Cheryl and Dr. Gilbride-Brown came and spoke with us about board responsibilities. They also spoke of the legal duties of nonprofit boards: duty of care, duty of obedience, and duty of loyalty. What did you learn about these duties? What surprised you? What do you think of these duties?

Hello, Neighborhood services Inc. board members

I am Tia this actually is short for my "real" name Tianzi. I am so glad that I am

selected to be a member on your board. Before we actually work together I would like to introduce myself a little bit.

It s a long long story how I ended up going college in the US and found my interest in non profit. but I will try to make it short. I made up my mind to study abroad at my junior year in my high school. I have read all of those self made American dream stories and I figured why can't I do the same thing! I don't want to spend my whole life in the same place i love to go out and see how big the world is. that basically what drove me here. But it is not that easy especially when it comes to learning English and getting adapted to a totally different new social environment. I experienced what you guys called cultural shock. I was really shocked but most of them are in a good way. It has been one year since I got here, I am now a second year junior student majoring in actuarial science and business. During this year a lot of my perspectives has been changed and I got to know many new ideas. One of them is non profit sectors.

Community services in China is not a big deal in either educational institutions or social institutions. but after I came here I realized how important a role NPOs play in our society either in terms of the well being of people and of the social economics. It can help better distributing and relocating scare resources and reaching to the place where government policies and free marketing economics fail to get. Getting to work inside a board for non profit organization is really a good opportunity for me to carry out my passion at the same time making the world a better place. Also I believe there are many good ideas that I can borrow to help building the NPOs industry in China.

What also excites me about this program is working as a board member is I see it as a personal transformational experience. Due to my education or other social impacts I have never thought of that if I have paid too much attention to myself's needs and have done too little to pay back to community from which you enjoy so much privileges. After all the services I have participated in here I realized that the things that I used to take granted for are actually not possessed by others and I am not entitled for any of these privilege that I enjoy. Doing community services really changed me into a more caring person. By interacting with regular volunteers and people who we helped I feel being a part of something larger than myself. Lots my chinese friends often say that they don t feel belong , I think the best way to belong to somewhere it is to contribute your part to it. It makes me feel at ease and at home.

The other thing excites me to join the board is the professional developmental aspects of this initiative. One of the reasons that I have my current major is that I love doing business. I am really excited when I picture my self sitting in a board meeting room and doing real business along with professionals. By taking last a few classes I have get a more thorough and rational view for non profit organizations. There are a lot more corporation and business aspects involved in than I thought. A day-to-day of a board member is really detailed oriented and it is far from enough to only have a make-it-a-better-world mindset. Their responsibilities include fundraising , budget planning, handling relationship with management, regular employees and public relationship . It also involves specific legal issues regarding taxes, profit making and political affiliation etc. I believe the professional and leadership skills I have learned from this experience will all become a valuable assets which I can apply to my future work either for for profit or non profit organizations and more importantly give me a better insight of American society which I can not learn from classroom.

As for my previous experience, I have volunteered at pedestrian church food pantry, participated in buckeyethon last school year. and I have also been on the buck I serv trip twice which are for habitat for humanity and Pinellas County Sea Grant respectively,and I am about to go on for the third time this winter as a trip leader headed to DC. working for Food and Friends. These experiences give me a better knowledge for real world impact a non profit can made than just reading its mission on a handbook. Also through the interaction with volunteers I got to know the problems they encountered and how to give them a better volunteering experience and make the whole process more efficient. By working with people who benefit form this NPOs I developed a compassion for them instead of just seeing them as a number or a social group on books. Besides non profit sectors I also have previous experience in regular business. I used to work for LG electrics as a office assistant, also work for north commons as a student assistant and work for the office of first year experience connections team.All of those experience provide me with a better people skills and a good work ethnic.

Since we have not started this project yet I don't really any questions but I do have some concerns and worries. Although I am a business major but I have not taken any accounting or finance classes I worry about that I am not be able to handle very specialized finical related works. Also I have never been working in a board level business setting before. I would like to hear some tips on how to be more professional in terms of talking , writing and how to maintain relationship with my co board members especially given English is my second language and there is cultural differences.

