Truman State University: Non-Profit Analysis

Ever since I can remember, I have had the intense desire to help people. In high school, I joined Kiwanis Key Club and National Honors Society; both organizations allowed me to gain hours of volunteer experience helping families in need within my own community. Both organizations have annual events to benefit our community. At Christmas, Key Club adopts a few families and we buy clothing and toys for the kids. Our efforts to make the holidays a more enjoyable time for the families removed the parents’ burden of having to worry about being able to pay bills after getting presents for their children. Also, National Honors Society holds a blood drive every year in coalition with the American Red Cross. Last year our blood drive was in honor of a little girl in our community with leukemia.

I was raised with the fundamental notion of service to mankind, I have always been interested in society’s injustices and problems, and being a catalyst for change. This has brought me to applying to the University of Central Florida’s Master of Nonprofit Management program within the School of Public Administration. I am currently a practitioner in Social Work and serve as the Director of Social Services at the Orlando Area Command of The Salvation Army. I have received my bachelors and master’s degree in Social Work from Barry University in Miami, FL.

Following college, I moved to Portland, Oregon and looked for ways to continue developing my skills and fostering my passion for social responsibility. I started at Impact NW as an AmeriCorps member, where I served two terms helping run the AKA Science program. In my role, I managed hundreds of volunteers, wrote curriculum, and trained instructors; but above all, I learned how to work with corporate partners. Aided by corporate volunteers, our program served thousands of students each year. I quickly realized the importance of establishing meaningful, long-term relationships. Companies gave back to our community and in return we provided them a chance to hold an engaging experience for their employees. Every committed corporate team we cultivated helped us build capacity and redirect vital resources back into our program. We also encouraged volunteers to share their skills and as a result they would provide us with amazing insights. For example, one group of volunteers from Nike world headquarters helped streamline our processes by sharing ideas from their work in lean manufacturing. These experiences sparked something for me and I realized that my strengths as a creative thinker and a leader and my passion for giving back unite.

In the course of my time at Union County College, I was able to participate in measures that aided my community and those in need. I took part in the donation and creation of care bags which were donated to the Salvation Army. This initiative was made by AESNJ as part of their statewide drive to help those who lack the resources needed to obtain day to day necessities such as hygienic supplies, socks, tissues and other essentials. Additionally, I made a financial contribution which went towards aiding Syrian children. Helping individuals in need encouraged me to participate in Strides against Breast Cancer a walkathon which generated money for women whose lives were impacted by cancer. The financial donations assisted women who were unable

Throughout my high school years I have achieved more than I thought I ever could. I began to get involved with the Evergreen FFA due to my family background of farming. As I got more involved I decided to run for an office and today I am president of the Evergreen FFA and a State Degree recipient. One thing I love about my experience in FFA is getting to help people in need and making our community a better place through all of the community service that we do. For example we go to christmas cheer to help local people in need during the holiday season. We also collect can food items for thanksgiving dinners for the less fortunate in the area.

I am currently a sophomore, studying nonprofit administration here at Johnson University, and I am so excited for how God is going to use me through my studies. Nonprofit ministries have always been close to my heart because I grew up at one. My parents have managed a Christian camp for 28 years, and camp is the only place I have ever called home. My experience with camp is what prompted me to come to Johnson for the nonprofit program, and I am incredibly thankful this is where God led me.

Throughout High School, I led multiple philanthropic projects. As president of the Ignite Organization, I involved students to raise funds for, and volunteer at a pregnancy center. I assembled a team of volunteers, and initiated fundraisers. This effort transpired over a year and continues to affect my community. I also developed a supply-drive to assist Hurricane Sandy victims through benefit events. Furthermore, I volunteered at summer camps as well as at my Parish as a counselor.

I went to high school in Edmonton where I was VP of Key Club, on the fundraising committee of grad council, and involved in a bunch of clubs at school. I'm passionate about community service and I believe that it s very beneficial for personal and professional growth. I received the Seymour Schulich community service award and I plan to continue being involved in the

During my time at Wright State, I did a variety of volunteer opportunities, here and there. Once, I helped a elementary school to build a garden. Another time, I helped at a Fire Department during their open house. Lastly, I helped pack some care packages for those soldiers overseas.

The United States has an extraordinarily large, diverse, economically powerful and politically influential nonprofit sector, distinct from government and business. It consists of more than 1.6 million registered organizations and institutions and perhaps an equal or even larger number of nonprofit associations that are not required to formally register or report their activities. The U.S. nonprofit sector is more broadly defined than elsewhere and includes schools, hospitals, museums, civil rights groups, labor unions, and many, many others. It accounts for more than six percent of the US Gross Domestic Product and employs more than nine percent of all US workers.

I have won: 4-H State Award: Nutrition Leadership, Sodexo Stop Hunger Grant, Presidential and Montana State Volunteer, and Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, county fair 4-H awards. I have also donated my time to school classes and youth groups to help promote cultural awareness and college/career readiness skills through organization sponsored workshops. Through volunteering I have learned how important planning for college and a career is and how many people are unaware of the options available to them. I’ve learned some techniques to maximize student’s research and organization time such as developing a portfolio. Currently I serve as an undergraduate research member on the MSU Blueprints to Success research project. The project is meant to help high school seniors and college freshman become more competent in selecting further education choices and help with the confusing financial aid/registration processes. Through this project we will be creating a website and possibly an app to assist pre and early college students become successful their first years in

My achievement comes from two non profits organization, YouthCARE and College Possible. YouthCARE is a multicultural youth program that does activities and employment programs. I was involved in Youth Advisory council. We planned events for youths to bond with each other and do fundraising. We were able to get about get about 200 youth participants. College Possible helps high school Juniors to raise their ACTs and Seniors with their applications. Many students got into college.

I have volunteered as a Sunday School Teacher or a Vacation Bible School leader and assisted with this year’s Red Ribbon Run. Based on the way I was raised, I realize that volunteering in our community is essential. Watching my parents in the organizations that they are passionate about inspires me to be involved with philanthropy as a young adult. This fall, I will be a freshman at Florida Southern College with the hopes of graduating with a Bachelors degree double majoring in Communications (with a focus in Public Relations and Advertising/ Interpersonal and Organization Communication) and Marketing.

Being part of a Jesuit institution has changed my opinion of working for the community. As a business student, I was required to take a class that focuses on volunteering and helping the public. The management class that I took with Dr. Lee helped me find the right organization where I could use my best skills to help serve the public and be a good representative of both myself and my school. I started working with a non-profit organization called Education Outside with a group of four other students from my class. Education Outside focuses on helping public schools in San Francisco to teach science to children outside of normal classrooms in outdoor gardens. I started working with my group to create a

Inspired by my passion to create change, I volunteered as an AmeriCorps VISTA. I committed to a one-year community service minded immersal program in Atlantic City. This gave me the opportunity work with community programs such as Campus Kitchen and Stockton College Day of Service where I was able to be in the community developing programs that focused on decreasing and eventually preventing poverty at the grassroots level. While I matured professionally, it most affected me personally. During my tenure, I saw the pitfalls of where the law and public policy did not enable significant change. After a year as a VISTA, where I saw families struggling to feed and house themselves, I also experienced this battle myself. I decided that my