Can you tell our students a little bit about yourself?
I am a senior finishing my Nonprofit Management degree. I feel very strongly about the necessary role that the nonprofit sector plays in keeping our society operating smoothly and I cannot wait to officially join it in the Spring. Speaking of, I have been able to sample some of the work I might do through internships. I truly find immense value in internships and have been doing at least two at a time since this summer (and will continue that trend until I graduate). I worked for the MacArthur Foundation this summer and discovered that I would love to work full-time at a grantmaking foundation when I leave IU. That experience changed everything for me. Being able to award grants to changemakers in the nonprofit sector sounds like such rewarding work!
What do your daily tasks entail? What compelled you to work for this company?
I manage their CRM DonorPerfect, communicate with their Board of Directors, help run fundraising campaigns, put together hundreds of technical reports and listings, write blogs, assist with marketing efforts, ensure effective stewardship, do parallel prospecting, and process gifts, transactions, applications, and registrations, all while working closely with the Executive Director.
I appreciate the mission of FHSR and felt compelled to participate. The Foundation creates and funds programs that help children and young adults with hearing loss fully participate in all aspects of life. They run early childhood music enrichment classes, school-based music programs, and other music therapies. They host free family events, fund a loaner hearing-aid program, and support families at all stages of their journeys through education and readily available resources on schools, local organizations, manufacturers of hearing technology, and more. I love how they provide families who have received a deaf and hard of hearing (DHOH) diagnosis with a community because having support makes all the difference when navigating uncertainty.
How has your coursework and studies helped you in the workplace?
O’Neill has taught me how to be a creative thinker, cooperative worker, and thoughtful leader. Being surrounded by peers and faculty who are so driven in their work makes motivation to be a force for good contagious! I have brought that motivation to my role at FHSR. I have learned that nonprofit organizations love it when someone comes to work for them who already has experience in the sector, whether through school, jobs, or internships. Knowing about how the nonprofit sector operates, what challenges are facing them, classifications, rules, regulations, unique financial management systems, etc. has been extremely helpful in starting work with a nonprofit.
There have been instances when my responsibilities at FHSR have complemented my studies. For instance, this Fall semester I took Fund Development, which taught me all about Annual Appeals, solicitations of gifts, prospecting, stewardship, marketing materials, donor databases, and more. At the same time, I was aiding FHSR with its Annual Appeal, helping run major gift campaigns, managing their donor database, editing marketing materials, etc. I think what I completed for FHSR was made more successful because of my Fund Development class. Simultaneously, my experience in Fund Development was that much more constructive because of my concurrent Development internship. All around, it was so cool to hear the things I did in my free time talked about in class and to be able to directly apply what I have learned in class to my internship responsibilities.
What advice do you have for completing a successful internship?
Advocate for yourself. Let them know what type of work you are interested in and the skills you have that you do not want to be underutilized. Also, make connections, ask questions, be proactive, and make your goals known. Let them see your drive! Lastly, and especially if you work for a nonprofit, feel a connection to the mission. It sounds cheesy, but know that, at the end of the day, the work you are doing is having a real impact on the world. Let that make you proud, but humble you.
