How can you make the most of a Philanthropy internship?

Setting clear goals is extremely important and mentor and intern should jointly create those goals so there is a shared commitment in achieving those goals. There should scheduled check ins to discuss milestones, progress and modifications. Celebrate and recognize the work of the internship when it has concluded with team members and other appropriate individuals. Leave the door open with the intern for future conversations about other projects.

Yes in my knowledge of being a philanthropist is being generous, truthful, honest, trustworthy and caring always ready to help others A philanthropist who is willing to help others always goes some extra mile to do whatever it takes to make sure they do the right things for anyone or to their community just to help others out of any difficult situations They are always willing to give their best to help others they are always there and ready to help and support the less privileged people who need help to bring them out of the difficulties that they are facing

Demonstrate your added value by taking the time to fully understand the social or environmental issues at the heart of your organization's purpose, the ecosystem of this issue, and consequently the gaps that your organization could help address. Your critical perspective is your greatest strength, since you have one foot inside the organization and one foot outside. Do not hesitate to take a fresh look at the organization's activities!

When searching for the right Philanthropy internship, seek organizations that align with your passions rather than applying indiscriminately. On your first day, establish 3-5 professional goals and discuss them with your mentor. Together, with your mentor, set benchmarks and schedule follow-up meetings to track progress and identify additional opportunities. Establishing benchmarks or KPIs will assist your mentor in crafting a strong recommendation letter for future job applications. Stay flexible and attend as many meetings and events as possible to observe, learn from others, and connect with like-minded individuals. As you meet more people, be sure to connect on LinkedIn.

Build professional relationships and shadow as many donor visits and conversations as you can! Be humble and willing to do whatever work is necessary but prioritize getting exposure to direct donor/foundation interactions so you can soak that in.

From an interns perspective I would make myself available to do any job that is needed. It goes back to the Bible verse stating, Be faithful in the little things and you’ll be trusted with much. From entering data into the software (which the actual software utilized can be listed as an asset on a resume) to networking with the team and their program partners. Consistently be an active learner, ask questions to show you care and are interested. Be guided to learn and grow from those in the industry. One of the most simple but most valuable tools I learned as an intern was to file all my emails. To this day, I am so diligent about this. I teach this to all my interns in day one. I show them my email filing system- it’s been a great resource.

Each philanthropic organization has its own set of standards and guidelines for on-boarding and successfully working with interns. I would encourage interns (and volunteers) to ask for those guidelines at the commencement of their term. Not everyone will subscribe to this, but in addition to mutually defined goals (each of our needs being met), we - Over and Above Africa - encourage interns to share any observations they feel would enhance our practices, messaging, marketing and fundraising. We may or may not adopt them, but we want to hear fresh perspectives-see our org through new eyes and learn how well we are representing the endangered wildlife we love so much! This goes for our volunteers too 🫶

Working in Philanthropy is about following your passion. If you are new to the sector, as an intern, it will be good to have flexibility and take the time to explore the various areas within philanthropy to really understand what you feel most passionate about. Is it - impact measurement - working directly with beneficiaries - Research - project management Speak to the organization you will be working with to get you to rotate in the various departments if possible.

Many nonprofits are resource-constrained, meaning they are seeking out the help of an intern more often than not to build up their own capacity. This is the perfect opportunity to be proactive, to suggest solutions and bring your own perspective to the table. Working in this environment is a perfect opportunity for interns as it will allow you to potentially work on many of the skills you are hoping to develop. The more you invest, the more you will get out of it. Nonprofits are also often in a constant state of flux. While flexibility and openness are a given, remember to also stick with the plan and objectives to ensure that the original objectives set out from the beginning are met, or at leats, confirm the changes with your supervisor.

Great advice and another suggestion: Activate your liberal arts learning to explore the real socioeconomic and environmental impacts that your employer is making for a better world. Engage in dialogue with the front lines who are at the point of impact. Remember there’s no such thing as a dumb question.

Fundraising *is* relationships, not just with donors but with each other. If you find yourself wanting a career in fundraising, the best thing you can do is cultivate a good rapport with the people on your internship—and their colleagues too. You may find you enjoy gift processing or prospect research as much as gift officer work and it helps to leverage the expertise of support teams as well as fundraisers: they are incredibly knowledgeable about other facets of our industry that may help you regardless of your primary role.

An internship is the perfect opportunity to apply what you know while developing yourself in new areas. Your best asset will always be people. Take the time to get to learn from your colleagues, supervisors, partners etc As philanthropy is about helping others, be sure to choose an internship that aligns with your values so you may meet people who do too. Having a strong network for a cause you care about will help you in future endeavors and initiatives too. A great way to stay in touch is to follow on LinkedIn and regularly comment on their work that moves you. Invite them to events for causes you bond over and send emails related to days/events regarding the causes you work for. Consistency shows commitment.

