Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

This was my first week of doing a hybrid schedule at CHA. For Monday and Friday of this week, I am able to work from home and then was in person Tues-Thurs. This week has been a continuation from last week. I am still chipping away at donations for our live and silent auction for the Taste to Remember event at the end of August. Anne Marie has been keeping me in the loop for any updates regarding logistics for the event, including invitations, timeline, volunteers, etc. I began picking up items on Wednesday at businesses, and even went into a business to give them an in person pitch. 

I also am continuously working on our venue rolodex, researching the most affordable yet professional presenting event venues. I have been able to make phone calls and communicate with event coordinators via email regarding their venue size, price, and deciphering what kind of event we could hold there. I am then rating the venues on a 1-5 scale based on location, ambiance, flexibility, price/value, and responsiveness. Each venue will receive a score out of 5. 

As I mentioned at the Foundation session this week, I am grateful for all the ways CHA has helped me on my professional development journey. Sitting down with Julie Homon, Director of Grants and Foundation Relations for CHA, helped me by seeing her process and how she stays organized. I was also able to join the Giving USA on Wednesday where I was able to learn more about the fundraising process and how to position the donor as the “hero.” An ongoing conversation at CHA is donor diversification, and how to leverage individual donations, as data shows that they are the biggest share of donations for non-profits. 

Finally, as promised, here is a photo of Anne Marie and I at the DLZ Car Show Fundraiser, my first official development event at CHA. We passed out fun fidgets – I will be sure to bring some to our next convening! I have attached a photo at the bottom of this post as well.

One of the biggest projects I worked on this past week was helping update the Human Service Chamber’s Board Interest Application and Board Interest Spreadsheet. The Board Interest Application serves as a bridge between community members interested in nonprofit leadership and organizations seeking board members. Individuals can share their skills, interests, and experiences, and nonprofit organizations review applications when they identify potential board matches. I collaborated on developing social media content to promote the application and also helped clean up our existing database by reaching out to applicants who had submitted forms more than a year ago. Through this process, I gained a better understanding of the nonprofit leadership landscape in Central Ohio and was impressed by both the popularity of the application and the strong interest community members have in serving local organizations.

My favorite part of the week, however, was accompanying our Marketing Specialist on two One Voice interviews. One Voice highlights the stories of individuals on the front lines of service and showcases the dedication of Central Ohio’s health and human service organizations. On Monday, we visited Open Door Columbus, an organization dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live fulfilling, self-directed lives. During our visit, we explored the new Mirolo Sensory Park, toured their garden and plant room, and visited the theater where participants perform plays and musicals. We interviewed the theater and stage director, whose story offered a powerful perspective on how the arts can look different for individuals with varying abilities. Listening to him speak deepened my appreciation for the many ways creativity and emotion can shine through performance.

Later in the week, we traveled to Flying Horse Farms, which provides medically safe camp experiences for children with serious illnesses at no cost to families. I was amazed by the level of accessibility, intentionality, and care built into every aspect of the camp experience. We sat down with a former camper who now serves as a counselor, and he shared how much the camp meant to him growing up and how he now strives to create that same sense of belonging for the next generation of campers.

I also had the opportunity to attend the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s State of the Nonprofit Sector event. The discussion featured leaders from philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, local government, and community development who explored the question: How can nonprofits move from financial strain toward innovation and possibility? Toward the end of the week, I worked alongside our Executive Director to develop a template comment letter regarding proposed changes to the Office of Management and Budget’s Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance. The Human Service Chamber is encouraging nonprofit organizations to submit comments and share how these proposed changes could affect their work and the communities they serve.

I wrapped up the week by joining the Human Service Chamber in this year’s Stonewall Columbus Pride March. It was incredible to see thousands of people come together in celebration and advocacy. As someone passionate about supporting LGBTQ+ individuals, I found the experience especially meaningful. Marching alongside community organizations served as a reminder of the important role the nonprofit sector plays in creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and supported. It was a fitting end to a week centered on community engagement, leadership, and storytelling!

