A Guide to Working For Nonprofits: Stories and Tips From Fellow Buffs

Written By: Lauren Lind

Jessica Yanker, senior at CU-Boulder, is currently studying international affairs with a minor in economics. She has an emphasis in French and studied abroad in Paris last semester. This CU Buff has decided that she wants to go the nonprofit route and has given us an insider’s perspective on interning for a nonprofit. Here is what she had to say:

Have you ever felt like your current job or internship is not fulfilling enough? If you are like me, the only way to feel satisfied at any job is to know that you are making a difference and impacting others. This is why I chose to intern at Global Education Fund this semester, a nonprofit organization seeking to end poverty around the world through education. GEF's mission has exposed me to a huge global issue- the lack of education opportunities for girls. In countries like Kenya, India, and Guatemala, where GEF operates, girls often don't have access to primary and secondary education because they are forced to work and help around the house.

Currently, nearly 93 million children around the world are not in school simply because they do not have the resources to do so. I have really enjoyed working with GEF and learning about how they are seeking to close this education gap by working with NGO partners in the countries where they have programs. Since this organization is so small, I have been able to learn new skills in a wide variety of areas including social media, event planning, and administration. This has been very rewarding because I tend to get bored easily if I am only assigned to do one type of task. Working for a nonprofit, there are new challenges every day, but to know that what you are doing is helping the lives of others makes it all worth it. I can’t imagine getting up in the morning every day to go to a job I am not passionate about. This is why I have chosen to intern at a nonprofit.

If you too feel like nonprofits are for you, check out idealist.org and find jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities from 100,000 different nonprofit organizations. Also, apply for the CU-PIIE Program. With the CU-PIIE Program, if chosen, you will be able to choose to work at one of our pre-selected nonprofit organizations within the State of Colorado. A complete list of opportunities for summer 2014 will be given to the top applicants from the general application process. The deadline to apply is November 22, 2013.


Contributors: Jessica Yanker