What Makes a Nonprofit Stand Out?: Lessons from a Philanthropy Internship
Emily Tirado is a senior sociology major at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Hope Chicago scholar.
Considering ways to make your nonprofit unique and stand out may be a challenge many organizations face as they seek funding to keep their missions alive. This summer, I was honored to be JH Philanthropy's first summer intern. JH Philanthropy (JHP) is a philanthropy advising company that helps high-net-worth individuals and families with their giving strategies. After having a wonderful experience last summer interning for Hope Chicago, a nonprofit that creates debt-free college and workforce opportunities for low-income first-gen students, I never imagined how things work beyond a nonprofit space. I realized how much time and effort it takes a nonprofit to meet its needs, not only for the organization itself, but also for the people and community it cares about.
For my internship project, I was able to assist with creating a nonprofit database for JH Philanthropy, which will allow the team to easily review, search, and sort organizations to find information for their clients. I was able to learn more about the process of building connections between nonprofits and donors by attending a site visit and taking part in client service meetings. I researched over 100 nonprofit organizations that JHP has made contact with and held inquiry meetings for current clients. During my research, I was amazed by how many incredible organizations have been created, the communities they serve, and with so much information, I thought about how to take it all in. As Julie, CEO of JH Philanthropy, said, I’ve had the opportunity now to “have a bird’s view” of the many organizations that are not only run in Chicago but also outside of the state and internationally.
With this experience, these are three things that made a nonprofit stand out to me as an intern.
Presentable: When reviewing organizations, some nonprofits had well-organized and updated websites which was captivating. Being able to easily navigate a nonprofit's site to find their mission, values, and other important information made me, as a viewer, comfortable finding their information under one link.
Uniqueness: Make sure to share your story. What made you want to create your organization? What inspired you? Why focus on a certain population? Take time to answer these questions and think about how you would like to showcase it. Sharing personal stories allows you to connect with your target audience, and you can even attract others who would love to learn more about your experience.
Collaboration: Having other organizations there to support one another shows that each is inclusive and open to growing as a community. Not only does it allow one to promote their organization through another, but it also creates an opportunity for your people to learn and take part in these collaborations.
Although one might feel the pressure to figure out ways to be recognized, I believe that as long as you are staying true to yourself and feel a personal connection with your organization during the process of sharing it, the right people will show up.