In spite of those concerns I am more than happy to learn as I go and I am very confident with my ability to picking up new skills. Based on the strengthquest I am a strong leaner! : ) And more important is that passion for the same cause knows no cultural differences. Thank you very much for partnering with our program and providing me with a amazing opportunity. and I can't wait to meet all of you!

Sincerely,

Tianzi Xie

Kaleidoscope Youth Center,

My name is Molly Ellender and I am from a very small town called Carlisle, Ohio. I feel as though my experiences growing up in a place where diversity is not prevalent and views are very narrow has really shaped the type of person that I have come. This is one of the many reasons working with a place like Kaleidoscope thrills me. I want to graduate college and know that I tried to become the most well rounded and educated person possible, while keeping my passions close by. Service is definitely something that has always been a part of my life and I am excited that the more I learn, the more I know how easy it is to make my involvement in non-profit a lifetime commitment. At this point, I am not exactly sure where I would like to take my accounting degree post graduation. I really like the idea of being able to understand finances while also learning the ins and outs of running a business. Past that, the pages are unwritten.

I cannot explain how perfectly the Kaleidoscope Youth Center will fit into my personal development at this stage in my life. I feel like this is a type of volunteering that will be like nothing I have ever done and that really excites me. I am also interested to see in what ways the Youth Center has made in impact on teens lives. I want to learn the history of how Kaleidoscope got started, what keeps the kids coming back, and how they feel like it has changed their teen years. Along with that, I can't wait to see the board dynamic and see the business side of things. As an accounting major, I want to learn how the finances are allocated efficiently and appropriately. I think this opportunity is going to help my personal development, but also my business skills.

I don't think there was a better fit for me than Kaleidoscope Youth Center in The Board Immersion Program. I can't wait to get started and learn everything about the way this non-profit works. I would be thrilled if you all were half as excited to work with me as I am with you.

Molly Ellender

Katie is Matched with a Board!!!

Hello Broad Street Food Pantry!

I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to finally be matched with a nonprofit board! I have been looking forward to this opportunity and can’t wait to get started with you! My name is Katie Mahoney and I am a fourth-year student from Kenosha, Wisconsin. I have recently switched my major to Public Affairs with a specialization in Nonprofit Management and Public Health. I have found a passion for working with nonprofit organizations and have truly enjoyed my classes in my new major. As far as my future career aspirations go, I would like to attend Graduate School for Physician Assistant Studies and work as a Physician Assistant on a Pediatric Oncology floor in a Children’s Hospital. I have chosen this path (as of now) because I believe it will still allow me to follow my passions with nonprofits and helping people. We will see where life takes me…this is just what I think I want to do!

I have had some previous experiences with nonprofit organizations through volunteering on a regular basis. I have also interned with both Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin and American Cancer Society in the past. Working for these nonprofits, I have learned a lot from the management –side of the organization, so I am very excited to learn the board/governing-side of a nonprofit. I am excited to see how the board plays a role in the bigger picture and strategic growth of an organization. This is what I am so excited to learn from all of you—the key role that board members play in making decisions and what factors play into their decision-making.

I am especially excited to work with Broad Street Food Pantry and get to see my studies in action. My interest in Public Health is something that I can see being played out at the Food Pantry in some way. Whether it comes through in programming or just the background knowledge I have from classes, I feel it will be valuable to the advancement of the nonprofit. I have also been getting interested in policy making and advocating for nonprofits. I think this is a big part of advancing nonprofits, especially something that could help Broad Street Food Pantry. I am ready to use my own experiences and knowledge to bring a new perspective to this board, but even more ready to learn from all of you and gain insight to nonprofit boards! I look forward to meeting and working with all of you!

-Katie

Quote of the Week: “We started our foundation because we believe we have a real opportunity to help advance equity around the world... to help make sure that, no matter where a person is born, he or she has the chance to live a healthy, productive life.” –Melinda Gates

Prompt 5: Board Assignments

Hello Broad Street Food Pantry,

I am very excited and appreciative for the opportunity to serve on your board and gain insight into the world of nonprofit management. I have a lot of experience volunteering with different organizations similar to Broad Street, however I have never had the chance to work behind the scenes and understand the fundamentals of a non-profit organization. I am particularly interested to see inner workings of an organization that works to help alleviate the struggles of low-income individuals, because this is an area of interest to me.

