LATEST PROJECTS and EXPERIENCES
This page is all about the projects and assignments that helped to develop my skills and knowledge in philanthropy. Here is where my abilities to work with different people, raise funds, make ethical decisions, articulate ideas and use a multi-disciplinary perspective are shown.
2019
The Giving Tuesday fundraiser I planned was a project that resulted in my learning how to better communicate to a different audience than what I am used to. I conducted the online fundraiser for The Oaks Academy, which is a Christ-centered classical private school my children attend. I was able to raise $500 for them through 6 donors which included my first professional "ask" in person. I believe this assignment helped me by showing not just my successfulness in raising funds but my understanding of how to interact with a diverse audience, tell a story of need and articulate that story ethically. It also helped me to achieve interpreting contemporary events, people, trends, and social movements and placing them in the broader context of philanthropy because of the diverse people in reach on social media.
This assignment that consisted of a two page professional looking document that consisted of information that explained the background and context as well as the common motivations and concerns of the donor population chosen to research. The purpose of this assignment was to provide an overview of a particular donor population and to enhance our capacity to navigate the various needs of donors in our global society. The donor group behaviors were clearly explained along with recommendations and implications presented as if for nonprofits. There were questions listed to explore that were thoughtful and research-based. It included a case study that was a good fit for the information presented in the brief. The brief had to be comprehensive enough to inform our classmates of the chosen donor group. The assignment provided us with breadth (and some depth) about many types of donors because the class shared the briefs with one another. It demonstrates my ability to compare and contrast diverse perspectives, motivations and goals in philanthropy.
2018
The Flanner House presentation was an archival research project that consisted of myself and three others meeting in the library's archives to conduct research on our assigned nonprofit. We worked together to create a presentation that told the history of the organization from a specific time period chosen, their mission and goals, key historical events and leadership decisions helping to shape society at that time, the social benefit of those decisions, internal and external challenges, and communication tools. I was able to look at the way philanthropy has transitioned over time here in my own hometown and how the traditions have either dissipated or changed. This assignment helped with my understanding of civil society and the changing of philanthropy historically to the present. It encompasses culture and diversity through the analyses of the organization and the changes they made over time.
My social entrepreneur paper was a research paper that required me to research civil society in Brazil and look at the differences as compared to civil society in America and its historical contexts, as well as analyze the approach of philanthropy through a chosen social entrepreneur of that chosen country. The assignment taught me how to really dig into doing research. It gave me a stronger understanding of civil society itself and helped me to better understand a diverse background of philanthropy. I believe that this paper helped me to reach a higher understanding in philanthropy because social entrepreneurship is a contemporary approach and idea to social movements or social issues. It also caused me to examine traditions using a multi-faceted view, while comparing the countries in my own personal understanding.
EXPERIENCES
My most recent internship was completed at The Hendricks County Community Foundation. My major task was to help with planning their only fundraising event they hold each year. This event is their annual golf outing. I also helped to plan their Get Involved event which helps to connect nonprofits with new volunteers. While there I did other basic office work such as entering donations, mailing out donor communications, answering the phones and other clerical duties.
During my time as a teaching assistant I worked with a friend from Kenya to teach one of my students and her family English. We went on Sundays after church with supplies and worked with the parents on basic english. We also helped to provide them with resources they may have needed They were an amazing family and so was the experience.