Name: Elizabeth Todd
Class Year: 2021
Major: Anthropology
Hometown: Columbus, Ga.
Internship Organization: The Global Fund for Children
Job Title: Programs Intern
Location: Washington, D.C.
What’s happening at your internship?
I’ve done a multitude of different projects, but am currently finishing up the East Africa Scoping document that I have been working on all summer. I’ve helped write a youth advocacy strategy, made recommendations for partner selections, and helped craft guidelines for the Youth Leadership Council, as well as participated in SWOT analyses and training for OCA and ONA.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I wanted to get a different perspective on nonprofit work that was separate from my hands-on work. Working at an INGO that primarily functions as a funding body was an experience I was specifically interested in. I also wanted an office experiment to test out whether I can flourish in that kind of environment. I have a passion for nonprofit work, and this opportunity jumped out at me immediately.
Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?
Surviving the 9-5 workday was something I wanted to learn how to navigate, and testing out what worked and was doesn’t for myself is a skill that I really hoped I could cultivate. Honing my research skills will continue to serve me in my academic career as well as in my professional path. A large majority of my work has been writing, which I have historically considered one of my strengths. I have learned a new way to structure reports, and learned how to construct different types of resources, which has also been valuable. I have always been interested in grant making, so gaining a greater familiarity with that software and how it functions quashed a longtime curiosity of mine.
Was this internship what you expected it to be?
This experience was not at all what I expected it to be, but in a good way. I expected to get coffee, make copies, and do all the grunt work that no one else wanted, which is the exact opposite of how my summer has gone. Starting with my first project, I was directly integrated into decision-making processes and got to familiarize myself with new grant making software. I had much more freedom and autonomy surrounding my work than I was expecting. This company also functions in an open office setup, which contributed to a really relaxed feel to the workday that I was not expecting. I’ve worked on a variety of different assignments in more than one focus area, which I did not expect to be privy to. The people that work here have been intensely welcoming, and while I didn’t expect the staff of a nonprofit to be cold, I didn’t expect how open and friendly everyone would be.
