With two organizations on campus bearing the name “Harbus,” a little disambiguation may be in order as the new academic year gets underway. Both the student newspaper and the student-run philanthropic foundation are called “Harbus.” Here’s a little more information about each organization and what you can do to get involved in one or both:
The Newspaper
The Harbus News Corporation is perhaps best known for its weekly publication of The Harbus—the independent student newspaper for HBS. Also, prospective students often make use of two Harbus News Corporation publications: 65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays or The Unofficial HBS Interview Guide. Each fall, the corporation publishes a recruiting guide, distributed to first year students, and in the spring publishes an updated review guide for EC courses. All of these publications fall under the umbrella of what is commonly referred to as “The Harbus.”
Of course, The Harbus newspaper welcomes and encourages letters to the editor from the HBS community. Opportunities exist for interested writers, columnists, cartoonists, photographers, bloggers, etc. Contact Jehan deFonseka , editor-in-chief, at eic@harbus.org with a letter to the editor or indication of interest in a role with the newspaper.
The Philanthropic Foundation
The Harbus Foundation is a philanthropic foundation on campus; in fact, it is the only MBA-student-run foundation in the country. With an endowment of $1.2 million, the foundation gives grants to organizations in the greater Boston area that pursue social change through programs in the areas of education, literacy, and journalism. The foundation also strives to promote HBS student involvement in social enterprise through philanthropic giving.
All aspects of the foundation—from the trustees who oversee it to the committee that invests the endowment to the groups that award grants—are operated by volunteer HBS students. Anyone interested in getting involved with the Harbus Foundation can contact David Kiren at dkiren@mba2012.hbs.edu.
The Connection
There is a connection between the two Harbuses at HBS. In 1997, the Harbus News Corporation found itself in the enviable position of looking to put to use the $700,000 that had accumulated in its savings account. Rebecca Knowles Braun (HBS ’98), chair of the corporation’s board during her EC year, set a goal to figure out what to do with this cash. The chosen idea was to establish the Harbus Foundation.
Since 1997, the Harbus News Corporation has traditionally given the majority of its operating surpluses to grow the foundation’s endowment; most recently, the corporation gifted $22,500 to the foundation in April 2011. The corporation’s board also appoints one of the three EC students who together serve as trustees of the foundation.
