Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

Good evening, Fellows!

Courtney M. Here! Another week has come and gone, but my time at Big Brothers Big Sisters continues to be an adventurous phenomenon. This week, I have adjusted well into my role. While I did continue my one-on-one team meeting, scheduling shadowing opportunities with the folks in Delaware County, I have now entered into my new tasks within my role, such as reviewing “Quality Assurance” within Match Support Contacts, also known as “QA MSC Reports”. I am tasked to look over recent match support contacts or conversations that Match Support Specialists (MSS) have between the Parent/Guardian, Little, and Big. From there, I provide feedback on these reports/cases to check if the MSS met the following criteria within the five quality assurance elements or target goals used within Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Ohio. 

My supervisor gives me great feedback to consider when reviewing how quality assurance is measured effectively and efficiently. However, early on, he told me to keep in mind the gray areas, when some situations within a case can be tricky to determine whether or not the criteria were met, such as asking various child safety questions. Overall, the process is very productive, and my team is always searching for new ways to improve the process and their programming. 

Additionally, this week came with many great opportunities to connect with others and learn new pathways within the nonprofit sector outside the walls of my office at BBBSCO. For example, the Columbus Foundation held our first fellows’ learning session this past Wednesday. Ms. Toshia Safford, President and CEO of The Center for Healthy Families, and Nick Jones, Vice President for Community Wellness at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, graced us with their wisdom on leadership, servanthood, and service. Another would be attending a seminar today on development relationships within our agencies (direct or indirect service to children and our staff) with Partnership4Success, a seminar that came highly recommended by my supervisor for me to attend to get a deeper understanding of the concept to assist me in my role and what role BBBSCO plays within match relationship and their organizational culture. 

Overall, this week unlocked new waves of information for me to obtain. Truly, this experience is teaching me that you never stop learning. The moment you refuse to keep learning or keep the heart of a servant, you shouldn’t continue being the world of non-profits. Like Mr. Jones said, “Non-profits are not charities, but businesses”, so never underestimate the game-changers that are behind these organizations, because they all have the goal: Changing someone’s tomorrow… today. 

Until Next Time! Cheers (2) Week 2! Thank You, Jesus!

Best,

Courtney Moore

Hello again! I simply cannot believe that my second week with GSOH is coming to a close.

Being that this was the first week of STEM camp there were many ups and downs, but overall, it was an amazing week filled with fun. The week started with some behavioral issues from campers as they were adjusting to the new environment, but also with an opportunity to choose STEM-related activities that they were interested in. We were able to incorporate those activities into the weekly schedule, so the girls had more control over what they were participating in at camp.

As this week was an Icky Sticky theme there were many opportunities for the girls to experiment with slime which was a big hit. One of the biggest challenges I faced this week was activities not going according to schedule. I had to get comfortable with the possibility that girls may be excited about an activity and may want to spend more time than allotted working on it, which is okay. This week I learned how to be adaptive which will be even more important for next week, as the staff-to-camper ratio decreases.

I was lucky enough to meet Tammy Wharton, President of GSOH as she brought in Meredith Garofalo from WBNS TV. Meredith spoke with the girls about meteorology and how Girl Scouts influenced her passions and career.

I enjoyed getting to know each girl and their passions this week as well as celebrating their successes and accommodating for their low points. It was a joy to see the friendships created between girls throughout the week especially in the Egg Drop activity, as many girls were in groups.

Next week I am hoping to be more confident in my leadership skills as I will have more responsibility in leading activities. Camp has been going very well and I am looking forward to learning with a new group of girls next week!

Best,
Madeleine Auch

Hi everyone! I am closing out my second week at the McConnell Arts Center with two more busy days to go!

I started out my week, on Monday, helping our Executive Director sort through old files, something that will later turn into a scanning project. Files might sound boring, but I found it interesting to get to look into all the paperwork that goes into running a nonprofit. Not only this, but I also found it interesting to get a glimpse into the hiring process of a nonprofit as I got to see old resumes, cover letters, interview notes, etc.