I am a junior at Ohio State from Lake Forest, IL a suburb of Chicago. My major is social work and my minor is society and inequality. I have taken many classes that discuss the problems and obstacles facing those in poverty. With the current economy and effects of legislation, such as TANF, there is an overall increase in people barely getting by and needing the assistance of community organizations. Most of the time my courses focuses more on either the micro level practices, such as hands-on work with individuals or macro level practices, such as structural and policy problems, there is very little focus on the business aspect of organizations that help individuals we work with. This is one of the main reasons why I am so eager to work with as a part of your board. I am excited to gain a better understanding and new perspective into the business side of non-profits because this is an area I have not thoroughly studied.

As far as future career plans go I am not exactly sure what I want to do but as of now I could see myself working in community organizing or/and non-profit management. Hopefully some of the work I will be doing with your board will relate to my future career. I am truly passionate about the subject matter involving your organization and I hope that will be helpful when working on the board. Also I may be able to give a different perspective as a college student. I am prepared to bring an open mind and good work ethnic to your board. Thank you again for this opportunity and I look forward to meeting you all.

Nikki Carbonari

Prompt 5: Board Assignments

Dear Neighborhood Services, Inc:

My name is Lauren Milazzo and I have been chosen to participate on your executive board for the upcoming school year. First off, let me tell you about myself. I am currently a junior marketing major in the Fisher College of Business, here at The Ohio State University. I am a member of FisherCares, a volunteer organization through the Fisher College of Business, and I participated in the Strengths-Based Coaching Program last winter where I learned about the strengths, specifically the ones incorporated in the Gallup Strengths-Finder. I have also worked on and off at the Union Market at the sandwich station in the Ohio Union. This past summer I studied abroad in Greece and Turkey where I learned about Alexander the Great, as well as learning about Greek and Turkish culture. I also visited Italy, Croatia, Montenegro and Peru this summer.

I am so excited about the opportunity to participate on the executive board for Neighborhood Services, Inc. Growing up as a Girl Scout, volunteering and giving back to the community has always played a large role in my life. As I grew older I had several different volunteer experiences but all at the volunteer level. I’m excited to take my volunteer experience to the next level by seeing how a non-profit operates. As a business major, I’m also looking forward to how a non-profit differs from a for-profit business. Since I haven’t had any experience with the management and structural roles of a non-profit, I think this will be a great learning experience. I can’t wait to learn more about Neighborhood Services, Inc and I hope to start volunteering soon.

Again, I am so excited for this amazing opportunity and I look forward to meeting you all.

Sincerely,

Lauren Milazzo

Prompt 5

To Broad Street Food Pantry:

I am very excited to be working with your board! Just to start off, I'll talk just briefly about myself. My name is Aubrey and I'm currently studying Human Development and Family Science with the intention to some day work in a nonprofit, believe it or not! In the past, I've worked a lot with kids, mainly doing things like Sunday School, Vacation Bible Schools on mission trips and peer counseling. I spent this past Spring Break in New Orleans helping with the Katrina relief. Although these are all good experiences, I haven't had a good look into how a nonprofit really works. I did some hours at Agora Ministry's Little Gems Child Care (which is actually on West Broad Street) this past summer, but same thing there as well...I don't how all the decisions are made or how to go about executing said decisions.

That being said...I am very excited to learn about how everything works at the Pantry! Like I alluded to in the previous paragraph, I am really interested in finding out what kind of decisions are discussed in board meetings and who handles each type of situation. I'd also like to take a look at what kind of skill are needed in order to be an effective board member!

However, more than anything, I look forward to learning about those things that I couldn't possibly (as I sit here typing on my computer) anticipate learning about.


Can't wait to start with you all.

