization where at least half of the Fellow’s work is accompaniment-based service. Suggested steps for communicating with organizations include:

1. Fellows are encouraged to do thoughtful research before reaching out to organizations.
2. Fellows are expected to work for 6 weeks, or longer. Start and end dates for the Fellowship can be based on Fellows’ availability and organizational needs. 
3. Fellows are encouraged to reach out to 1+ organizations via email and phone and should have a minimum of 1 phone conversation with volunteer coordinator/supervisor at the organization. Questions that may guide those conversations are the following:

• Tell me more about the programs/services your organization offers.
• What are the community needs your organization is addressing? 
• Tell me about some of the clients or community served through your organization.
• What are current issues facing your organization and community?
• Is there an opportunity for me to volunteer with your organization? Are there opportunities for me to work in a role accompaniment-based service with your organization and what might this look like?

Placement Organizations - In recent years Fellows have worked and had very meaningful in-person experiences with the following organizations:

1. Sacred Heart Community Service - San Jose 
2. La Mesa Verde - San Jose 
3. Garden to Table - San Jose
4. 826 Valencia - San Francisco 
5. St. Anthony Foundation - San Francisco 
6. Faithful Fools - San Francisco 
7. Rachel’s Women’s Center - San Diego 
8. International Rescue Committee - Various locations
9. Virginia Garcia Memorial Health - Portland
10. Boys and Girls Club - Various locations
11. The LGBT Youth Space - San Jose
12. Community Legal Services - East Palo Alto 
13. Soccer without Borders - Oakland
14. tUrn Project - Santa Clara 

Budget - The Fellowship stipend of $3,000 is an important consideration for Fellows, as they consider their summer location, housing, transportation and other financial commitments. Fellows receive $3,000 in spring 2024. Fellows have equally meaningful experiences regardless of budgetary constraints. Fellows are eligible to seek funding through other SCU programs as well as outside of the University. 

JDF Intensive - Piloted in summer of 2023 the JDF Intensive will offer 2-5 students the opportunity to work with the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and live nearby.

Santa Clara undergraduate students in good academic and behavioral standing who will be returning to campus during the 2024-2025 academic year are eligible to apply for the Jean Donovan Summer Fellowship. Students studying abroad for 1 quarter or semester during the 2024-2025 academic year are also eligible to apply.

Applicants are responsible for contacting and applying to work with a non-profit community-based organization of their choice in the US. The Fellowship Director will support students with this process. There may be some limited opportunities to work internationally and applicants will be able to indicate this on the application. By the time of application submission, applicants should be in contact with their desired placement to discuss plans for Fellowship experience.

 For assistance with this process refer to:

Helpful Hints
Community-based Organization Resources

For additional information. Fellows seeking support with this process should contact Valerie Sarma, Senior Program Director for Student Engagement and Special Projects.

• Donovan Fellows are expected to work for a minimum of 30 hours/week with a non-profit community-based organization for a minimum of 6 weeks or longer during summer 2024
• Donovan Fellows may receive monetary compensation from the organization for their work (with approval from the Fellowship Director)
• Fellowship placements will be in-person within the United States and internationally
• Students seeking an international placement may apply to work in countries with a Department of State (DOS) Travel Advisories Level 1 and Level 2 and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Travel Health Notices Level 1 & 2
• Donovan Fellows receive a stipend of $3,000 in spring 2024, which may be used to cover transportation, lodging, and program costs. It may also be used as a stipend for students who engage in unpaid work in their home communities

Spring Quarter Formation | 5:45-7:00  PM | Nobili Dining Room 

• April 18 | Formation Mtg. #1/5
• April 25 | Formation Mtg. #2/5
• May 2 | Formation Mtg. #3/5
• May 9 | Formation Mtg. #4/5
• May 16 | Formation Mtg. #5/5
• May 23 | International Orientation 
• May 30 | JDF Send-Off 
• May 10 - 11 | Overnight Retreat

Additional Formation 

• Meet with Listening Companion (1-2 meetings, Fall Quarter ) 
• Participate in 3-5 additional meetings to support Fellowship recruitment and donor stewardship on behalf of the Fellowship. (Fall - Spring Quarters)

Q: This sounds so cool! Where do I begin with the process of finding a placement?
A: Check out these Helpful Hints (see update for Helpful Hints page below) 

Q: What organizations have Jean Donovan Fellows worked with in past years? 
A: Check out this list!