On Tuesday, I spent a good amount of time helping prepare materials for the Worthington Arts Festival, hosted by the MAC. I laminated signs, created name tags, assembled vendor packets, and cut out a variety of parking passes, to name a few. I also spent some time on Pinterest looking for centerpiece ideas for a VIP Breakfast that will be happing Saturday morning, the first day of the festival. Earlier on in my workday, I got to meet with the MAC’s Visual Arts and Education Manager and talk through her background and her current role and responsibilities. This was my last one-on-one meeting with the MAC staff since starting the Fellowship, and I am very happy I was able to have these meetings because they not only helped me become familiar with this nonprofit’s specific employee roles, but they also helped me to better connect with the people I will be working besides this summer.

On Wednesday, we had our first professional development session at the Columbus Foundation centered around a discussion on power and two guest speakers, Toshia Safford (President and CEO of The Center for Healthy Families) and Nick Jones (Vice President of Community Wellness at Nationwide Children’s). It was inspiring to get to hear from people who are actively engaged in the nonprofit sector and thriving in what they do. They provided us with some invaluable advice that I see myself needing as I become more involved in the sector.

On Thursday, I continued working on tasks related to the arts festival. This same day, we also had a staff lunch to celebrate a birthday and a work-anniversary and a staff meeting where much of the conversation revolved around the arts festival. I also spent some time on a website called boardsource.org learning some important information about nonprofit boards.

Today, June 13^th, was dedicated to setting up for the Worthington Arts Festival! My day started early at 7:30am and ended around 4pm. I got to help vendors (mostly artists) unload their vehicles and set up their tents, I helped set out signs around the festival grounds, I helped make sure volunteers were taken care of food and refreshment wise, and ended my shift with helping check in artists at our main building as they drove in from all around the state and country. It was honestly such an amazing process to be a part of as it took so many people (staff, volunteers, and vendors alike) to make something like this happen for the community. I am excited for what the rest of the weekend has in store as the festival runs it course.

Talk to you soon,

Graci Jackson

Hi again everyone! I’m Anaika and I am back to talk about my incredible second week working at Netcare Access.

I started this week off strong with a Pickleball Event hosted by Netcare and Maryhaven. It was mostly run by my two supervisors, so I got to jump right into all the event planning and set up. The event was on Saturday and included a free Pickleball Clinic as well as a competitive, friendly competition in the afternoon. As a marketing intern for Netcare, I was able to assist in setting up our event, as well as, helped direct players and competitors to their respective courts. It was an incredible opportunity to meet Netcare staff and board members in a social, casual setting while understanding what the behind the scenes of an event of this scale looks like.

This week at work, I got to dive into a lot of different softwares that we use. I learned how to schedule social media posts, how to design and write professional emails, and even how to edit our website! My favorite task of the week was drafting an engaging email for all of our subscribers including event pictures, sponsorships, and just general information as a recap of our weekend event.

The last few days I was also introduced to a new project. The HR team came to us with a request for a hiring campaign that would ideally increase the number of applicants we get for specific staff positions. My mentor and I had a meeting with HR where we discussed all of our goals and ideas for the campaign, and I had the opportunity to start drafting up some social media posts for it. I am extremely excited to continue working on this campaign!

Overall, I had another incredible and fun week at Netcare while also getting to know my mentors and other staff much better. I am looking forward to future weeks and opportunities with the team!

Best,

Anaika

Hello! It’s week 2 at ETSS and I’m getting into the nitty-gritty of event planning. This week, I’ve begun working on all the projects required for the day. This includes coordinating with corporate volunteers, nailing down logistics, and reaching out to companies to secure in-kind donations. My master notes document has grown unwieldy already with answers to the many questions I’ve asked. I am placing heavy emphasis on record-keeping, both for my own organizational purposes and for the organization’s future. I hope to create a folder of resources like donor lists, marketing pitches, and SOPs for various tasks for the next person who undertakes this project.  

I am working closely with the Advancement team, who have been a huge help with everything relating to communications and fundraising. I also met with our wonderful Volunteer Coordinator to flesh out all the various volunteering roles we’ll need for the Youth Summit—over 100!  