Sincerely,
Aubrey Houston

Prompt 5: Board Assignments

To Kaleidoscope Youth Center:

I was elated when I learned that I had been assigned to Kaleidoscope. Serving and advocating for children is something that I have been passionate about since I was in high school and have participated in through various capacities. While in high school, I was active in Big Brothers and Big Sisters and served as a mentor for young girls at a youth home for children awaiting foster placement. I have spent three summers working as a counselor and program coordinator at the YWCA Summer Food Program in my hometown, and have tutored through Hilliard CARES in Columbus. Currently, I am running my third Girls' Circle group in New Albany, and our selected curriculum is self-esteem and identity.

The knowledge and perspective that I have obtained through my previous volunteering experiences will prove to be valuable during the after-school volunteering portion of the program. In addition, last spring I took a course in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies that focused on challenges of adolescent identity and dealt specifically with issues of schools as "heteronormative" spaces. Many of the theories from this course are reflected as practice through the language that is used in the Girls' Curriculum (despite the name). In addition, I am a member of SHADES, a campus advocacy group for LGBTQ people of color.

That being said, I am strongly support the mission of Kaleidoscope and cannot wait to get the administrative perspective from attending the board meetings. As much as I am eager to learn, I am also eager to assist that board in any capacity possible. Numbers are by no means my forte, but I am a pretty strong writer. I have won a departmental award for a research paper and have a piece that is in review for publication. It would be awesome if I could be paired with someone who writes grant proposals so that I could learn to channel my writing skills in the future.

A little bit more about me. I am a third year student from Van Wert, OH double majoring in Political Science (International Relations) and Geography (Urban and Regional Studies) and double minoring in International Development and Economics. My future plans include a masters in International Public Policy and a Phd in City and Regional Planning, and ultimately, I would like to work in some sort of International NGO or policy think tank as a researcher.

I am very excited to get to more involved with the organization and to get to know you all.

Maegan Miller

Week 5:Board Assignments

To: Kaleidoscope Youth Center

My name is Andrew Wharton, and I have been selected as one of your board members for the upcoming school year. Let me just start by saying how humbled and truly excited I am to be given this opportunity. I am currently in my third year at The Ohio State University majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering and minoring in Entrepreneurship. I am the oldest of three boys and live in Tipp City, OH (Dayton) where I have spent my entire childhood. I enjoy running, cycling, racquetball, reading, having fun with friends and family, and finding ways to use my newly acquired scuba diving certification. On campus, I am involved in the Institute of Industrial Engineers, Society of Business and Engineering, and TEXNIKOI Engineering Honorary, the later of which performs service in the community.

From a young age, my mother has instilled a sense of service into my brothers and I during our volunteering at our local food kitchen. Taking these experiences with me into college I have volunteered time with Habitat for Humanity and Community Commitment days, and a multitude of smaller ones through an Engineering Scholars Program that I used to be apart of. Unfortunately, it was a two-year program, and my main source of service to the community was gone at the start of this school year. When I heard of the Board Immersion Program I thought it was an excellent opportunity that served a two-fold purpose of exposing me to more community service while also incorporating the business aspect of sitting on a board. Even though my major deals with engineering, it incorporates a business mindset with analytical skills. I couldn’t help but think that it is the perfect opportunity to exercise both of these interests and my desire to serve.

Through the Board Immersion Program, I have learned a lot about non-profits, boards, and what it means to be involved with both. As part of the class I am currently reading Forces for Good, and The Nonprofit Board Answer Book. I have found both to be highly informative and mercifully easy at grabbing my attention. One of the topics that are widely discussed is what type of perspectives/strengths members can bring to their boards. As for myself, I believe I can offer the board a business/analytical mindset, a hardworking attitude, a fresh perspective, and an incredible willingness to learn. I am very interested in both your mission and the cliental you serve. Growing up in a small town, I must admit I never had broad exposure to LGBTQ youth in my community but I believe that this experience will broaden both my awareness and advocacy of this largely overlooked segment of the population.

Again, I thank you for the opportunity to be apart of your board and hope that I can lend my time and talents towards helping achieve your goals while transforming myself and others in the process. I assume we will be in touch and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,

Andrew Wharton

Week 5: Board Welcome

I’m elated to start working with your board. I’m a Columbus native and have spent many years in service with the underserved populations here, especially in the Weinland park and Near East side neighborhoods. Since I’ve been able to have a hand in the programming aspect of a social-service organization, I’m especially excited to see the leadership and decision making aspect.