This week was more laidback than my previous 2 weeks. Despite this, it was still far from uneventful. I was given the opportunity to launch another program at a TECH CORPS partner site. The program in question is named Techie Camp. It follows the S.S. Navigator, a deep ocean exploring submarine, crewed by students grades 6-8. The students learn and use code block programming, then later JavaScript if they are advanced enough, to ensure the ship has a safe voyage across the uncharted waters. The programing is then used on real mini computers called mirco:bits. The micro:bits are the main focus of the program. They have a myriad of uses and functions such as playing sounds, reading the temperature of the room, displaying strings (messages) and integers (numbers) using LED lights, and sending signals (information) to other micro:bits. The students were able to get creative with the code blocks and express themselves in a whole manner of unique ways. With the sounds specifically, students held a classroom-wide competition on who could create the best melodies. I was sadly unable to see who won.

On a personal note, while my tenure at Techie Camp was short, it changed my views on education as a whole. Online and in the news, you hear complaints about how the students of today do not like to learn and actively resist it. I believe that the problem is more so how students are taught than anything. The students I meet with were happy to be in class, starry-eyed even, to be in the program. They had to freedom to explore as well as a gripping story about discovery that they could attach to and identify with. I think that if teaching was more personable and/or if it has greater room for self-expression, it would lead to more students who want to learn more rather than students who are reluctant to.

This week I got to work with the Real Estate Development department at Homeport. I began my week by analyzing construction drawings and used them to solicit proposals from vendors. I was also provided with a proposal for a fitness center at Homeports property, Northam, and asked to assist with selecting fitness equipment. Later in the week, I was sent edited versions of the initial proposal and asked to provide my final feedback. In particular I had to make sure the project was under budget and could serve all residents. 

On Tuesday I started my day at Marsh Run, a property Homeport is renovating. Here I sat in on a progress meeting and walked through the newly renovated units where I shadowed the project managers as they back punched the units. By back punched I am referring to the process where project managers walk through the units and check that previously marked issues (such as scuffs/indents or dysfunctional appliances) have been fixed. I was also given a lovely hard hat to wear on the property which can be seen in the images provided below, one of which includes the VP of Real Estate Development.

On Wednesday I got to help the Housing Advisory department with their Homebuyer Resource Fair where I helped check people in and encourage individuals who were not registered to register and explore the resources provided by the 40 vendors at the event. 

At the end of the week I met with one of the project managers at Homeport and learned about Pro Forma’s (a fancy term for a project budget). I got to understand the immense financial planning that occurs before Homeport begins constructing their development projects. This Pro Forma particularly focused on a development at the old Pilgrim Elementary school. I also got to look up and update rent values for apartments similar to this development which the project manager will then use to determine the rent at Pilgrim Elementary. 

Lastly, I got to meet many new and wonderful people this week. Among these include the CEO of Homeport, the VP of Asset Management and the Director of Acquisitions. 

This week at PAST I got to do many new things involving people! On Tuesday, I conducted my first programmatic observation.  For 1 hour, I went into one of the programs and documented everything I observed.  My main goals were noting areas where students seemed to be engaged, collaborating with one another, and showing problem solving skills.  This was a bit difficult since I had never done an observation before.  Everything noted should be taken within the context of the situations occurring. On Thursday, we revisited our observations and noted ways we can improve. I mainly struggled with writing down too many quotes and not enough actions.  This is something I am looking forward to improving as the summer continues.  But it was nice to witness students learning in a non-traditional setting.  There was a lot of peer-to-peer communication which warmed my heart! I don’t often enter the program spaces (other than administering surveys), so this was also really nice to be more involved in the programs the PAST Foundation offers. 

