How-to Kick it as a Fundraiser for Fun and Profit

As the spring semester approaches its close, a number of on-campus organizations are hosting their final fundraisers of the year, for themselves or for their community partners. As a member of several organizations, I know the effort it takes to put on such an event doesn't always seem worth your while. Here are some tips to make your next attempt your best ever.

"One million U.S. nonprofits compete for the $300 million annually donated to charity. Historically, most of the money goes to religious and educational institutions. Is your social enterprise, your vision for a decent world, getting funded?

Like every successful social entrepreneur I know, John Anner, Executive Director of the East Meets West Foundation, tackles the money challenge with unrestrained glee and gusto. For him raising money "is a multidimensional chess game" - a game he has made fascinating and fun. Discover his no-nonsense tips and practical insights on how to go about winning the dollars your cause needs:

My four favorite, and the most useful, Anner tips for getting it done:

• "There are only two kinds of people on your donor list: people who give you money and useless people."
• "Persistence over time matters."
• "I pay attention to what funders do, not what they say."
• "Imagine different audiences. How do you explain your cause to your mother, the head of the Ford Foundation, a group of students, etc.?"

How-To Kick It As A Fundraiser For Fun And Profit

Internship Opportunity: Health Equity

Families USA, a national, non-partisan organization dedicated to the achievement of high quality, affordable health care for all Americans, is looking for a Health Equity Intern. The intern will work as part of Families USA's Health Equity Department to support our efforts to advance health equity and remove barriers to accessing timely, high-quality, affordable healthcare-which frequently is a challenge in communities of color.

The Health Equity Department at Families USA is currently focused on maximizing the positive impact of the Affordable Care Act on health care access for people of color. Working with national and state partners, we are promoting and supporting outreach and public education efforts with the goal of attaining maximum enrollment in the new health care options that became available on January 1, 2014. In addition, we aim to promote and facilitate advocacy at the national and local levels by, among other activities, providing our network of health equity activists with the information, materials and technical assistance they need to maximize their advocacy impact.

The intern's tasks vary by need but may include:

• Research Support and Materials Preparation
• Online Advocacy Support
• Supporting State-Based Advocates
• Database Administration

Interns at Families USA are considered part of the staff and attend weekly staff meetings and internal team meetings to discuss Families USA's advocacy strategy and new initiatives to ensure health care access for all Americans. In addition, Families USA encourages interns to take part in the active political community of Washington, D.C. by attending policy forums at other major organizations and think tanks. Interns are also expected to participate in "brown bag" discussions of advocacy work and political issues.

Internships are paid ($8.25 per hour) and normally work 40 hours per week.

Internship Opportunity: Social Enterprise Business Research and Development

Spark Ventures is seeking to bring on a Social Enterprise Business Research and Development Intern to assist Spark during a very exciting and important time- the advanced stages of business research and financial analysis for a start-up that we will be investing in in Nicaragua. The start-up, which will be an agribusiness intended to support our Nicaraguan partner organization, Las Tías, will be launched later this year. We're looking for a business intern to help with analyzing existing primary research, doing follow up research and outreach, assisting in scenario modeling and analysis, and assisting in the development of investment decks .Strong preference for MBA students, however advanced undergraduates in Business Administration will also be considered

Internship Opportunity: Energy Efficiency Research

Green Light New York, a growing nonprofit focused on energy efficiency education, seeks a Research Intern for Summer 2014. The ideal intern has a background in energy efficiency and strong research and writing skills. This intern will play a key role in developing content for Green Light's public exhibits and expand the depth of its online resources. This internship will provide the opportunity to become well acquainted with the energy efficiency field in New York City.

GLNY is a nascent not-for-profit with a mission to become the center of education and innovation for energy efficient buildings and sustainable lighting strategies. In addition to educational events, demonstration projects and research, GLNY is a resource center for the real estate community with a compelling vision for its role in building a more sustainable New York. A monthly stipend is offered. 

Responsibilities

• Reviewing and rewriting case studies for the website
• Writing "evergreen" content for the blog based on case studies and research
• Populating website resource pages with images and text based on research about the latest energy efficient products and technologies
• Developing content for exhibitions

Job Opportunity: The National Endowment for Democracy

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a congressionally funded, private, nonprofit grant making organization that works to support freedom around the world, seeks a Program Assistant. This is an entry-level position on our Middle East and North Africa regional program team. The position is based in Washington, D.C.

Position Summary:

• Provide day-to-day administrative and programmatic support to the Middle East and North Africa program staff.

Responsibilities:

• Ensure logging in of grant proposals.
• Draft budgets and assist with writing project summaries.
• Provide support for considering and awarding grants to nongovernmental organizations working on democracy building programs in the assigned region/country.
• Assist senior director and staff with general administrative duties.
• Research information on current political developments in the assigned region/country.
• Attend and report on relevant conferences, meetings, and other events.
• Organize events for visiting grantees.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.

• Fluency in Arabic and French (reading, writing and speaking) are required. Preferred candidates will also have language proficiencies in other languages used in the region, including Turkish and Farsi.

Call for Student Speakers: IGNITE Tulane

On Tuesday April 22nd from 6:30 to 7:30, Tulane will host an IGNITE event, similar to a TED Talk. We are looking for three students  who have had experience in the professional world through internships or jobs, and who believe sharing what they have learned would be valuable to their peers, to speak at the even. Each student's presentation would only last for five minutes and would follow the guidelines of an IGNITE (details here).

If interested, please respond to the following question in a Microsoft Word document and email your response toahaverla@tulane.edu and nkuchari@tulane.edu.:

In 300 words or less, describe the experiences you would discuss in your presentation.

• Be a full-time freshmen, sophomore, or junior. Seniors will be considered but they must be enrolled full-time in the fall semester after their internship is completed.
• Have not previously received the CELT Summer Internship Award.
• Be in good standing with Tulane University.
• Have accepted or received an offer for a specific internship prior to submitting the application.
• Agree to terms of funding.

• Involvement in programming related to CELT-SI, TUchangemakers, or the SISE Minor. 
• A series of blog entries that share your experience, including a critical analysis of the experience and its role in your academic studies and professional aspirations. 
• Completion of an evaluation form.