I’m most interested in learning how resources are allocated, how strategic decisions are made (and why) and the politics of working with in the City of Columbus. I’ve never been exposed to the interagency work that’s done with other community agencies like the Mid-Ohio Foodbank or Community Shares.

Some questions I hope to answer by the end of my experience include the role of the committee in decision making, the dynamics between the executive director and the board, the role of lobbying/fundraising in NSI’s work. I’m also interested to see how NSI uses any data they collect about their clients and how this might be used for domestic poverty research.

With my past experience working in Columbus, and my work in community development, I hope to be able to apply some of my understanding of impoverished communities and the dynamics that exist there. I’m very excited to see how my experience working in a corporate finance office translate to working on a board of local professionals, as well. Finally, it will be interesting to see how my Strengths appear in working on this project and how those Strengths might change (or how previous Strengths might reappear).

Week 5 Blog Prompt

Now that you know which board you will be working with, write a short letter (on the blog) to you organization about what you are interested in learning about, what excites you about the opportunity, what questions you have, and how you might apply past experiences to this one. Remember, this isn't a "choose me" essay - it's for them to get to know a little more about you and for you to start communicating about your experience! 

Blog Post #2 (Andrew Wharton)

First, I want to apologize for the late posting of this blog. I had one of those “oh crap moments” last night and realized my week had got away from me. Also a big thank you for the pumpkin cookies and apple cider. That was awesome!

Last Friday’s class was very much an eye opener for me in terms of non-profit-organizations, but also their involvement in the Columbus area. I thought that Dr. Amy Wade’s presentation was awesome in terms of not just giving us the answers but more of a “MythBuster” feel. One of the biggest things I took away from the meeting is the importance of relationships involved in working with a non-profit. Non-profits just don’t start on a whim. Finances, technical experts, and passionate believers in the organization all have to come together to serve a common purpose. I also found it very informative when Dr. Wade discussed her grant writing role in her NPO I Know I Can. Continuing education is definitely something I am a big believer in and it is very cool to know that organizations like I Know I Can actually provide that service here in our Columbus Community. It is was also very surprising to find out exactly how many hats she wore for the organization. In my internship over the summer, I was a specialist in certain areas and only expected to perform in the area of the business that I was placed. It is good to know that non-profits often mix it up a bit. I also learned that boards come in all shapes and sizes (30 member boards like I Know I Can’s to 4,5 member boards). It was also interesting to note the friction that often exists between most boards and the employees of an organization. I would have to assume this is very typical of most boards but less so in the private sector. I found it very ironic that social services was the largest sector of all NPO’s but had the most minimal resources in terms of spending capability. It was also nice to realize that working for a non-profit doesn’t mean you have to make less than you would in the private sector. Coming from a major that is largely employed by for-profit companies, I have really never gotten that take on non-profits before. Non-distribution policy was also a very enlightening topic considering that the general view of a non-profits is that they are only concerned with breaking even.

Week two

I am so glad to have Dr. Amy as our guest speaker and what she said in class in very insightful.

What I take away from last class is a general understanding for non profit organization which are common sense for one to know in order to serve as a board member. the lecture is like a mythbuster for non progfit organization. it cleared out many misunderstanding that I used to have for npo. for example I thought the funding for npo are mostly come from donation but actually it is mainly from endowment. and other misunderstanding on legal issues such as taxes and non profit are acutally allowed to make a profit.

Besides a rational understanding for npo, what impressed me more is Dr. Amy's personal experience. Dr. Amy talked about her experience at I KNOW I CAN. I got to know what a daily routine for a board member and was impacted by the passion she showed. and also I got to know as a board member there is much more details involved in it than I thought. like handle the relationship with employee, other board members and coporate people from sponsoring companies. there is only so much a single person can do or a single organization can contribute, but it is just this little effort we are making everyday is what changes the world into a better place.

