This week presented a very different pace than any of the previous weeks, given that the only two full workdays for us were Tuesday and Wednesday. On these days, I finished up making thank you phone calls to past donors of Ohio Humanities in an act of stewardship, which is incredibly important for fundraising. I’ve learned very effectively during this fellowship that making donors feel valued as a result of the gifts they’ve given an organization, whether that be by a thank you, sharing the work that has resulted from the funds they’ve given, or inviting them to take part directly in events of the organization. I had the opportunity on Wednesday to attend a grant meeting, in which grant applications are reviewed by the team to determine whether the project of the applying organization will receive the grant based on the guidelines of Ohio Humanities grant application. Seeing how this process takes place will be incredibly valuable for me at a future nonprofit organization whether I’m on the grant making or grant writing side.

On Thursday, I got to travel with Rebecca, the Executive Director, and Kiley, the Communications Manager, to Portsmouth, Ohio for a cheque presentation at the Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center. Checks for grants that were recently given by Ohio Humanities to this museum, Scioto Literary, and Shawnee State University for either COVID relief or project funding were presented, which was also in an act of stewardship toward this specific area of Appalachian Ohio so that our organization can ideally obtain state funding for the first time and build capacity, as opposed to just federal funding.

Lastly, yesterday (Friday, July 8th) was the Over-the-Rhine Film Festival in Cincinnati! We have been finishing up preparations for it this week, and I think that the collective efforts of the team, the volunteers at the festival, and the festival staff led for a very fun and smooth-running event, which I am very happy for. The theme of the pre-party was “A Celebration of Ohio Storytellers,” which I think was effective in its goal as we got to witness the powerful words of the poets of Triiibe Collective and Rimel Kamran, whose impactful poem earned her the title of the first Youth Poet Laureate of Cincinnati. After the party, Dr. Lomax’ film called 400: An Afrikan Epic was showcased, which told the story of the experience of Black Americans through the power of music and its effect on listeners to spark an emotional reaction and build connections with others. I am so grateful I got to hear these stories last night and see the mission of Ohio Humanities being fulfilled first-hand as well as for being a part of the planning process that resulted in an amazing event.