Week 13

This week was rather difficult for me because it is honestly hard to critique an organization that has nothing but selfless intentions. When it comes down to it there are just a few things that I would ideally like to change but most of them are things that are reliant on money which so many non-profits themselves would change but unfortunately it all comes down to funding. One thing that I have experienced personal difficulty with is the out-dated technology that Ffk has. The computers are old and so are the programs. It's very hard to get work done at a fast pace because the system is very slow. We as a ever-changing technological community know how important it is to upgrade and keep up with the new systems and programs. So obviously this is something that needs to be changed in the organization and the staff there knows that as well it's just all about getting the funding to do so. Another thing that I have witnessed is on the mentorship side of the organization. The children we deal with are at-risk youth so the kids have a lot of struggles that we don't get to see. That being said, in the classes we teach a lot of the times the kids can be overly rambunctious and not want to pay attention. It seems as though the things we try to convey to them are of no value to them because a lot of times they are things they have never witnessed. I think the mentorship program might be able to improve by bringing on more staff. I think if there was maybe a 4:1 or 3:1 ratio with the mentors and the kids we could be able to relate to them more and really converse with them to see what's on their minds. it is obvious that what these kids reallt need is guidance, positive role models, and most of all attention. If they know that there is someone out there that has struggled like them and succeeded they may have the drive. And if there is someone pushing them and believing in them it can make a world of difference. So I think being able to have closer interactions with the kids would help change that. Other than that I think FfK has great goals, great fundraising abilities and great objectives.

Week: 12 Interview

My interview with my mentor Rachel went very well. I could tell her enthusiasm and passion for her job from asking her the sample questions given to us this week. When I asked Rachel what her challenges were she replied that her main challenge is prioritizing what has to be done. Future for Kids (FfK)has such a small staff that each person has to be working on multiple projects and tasks. She also told me that it can be difficult working with so many different personalities. You have to learn how everyone works and how to deal with people differently. Rachel also told me that she deals with stresses in the workplace by planning ahead. If you learn to stay prepared and appropriately delegate responsibilities you have less to worry about.
Rachel most enjoys the fact that her position benefits such a great cause. It is exciting for her to find good volunteers and interns that are willing to help out of the goodness of their hearts. She likes the fact that FfK benefits the needy and the services are free. She also appreciates that FfK is a small organization so there is freedom to be creative. One thing that Rachel dislikes about working for a non-profit is that you are always strapped for money. You always have to try to constantly get funding for things which can be difficult at times.
When I questioned Rachel about how she separates the personal from the professional and she had an interesting response. She said that in her case working at such a small, intimate, organization that it is beneficial to develop personal relationships with the clientele and staff. It brings them closer, makes it easier to work together and helps things run smoother. Rachel's past experience in event planning has helped her to deal with different personalities and become flexible to the different needs of those she works with. Her ideal work environment is one which is relaxed, positive and inspiring. Ultimately a place that doesn't feel like work because you truly enjoy being there and doing what you do.
In closing I asked Rachel, personally, what is her biggest reward from working for a non-profit. She said she gets great enjoyment out of networking and meeting great people. She especially enjoys meeting volunteers because they are so eager to help the lives of others. She truly values the relationships and friendships that she has the opportunity to make. Rachel said that she knew she wanted to work in a non-profit since college and she looks forward to possibly helping out other charities as well in the future.

Week: 11

For this week's assignment I chose to follow my mentor Rachel. Rachel is the event planner at Future for Kids (FfK) amongst many other contributions she makes. The events at FfK vary monthly depending on the time of year and the type of fundraiser that is being put into place. Right now Rachel is focusing most all of her time on the Summer sports camp. Part of this event is a one-day camp held at the beginning of summer where hundreds of kids can participate in multiple sporting events and training stations with the accompaniment of free amenities and free food. The other part if the program is a six-week class that will be held twice a week for about an hour teaching the kids about fitness and healthy eating. Here are some of the things that Rachel has to contrive:
*creating flyers and announcements to spread the word about the camp
*creating flyers and announcments to help recruit volunteers
*Contacting new and old volunteers to create a staff for the events
*creating a sign-up sheet for the kids that will attend, including logisitcs such as dates, times, parental permission etc.
* Finding groups to partner with to help raise funds for the camp
*Creating an activity book for the 6-week program that the children will follow to monitor their eating happens and amount of exercise they do weekly
* Developing a cirriculm in which the weekly classes will follow
* Organizing where volunteers will fit best and what their duties will be
* Finding a sponsor to donate food for the one-day sports camp
* partnering with other non-profits ti recruit kids for the camp
* finding a location to have the camp

These are just some of Rachel's duties for the summer sports camp event. As you can see she has a lot to do before the camp begins on June 6th. Along with organizing this event some of Rachel's other duties throughout the year include constantly recruitung new volunteers and keeping past volunteers involved. She is frequently updating the ad that FfK has on the "volunteer match" website. If anyone calls or emails interested in volunteering Rachel gets back to them as immediately as possible. It is important to do this because people often get busty with other things and may lose their urge to volunteer. Once she has a prospect she organizes them into a spreadsheet cataloging all their information and volunteer interests. When Rachel meets with a volunteer she interviews them, finds their interests, does background checks, checks references, and places them. Once they are ready to help she put them through an orientation and introduces them to exactly what they'll be doing. Rachel also does a very similar process with all the interns that join FfK.
So, as you can see this is a very busy time of year for Rachel. Her responsibilites include a long list of things and priorities that have a considerable amount of detail. Shadowing her has taught me alot about non-profit and how there are so many details that you might regularly over-look but can be extremely important for non-profit organizations. This was a very enjoyable experience for me and I have even more respect for the industry than I did before.