The thing that surprised me the most is that the definition of non profit is a lot broader than I thought. university, hospitals, postal office, trade associations are actually all considered as non profit organizations! I used to think that only organizations like food pantry or other charitable organizations are NPOs. it shows you don't have to be social work major to work for npo and it need people from each different areas. and the number of the npo in the us and the number of people who are employed in the non profit sector also surprised me. it is indeed a giaint industry that related to the well being of the national economy.

Also I d like to say that next time I really need to write down some notes. because by the time I wrote this blog I have to try so hard to remind me of everything. but more impoartantlly I believe what our guest speakers bring to class will be very helpful when we really get into real world npo so it pays to write down the details.

Week 2: Katie Learns from Dr. Wade

What did you take away from the conversation with Dr. Amy Wade? What resonated the most with you? Why? Was there anything that surprised you?

I absolutely love going to “class” on Friday. I refer to it as “class” because I don’t feel like I am actually in a class. The topics we discuss are so interesting and having someone as respectable as Dr. Amy Wade come in was an incredible experience. I walked out of the conversation with a feeling of understanding about nonprofit organizations and the boards that help govern them. The introduction to nonprofits that included statistics was very helpful in understanding the sector that I will be getting to work with for the upcoming year. I really thought it was neat to learn about the scope and diversity of nonprofit organizations.

Hearing Dr. Amy Wade’s personal experiences with the nonprofit I Know I Can was very beneficial. Her passion for the mission of the nonprofit was so evident when she spoke. Hearing about her relationships with board members, her day-to-day tasks (which were actually not so consistent day-to-day), her grant writing expertise and the direct impact she is making on the lives of others was informative and inspiring.

I was surprised at the scope of work that I Know I Can executes with such a small (13 person) staff. I was extremely surprised at the large chunk of the budget that came from endowments. I felt that really proved the passion that the founders had for the mission of this organization. I also thought it would be a neat experience to work directly with the founders of the organization. After working with a few nonprofit organizations over the past two summers, I would have loved to have the opportunity to meet the founders of those organizations.

I found the conversation with Dr. Wade to be insightful and encouraging. After hearing someone with such great experience in the field, I am motivated to start working with my nonprofit!

Quote of the Week: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

Post #2 Lauren Milazzo

I was really excited to hear about Dr. Amy Wade’s experience with non-profits as well as her current job with a non-profit. I liked how Amy spoke about her background and how she initially never saw non-profits as a career path. When I was a freshman in college I never once considered a career path working with non-profits. I think the main factor holding me back from considering that career path was money, plain and simple. I guess I bought into the stereotype that workers for non-profits make next to nothing and believing that, I didn’t think I’d make enough money to live the type of lifestyle that I want for myself. But I found it really reassuring hearing Amy say that if you’re good at what you do, you can make just as much working for a non-profit as if you were working in the for-profit sector. Keeping that in mind, a non-profit career is something I could definitely see in my future.

I also really enjoyed taking the “quiz” about non-profit information because I really learned a lot! It was really interesting to learn how many non-profits there are in the U.S. and which sector has the most. I thought the “quiz” was a really good idea to interact with us and it made her presentation much more enjoyable for me. It was really nice to hear her talk about her job, and how her day to day tasks are constantly changing. I really appreciated her honesty when she talked about conflicts between the board and actual staff, but I didn’t find it surprising when she said the board thinks they run things. The one thing I didn’t particularly like but guess is to be expected is when she said if a board member, usually an “important” one, wants something looked into or down, everything has to be dropped to do it. I would find that frustrating if I’ve been working on a project for several weeks and then run into an unforeseen delay because of a board member. I was also glad she talked about grant writing because before then I had no idea what that meant! I’m still a little iffy on the subject but understand it for the most part.

I could definitely tell Amy loves her job because she was so enthusiastic talking about her job and non-profits. When she spoke about the students she/the non-profit have helped and are helping, her passion definitely came through. Overall, I really enjoyed listening to Amy speak and thought it was a great way to start the Board Immersion Program off!