On Friday, I got to help with the Teen Summit, where middle and high school students from our after-school program came together to celebrate the end of the school year. Each site has been working on a student-led group project focused on mental health, including a line of t-shirts and tote bags with the Suicide Hotline number (988) they designed themselves, and a soccer club they used to raise awareness. It was incredibly rewarding to see the program’s tangible impact on their lives. I was so impressed by how seriously they took it, remembering how cynical I was at their age.

Working on the Summer Youth Enrichment Program has left me feeling inspired. Later today, I will tag along on our Whitehall site’s first field trip, where they will be playing soccer. I’ll get to meet some of the kids and get feedback on their Youth Summit experiences, since it is their day first and foremost.

See you next week,

Sanay  

Hi all! In my second week with the Center for Disability Empowerment, I have continued to work on the 35th Anniversary Celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As the event approaches, there are many moving parts we are trying to pull together. Now that I have a better  grasp on the project, I found that I have been able to work more independently this week. I started working on tasks on my own and sending out emails to sponsors about program information. I have certainly seen how important it is to keep information well documented and organized for event planning. 

One unique opportunity I had this week was to attend the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities meeting. I accompanied Sue Hetrick, the CDE Executive Director, as she presented about the Anniversary Celebration of the ADA we are working on and encouraged the DCBDD to sponsor the event. I have never attended a board meeting like this before, and never considered that something like this may be an occasional responsibility of a nonprofit executive director. We have not heard back yet about a decision from the board, but are hopeful that Sue’s succinct and effective pitch has made them willing to sponsor the event. 

After the Fellows Learning Session at the Columbus Foundation on Wednesday, I tried to think about how I could be a leader at the CDE even as an intern. I reflected on some of my strengths as a worker and team member, and thought about how these strengths could be a positive example or inspiration to anyone I have been working with, no matter their position in the organization. This was a motivating thought, and I hope to continue to put forth high quality work at the CDE to lead in a small, but nonetheless powerful way. 

Until next week, 

Rachael McCague 

Hi everyone!

My name is Kat Jolley and I’m a rising senior at Indiana University studying marketing and international business. This summer, I have the privilege of serving as a Marketing Intern at LifeCare Alliance through a placement with The Columbus Foundation’s Summer Fellowship Program. LifeCare Alliance has always been close to my heart, I’ve been volunteering through their Meals-on-Wheels (MOW) program since I was five years old. This week marked a full-circle moment: I’ve gone from helping deliver meals with my family to now contributing behind the scenes to improve client and volunteer experiences through strategic marketing and development efforts.

My first day began with a staff meeting where I was introduced to the Advancement team, which includes four subteams: Grants & Strategic Planning, Marketing, Community Engagement, and Development. These are the people driving LifeCare Alliance’s growth and impact forward, and I’m excited to collaborate with them throughout the summer.

Much of this week was devoted to gaining a comprehensive understanding of the organization. I explored onboarding materials, read through LifeCare Alliance’s history, and reviewed their wide range of services, from cancer support and diabetes management to pet care, home modifications, and of course, meal delivery. Learning about the organization’s evolution and ambitions for the future gave me critical context for the main project I’ll be contributing to: a customer journey initiative centered on the Meals-on-Wheels program.

My internship centers on improving the client and volunteer experience through the customer journey initiative. Early in the week, I met with key team members, Molly (VP of Operations), Andrea (my supervisor and Director of Grants & Strategic Planning), Leah (Nutrition Operations), and Claire (Volunteer Services), to understand the goals of the initiative and my role in the process. Reviewing transcripts of their past interviews and examining the customer journey framework used for another program, Help-at-Home, gave me a head start.

I’ll be independently interviewing 13 staff members to help map the client and volunteer experience and identify areas for improvement. I’ve also begun analyzing insights collected in Mural (our collaborative digital workspace) and familiarizing myself with marketing materials, such as the LifeCare Alliance style guide, which shapes the organization’s brand voice and messaging.

This week wasn’t all desk work! I had the opportunity to tour our Harmon Avenue facility, where our kitchen and a second office are located. While there, I attended the annual Senior Prom, an event celebrating our senior clients and bringing community joy in tangible ways. I also joined in on a partner meeting with Ohio Health to observe how LCA fosters external relationships for client support and referral growth.

