Working with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society over the past few months confirmed my desire to work with a non-profit organization in the future.  I was able to work with The Societies’ campaign manager Kelly Peoples who coordinates the annual Light The Night Walks in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.  While all the Walks occur during the month of September, I was able to help with the planning and marketing of the Walks throughout the state of Alabama and assist with other events such as The Man and Woman of the Year awards dinner, Swing Fore a Cure, and other events.

I was able to see what had been talked about in the Social Entrepreneurship course be fulfilled at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).  For example, since non-profit organizations have a limited budget, it is very important to utilize the media whenever possible.  During part of my internship, I organized a media handbook for the local LLS chapter that would allow them to market upcoming events more readily or make the public aware of LLS.  Since it is important for non-profit organizations to build relationships with the media, each contact had a list of preferences (i.e. lead time, best way to contact, what type of story each prefers, etc.) in order for LLS employees to improve these relationships and expand the marketing of The Society.

Although I was unable to attend a Light The Night Walk, I was able to attend the Swing Fore a Cure charity golf tournament in Birmingham before my internship was completed.  I was able to see all the planning and hard work come together to make an event possible.  While observing Kelly in planning and organizing these events, I saw that the abilities I have been given correlate with those needed for someone with her career.  I have always desired to find a career that would allow me to make an impact on society, and I feel that working with a nonprofit organization in the future would fulfill this desire.

This spring I was selected to be a recipient of the SIM Fellowship, in which I was given a stipend to complete an internship with a local non-profit or socially responsible organization. As an upcoming college senior, funds are limited and I could not afford to devote significant amounts of time to an unpaying internship, regardless of its experiential benefits. However, this generous fellowship allowed me to gain experience in my field of interest while alleviating the potential financial burden. I completed my internship with, Higher Ground Roasters, a local organic fair-trade coffee company. Higher Ground is a for-profit company founded upon and driven by a social mission. The social entrepreneurial nature of the company was a perfect match for my interest in this rapidly developing business trend.

Throughout my internship, not only was I able to witness first hand the inner workings of a socially responsible organization, but was able to apply concepts I had learned in my Non-profit management/ Social Entrepreneurship course to directly benefit Higher Ground. One of my main projects for the semester involved conducting a research experiment on Higher Grounds internet marketing. I analyzed data from the past year, drew conclusions and was able to implement my research toward their Google account, better specifying what day of week and what time of day to allot limited advertising funds. The month after my advertising adjustments were made, online sales increased by 27.5%. This is just one example of the many industry experiences encountered during my internship. Through my time at Higher Ground, I was exposed to all aspects of the non-profit/socially responsible world; both positive and negative. This experience gave me a realistic view of the industry and better prepared me for certain challenges that may be encountered. Such knowledge could not have been gained in the classroom, as some lessons are best learned through experience.

After completing my internship with Higher Ground I truly believe that I have a strong foundation and am now more sufficiently equipped to pursue a career as a social entrepreneur. My internship experience has been an invaluable learning tool and I feel blessed to have had this opportunity made possible only through the SIM Fellowship.