Interning at a charity is vastly different from any experience you will have in a for-profit company. My experience interning at a nonprofit opened my eyes to the hard work and dedication of nonprofit employees and how each of us can truly make a positive impact for a cause. The following are seven things I learned during my summer working at a charity.
1. Every dollar truly does count.
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Nonprofit employees wake up, spend their day, and go to sleep thinking about fundraising. Fundraising is the most important part of working in the nonprofit sector, and each dollar raised can make a positive impact for a cause. From personal Facebook fundraisers to endowments from large companies, each and every dollar donated will help further the cause. So next time a grocery store clerk asks you to donate a dollar to a charity, know that your small contribution means so much to nonprofit employees.
2. Nonprofits would be nothing without volunteers.
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Volunteering with a nonprofit can mean anything from working at an event to fundraising to coming into the office to help with administrative duties. The selfless volunteers at my internship helped in every aspect of the nonprofit. There were always volunteers in the office who lead teams for various fundraising events, organized inventory, and assisted in any other ways that helped the cause. I am so grateful for the volunteers who I met in my experience at a nonprofit, and I urge everyone to consider volunteering for a cause that is meaningful to him or herself.
3. The stakes are high.
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Working at a nonprofit is far from an easygoing, stress-free experience. Each employee has the responsibility to set, meet, and exceed fundraising goals for a specific event. The goal is meant to increase each year, and if this does not happen, there is a risk of an event being canceled so that donor dollars can be used in more responsible, efficient ways. Although this is often a lot of pressure, the positive feeling from exceeding a fundraising goal makes all the stress worthwhile.
4. You are never truly done with a task.
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When one event ends, another event begins. So much time and energy go into organizing and fundraising for an event, but even when the event is over for the year, it is already time to start planning and fundraising for the next year. There is little to no grace period in nonprofit work. This makes it imperative for employees to truly believe in the cause they are supporting, which results in many passionate and dedicated nonprofit workers.
5. Every employee helps out with every event.
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In my experience, each employee was responsible for one or more specific fundraising event throughout the year. This did not mean, however, that an employee only helped out with or focused on his or her own event. The nonprofit work environment is very collaborative because everyone is working toward the same goal—raising awareness and money for the cause. So when one deadline is coming up and there is a lot of work left to do, the entire office comes together to create a successful event.
6. You will feel connected to the cause.
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The nonprofit I interned for was focused on raising awareness and money for cancer, a cause that has touched my family and me. However, even if you are working for a nonprofit that focuses on something that you do not directly relate to, you will feel personally connected to the cause. You will get excited everytime someone reaches a fundraising goal, you will look forward to and be proud of all the work you did for events, and you will truly feel like you are making a positive change in the world.
7. You will want to get more involved.
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My internship showed me the positive impact I can have on a nonprofit by donating my time and fundraising. You can be absolutely sure that if you every work or intern for a nonprofit, you will always care about the cause and continue helping in any way you can.