Friday was a huge shift in our regular schedule as research interns. This week, we have had high school students at PAST as part of leadership building sessions, kicking off their summer programs. I enjoyed seeing them around the facility and administering their pre-surveys earlier in the week.  What would normally be a day of post-survey administration and preparation for the next week became a day of interacting with the high school students and so many other PAST employees! I had the opportunity to be a “Mentor” for the student to practice speaking in a professional manner.  It was a speed mentoring session where we spoke to each student for 3 minutes before moving on.  It was so cool to hear about so many students and their passions.  One had a start up clothing brand and another hoped to become a pediatrician! This was such a welcome change to our typical Fridays! I even had lunch with some of the students and staff which made me feel like a true part of PAST. 

This was a super fun week. Sometimes, a bit of change is beneficial.

See you next week,

Danyelle Bumpus

I summed up last week with the word, ‘history.’ The work I did this week was similar, but I want to define it with a new word: thoughtfulness.

The week consisted of a lot of communications work. I sorted through even more of the Women’s Fund archives to build out a mini social media series for their 25th anniversary and for inclusion in their donor newsletter, created a handout for the summer party, tested my filming materials (mics and ring light) for the summer party, compiled interview questions for the project with The Columbus Foundation, and sat in on part of a mini-retreat for the team.

Like last week, I had so much fun getting to look into what the Women’s Fund was up to from 2002 to 2012. I may have went overboard on the digitization, and it was very hard to choose what to include in each post, but at least I know that the material is there for future use. I took my time going through binders of old newspaper clippings and papers, giving thought to each page, carefully selecting what I wanted to scan. I then organized it all by year for easier access, and collaged my favorite clippings into themed visuals on Canva. Looking back at what I did this week, I got upset thinking about how long I spent going through the archives and making the posts. Then, once I reflected for a moment, I realized that while I could have done it quickly, I would have missed some of the gems that I included in the posts. That is where my word of the week, ‘thoughtfulness,’ comes in.

The handout for the summer party also took me a while to finish. I knew the brand standards, and even had a previous handout for the 2026 Keyholder event to reference, but even then I still spent hours agonizing over the spacing, phrasing, and visuals, trying to make it ‘perfect.’ The whole reason I was tasked with making these handouts was to use up some legal paper lying around the office, but even then I messed up the sizing. I originally designed the handout to fill up on a legal sheet, but then I was reminded that that would be way too big, and I had to go back and resize it so three would fit on a sheet, agonizing over everything all over again. Navigating this mistake and dealing with the consequences, I learned a lot. I got better with Canva, the platform I used to design the handout, but I also realized that while it is important to be thoughtful about what I create, I don’t need to let the small details consume me.

My last example of thoughtfulness doesn’t actually apply to me, but to the Women’s Fund team. When I sat in on part of the mini retreat, the team discussed their goals for the next two quarters, mapped out the work needed to achieve those goals week by week, and divided up other responsibilities. They took their time to discuss each part of the plan, having an open dialogue throughout. Although none of this information and planning really applied to me, it was so inspiring to witness a team so thoughtful and dedicated to their work. It also gave me a taste of what future planning looks like in a nonprofit.

This week, it felt like I was taking a long time to complete seemingly simple tasks. My ‘thoughtfulness’ felt futile. However, once I was able to shift my perspective, I realized that without this thoughtfulness I would not be able to soak in as much learning as I did. Now that I’ve taken the time to learn, I know that I might be able to go a little faster next week, agonize less, and keep on going with intention.

~ Eva

Hello everyone, done with my third week CMA!

This week was calmer than the last two weeks in terms of events, but just as busy in the office. I spent the majority of this week workshopping College Night Shift: Back to School Night, one of my primary projects of the summer. I created a materials cost list with an estimated budget, began corresponding with members of the Ohio Union Activities Board at OSU, created a college student engagement survey, drafted marketable language for the event, and presented my progress to the heads of the curatorial department. I’m very grateful for the supportive and thought-provoking feedback that I received from my supervisor Julie and the rest of the team! In addition to this project, I also continued my research on tours and lecture series at other art institutions, which will help our team develop our own tour and lecture programs in the coming months!