In addition, I began my one-on-one meetings with members of the Advancement team. These conversations were incredibly insightful, not just for learning how the departments function, but also for gathering creative ideas and pain points related to internal communication and workflow.

From a marketing perspective, I gained insights into how LCA communicates its mission across platforms. I learned about the organization’s 3 C’s, Culture, Clients, and Continuity, which anchor their five-year strategic plan and guide how LCA seeks to grow sustainably. I also discussed with David (Client & Community Engagement Liaison) the importance of storytelling, particularly the use of impact stories from clients, as a way to build emotional connection and promote services.

This week, I focused on absorbing as much information as possible to prepare for the meaningful work ahead. I’m incredibly grateful to be in a space that not only values impact, but also encourages interns like me to think critically and creatively. I’m Excited to begin the customer journey initiative and help shape the future of LCA’s client and volunteer experience.

More to come in Week 2!

Hi everyone!

My name is Graci Jackson, and I am a rising senior at The Ohio State University currently pursing a BFA in Dance and minors in Nonprofit Management and Integrative Approaches to Health and Wellness. This summer, through The Columbus Foundation’s Summer Fellowship program, I have the wonderful opportunity to work with The McConnell Arts Center in Worthington, OH. The MAC, as we fondly call it, is an arts organization that has a focus on “building pathways [for people] to experience the joy and wonder of the arts”. I am looking forward to all that I will experience and learn this summer thanks to the amazing people at both The Columbus Foundation and The McConnell Arts Center!

On Monday, I started off my first week with an orientation at The Columbus Foundation. It was, honestly, an inspiring start to the fellowship as we engaged with Simon Sinek’s TEDx Talk titled “Start with why — how great leaders inspire action” and used it as a springboard to both illustrate and narrate our own whys for pursuing nonprofit work. My nervousness soon turned to excited anticipation as I was inspired by my peers and reminded that we all have the power to live inspired and to make an impact on the world around us.

During the rest of the first week, I got the chance to familiarize myself with the MAC and its staff and their roles through one-on-one meetings. Everyone on staff is so friendly and so willing to share their knowledge, and I found this extremely helpful as I am someone who wants to eventually work in a nonprofit organization but does not yet know what role I would want to fill. In my first week, I also got the opportunity to attend a Worthington Partnership meeting with the MAC’s executive director. The Worthington Partnership is basically made up of for-profits (mostly small businesses) and nonprofits and members of the city who have a heart for their community and who want to support one another. In this meeting, I learned important information surrounding waste and financial management. I got to wrap up my first week by attending the Columbus Arts Festival, with MAC staff, where we had a craft and information booth. I had a wonderful time, amongst artists and community members alike, as I got to practice my marketing and outreach skills.

I am excited to see what next week holds, especially with the upcoming Worthington Arts Festival organized by the MAC next weekend!

Talk to you soon,

Graci Jackson

Hi everyone! My name is Emma Hart and I am a rising senior at Ohio State studying Environmental Policy & Decision-Making and I’m so excited to be sharing my internship experience at Green Columbus this summer. This week was technically my second week, so I’ll share about last week and this week.

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the Linden Tree Nursery and plant tree samplings. I also learned more about Green Columbus’ mission to increase tree equity in Columbus. My boss showed me several maps of Columbus and a website called TESA that displayed tree canopy data and ranked different Columbus neighborhoods on the amount of trees in each area. I also updated the Green Columbus website and the StoryMap website with data from tree plantings. My boss also informed me of the current projects the organization is working on and the current status of nonprofits in Columbus and Ohio. It was interesting to hear these updates firsthand from someone in the nonprofit world. Much of the websites, data, and other information I was exposed to aligned very closely with my major coursework so it felt like all of the different subjects like GIS, law and policy, and environmental justice that I had learned about were converging.

This week I attended the Midwest Sustainability Summit in Cincinnati with my boss and learned so much about Indigenous Knowledge Systems in sustainability. Several of the speakers at the summit were Indigenous leaders from across the country who spoke about their experiences with advocating for environmental justice and being Native American in the U.S. It was awesome to hear their inspiring stories and perspectives. I also attended a breakout sessions about green workforce development that was also very interesting. I overall felt that I learned so much from attending this conference and it was certainly the highlight of my work week.