Post 2: Sector with a Purpose

After hearing from Dr. Wade, I felt so much more connected to the nonprofit world. No one I know ever talks about the specifics of what nonprofit organizations have to do to get money, or the struggles in their budgets...or the complex relationship between the board members and the staff. I knew that board members needed to have a variety of different skills but I guess I had never thought about how important the members' networking connections could be. So it really was great to hear from someone who knows the in's and out's of the nonprofit sector! Of course it was also eye-opening to see all of the broad kinds of nonprofits there are. For example, the US Postal Service? Never would have thought. I guess it makes sense though!

I really liked learning about all of Dr. Wade's specific day-to-day tasks working for I Know I Can. I was surprised that they only had a staff of 13 people but had such a huge budget available! I never realized how important a founder's endowment could be. It's things like writing the annual report for donors that I wouldn't like to do, but I realized how important it is in order for donors to keep giving. I also liked that she was able to tell specific stories about different students, such as the girl who needed money for the expensive photography camera. It gave me hope about not being too far away from direct service if I were to work on the staff of a nonprofit.


Dr. Wade was definitely inspiring because she seemed so talented, on-top-of things and well-educated. She mentioned a few times that going through her doctoral program really helped her be great at her job, especially in regards to grant writing. I was so surprised to hear that she'd only received two denials! It's also intimidating at the same time! I realize that the qualifications of being truly good at your job require a lot of education and skill. For someone that wants to do something similar to Dr. Wade, I see more clearly how much farther I have to go before I come even close where I need to be. Even though grant writing seems scary and dealing with budgets are kind of an unknown territory, I like the idea of being able to go home everyday as though you somehow made a difference. Dr. Wade said that she loves her job for that reason. I knew I never wanted to get into the corporate world because that world seemed so self-oriented and sad. It's almost as if I've discovered a world similar to the corporate world, but one with purpose. It also made me feel better that Dr. Wade said that you could still make the same salary (if you're good at what you do) as if you were working in the for-profit sector. That gave me hope because even though improving the lives of others is great, my family is who I am going to want to ultimately provide for through and through.

Dr. Wade's Presentation

I really enjoyed Dr. Amy Wade’s presentation and personal insight into the world of non-profits. Her PowerPoint broke down statistics of non-profits and made me understand them in a new light. I was most surprise by the amount of non-profit organizations in the U.S. I had actually never thought of a university or a government-run organization such as the U.S. postal service (as of right now), as a non-profit organization. Usually when someone mentions a non-profit I think of an organization that works to alleviate oppression, financial obligations, or provides some kind of service to people in need. This is not always the case however. I found it very interesting that the largest form of income to a non-profit is not donations, but instead fees, such as tuition or dues. Dr. Wade’s Powerpoint, along with the readings, presented a lot of new information about non-profits.

I found it interesting that Dr. Wade’s main responsibility is to write grants. Obviously this is crucial for non-profit organizations because they need funding to help their clients. I had not previously known that there is full time positions for grant writers. It makes sense though. Just as Emily said I was also surprised how much interaction Dr. Wade had with the organization’s clients. Especially as the primary grant writer I did not expect her to be actually working hands on with the children and their families. I guess this is probably one of the benefits of working with a smaller staffed organization. I think Dr. Wade said there were thirteen staff members at I Know I Can, which to me sounds pretty small. I was surprised that the organization can be so successful with such a small staff. I was also surprised that Dr. Wade said there were twenty board members, which is crazy because they actually out number the staff. A board of twenty members for a small organization sounds overwhelming and with all those differing opinions I think it would be hard to come to a consensus.

Just as Molly said I also enjoyed Dr. Wade’s presentation so much because I am interested in the issue of education. Before college I thought a lot about becoming a teacher and for a while now I have thought about going into school social work, but just as Dr. Wade said she was more interest in access to education and the macro/policy work than actual classroom work and I think I have more interest in that area as well. I had never heard of I Know I Can before the presentation but I was very impressed by its mission and accomplishments. I could definitely see myself working for an organization similar to I Know I Can, so I was glad to hear more about it’s inner workings. Dr. Amy Wade was a very good presenter and I learned a lot from her I hope we have more interesting presentations in the future (I’m sure we will!).