A new thing this week was inventory! Inventory occurs every three years at the museum to ensure that the art in storage is properly labeled, correctly accounted for in the database, and stored in the right location. It was my first time handling original artworks in the museum (with gloves!) and getting more familiar with the database and labeling system. During my two, 2-hour inventory shifts, I mainly handled American art, namely prints from the 20th century. My favorite piece was a cartoon still of Tom and Jerry! Participating in inventory was a great “behind the scenes” experience and revealed just how many works that the museum has acquired since its founding in 1878. 

Because the team at CMA is so large, my supervisor encouraged me to reach out to other individuals, inside and outside of our curatorial department, to learn more about other positions that interest me. In the coming weeks, I have scheduled six 1-on-1s with staff from the curatorial, donor relations, and social media teams. Today, I had a very insightful and exciting chat with Lydia, Director of Marketing and Communications at CMA. I learned a lot more about her responsibilities at the museum, previous education and career experiences, and briefly talked about my college program proposal. I’m excited to meet with her again soon to workshop a marketing strategy for College Night Shift! 

Looking forward to next week, 

Muji

This week looked a little different from the first two. I came down quite sick and spent a few days working at a reduced pace, and with today off for Juneteenth, it was a quieter week overall. Still, there was plenty worth reflecting on.

One thing I appreciated was how accommodating the team was when I got sick. Being able to hop on meetings and keep things moving from home, rather than losing the days entirely, is one of the real advantages of remote work, and I’m grateful Besa makes that an option.

I got a closer look at how Besa structures the onboarding process for new partner organizations, sitting in on meetings that walk through what that relationship looks like from the very first conversation. I also got to post actual volunteer shifts directly to the platform for Dress for Success Columbus, a nonprofit that helps unemployed and underemployed women achieve economic independence through career development programs, professional attire, and other support services. It was exciting knowing that real volunteers will be signing up for an opportunity I built and posted myself.

I also spent more time on the research side of my project, digging into how organizations around the country approach volunteer engagement and fill rates, and cross-referencing those practices with what current research suggests is most effective. I’m starting to see the shape of an actual proposal come together, which is a good feeling after weeks of gathering information.

The highlight of the week, even in a lighter one, was helping put on a Juneteenth celebration at the Boys & Girls Club for more than 120 kids. Between painting, face painting, music and dancing, a photo booth, cup decorating with edible glitter, and what felt like an endless supply of candy and cookies, it was about as much fun as a volunteer shift can be. It was a nice reminder that even a slower week can end on a high note.

Hello everyone! 

This week at the fair grounds I was finally able to get the hang of navigating through the various google drives and learn where exactly everything is located, including sponsorship information, the master schedule,and vendor/concession information. The first half of the week I spent updating the calendar, vendor and concession information on the mobile fair app, which was both helpful for understanding what each day of the fair will look like and what learning how to navigate and edit the master spreadsheet. I was also able to meet Cecilia, a local college student who will be painting a mural on one of the buildings by the main road. It was incredible to hear her story, how she got involved in art and why she’s so passionate about it. She is incredibly talented and I cannot wait to see what the finished product will look like! Each week different members of the community come into the office who want to contribute to the fair in different ways. Each of them have different talents or abilities they want to use to engage the community and make the fair not just entertaining, but a time of community growth and engagement, it is exciting to see what each of them bring to the table.

The last half of the week was spent figuring out how to advertise for the fair app and increase downloads and activity. I was also able to sit in on two meetings, one with the PR team that focused on brainstorming ideas for both advertising the fair and increasing ticket sales, and the second one that focused on teaching office staff how to navigate a website called fairs.com and send out mass emails regarding important fair updates. My next task will be continuing to update the map, ticket and sponsor information in the app to ensure that users have up-to-date information that will provide them with a memorable fair experience. I’m excited to see what the rest of my time here will look like as we get closer and closer to fair time. 

Until next week!

~Elena