Social capital and ‘who you know’ serves you well over your career in philanthropy—opportunities for relationships building should be taken in order to: -stay aware of emerging issues and trends across the sector -support nonprofit grantees with connections to other funders -amplify the work of your organization -building professional development opportunities for yourself

I would say don't over network and know when and who to connect with...some relationships you won't be able to access as an intern and you shouldn't expect to do so. Be available and be friendly and be respectful of other relationships and know that there are dynamics at play that you may not be aware of...keep your networking game appropriate.

Participating in a philanthropy internship can offer several benefits, including Hands-on Experience, gaining practical experience in the nonprofit sector, working on projects that contribute to social impact, skill development such as : project management, communication, fundraising, and event planning, which are valuable in both nonprofit and corporate settings, interesting networking opportunities because you will connect with professionals and leaders in the philanthropic community, building relationships that can lead to future career opportunities and a much better understanding of Social Issues.

Is your mentor a role model of who and where you wish to be in several years? If so, discover as much as you can about he/she got there, including characteristics, supplemental education, etc. If they seem a fit for you, model yourself in the same fashion.

La philanthropie est un domaine interdisciplinaire qui fait souvent appel à des compétences variées telles que la recherche, l'analyse des données, la communication, la gestion de projet et bien plus encore. Profiter de votre stage pour explorer différentes facettes de ce domaine et développer vos compétences dans divers domaines pertinents.

Be sure to understand clearly the goals for the internship. Stay focused and work to accomplish all the goals and see how else you can add value to the work given. Remember your soft skills and EQ is valued and noticed.

Be open minded to the project goals and challenges, sometimes it will not make sense at first but as you get more involved you will realise the strengths and challenges from diverse cultural backgrounds. Enjoy the journey to learn about philanthropy, there is no one size fits all problems but there's always reason to make a difference in a person's life. Be the change you want to see in society.

Para la filantropía es muy importante contar con un equipo diverso y distintas perspectivas; conecta tus experiencias y conocimientos con los objetivos para solidificar el trabajo de toda el área, y conviértete en ese ojo que señale los procesos que hace falta definir. Pon sobre la mesa los temas que te interesan y preocupan, cuando no se mencionan no es porque no sean importantes, sino porque no tienen quien abogue por ellos.

Ask for mentor feedback. People appreciate the willingness to be reflective with the goal of growing. Never be afraid to not know something. The strongest leaders are ones who have the capacity to be transparent, and have the willingness to learn from others. It is a strength to say- I don’t know the answer to that but happy to come back to that after I ask or find out.

As you reflect and evaluate; continually, Ask yourself where are you seeing impact and outcomes. What tools used by your philanthropic institution are linked to those specific impacts, outcomes and results. This will help you begin to develop the skill set of identifying trends, patterns and insights around potentially replicable strategies that you will be able to carry forward in your career.

My greatest experience was actually with my first mentor - and she didn’t even know she was in the role. She had worked at my nonprofit prior to my time and left incredible documentation of relationships. I learned so much by carefully considering how she built projects and wrote differently for each donor or funder. When I work with interns or more junior staff, I always find it invigorating to find someone with the patience to reflect and ability to learn from the feedback or corrections I’ve offered. If you intern, certainly ask plenty of questions, and also please take time to listen to any feedback and implement it. Nothing rewards both you and your mentor more!

Indeed reflection and evaluation play a crucial role in career development. Without them, it's akin to a sea pirate navigating without a compass, making it challenging to gauge progress, understand remaining distance to the destination, or worse, risking getting lost along the way.

Profiter de chaque occasion pour apprendre et acquérir de nouvelles compétences. Impliquez-vous dans différents projets et initiatives pour élargir votre compréhension de la philanthropie et des défis sociaux auxquels les organisations sont confrontées.

Two thoughs. For the hiring managers - consider the bredth of your internship programme; it always takes more resource to help talent grow and develop. And the effort is worth it! Based on to the statistics I have seen in the international aid sector, a prevailing majority of interns, even if they don't stay with you long-term, either stay in the industry or move on to affiliated industries. For the interns - you should continuously seek feedback from your manager and peers. This is how you both improve and demonstrate your willingness to grow.

If you are the charity or nonprofit providing the internship make sure that it is a *paid* opportunity. If not you will only attract those who can afford to work, eat and travel for nothing. As a result your charity might not attract the best candidates, and might well recruit very similar interns, missing out on very many different life skills and experiences.

Say "yes" to every piece of work that comes your way as a philanthropy intern. It may seem dull, not aligned to your skills, etc, but refrain from second-guessing the value of it. You'll more than likely get diverse insights into the org, the sector, the challenges, the inter-personal dynamics, and it'll help you build rapport and leave a lasting impression.

Yes, and make certain to intern at a Cause that fulfills you! Then you’re story will align with it in some real way! And after, by telling your story, you will find connections inside & outside your company more meaningful & powerful, you’ll always be remembered, and you’ll be “lifted up” and fulfilled! It matters spending time in causes that fulfill you…😁🙌

Before anything else, make sure you have a realistic understanding of the philanthropic sector. Too often a very narrow view of this work causes folks to become easily disheartened when they discover that it isn’t all rainbows and lollipops!!