Why WFBoston? One Intern’s Perspective on the Impact of Advocacy and Standing for Women
Sara Renkert (she series) is a rising senior at Tufts University, studying Political Science, Sociology and French. She has experience in policy, advocacy and mentorship through her internships at the MA State House, Jumpstart and involvement with her university chapter of Strong Women, Strong Girls (a grantee organization for WFBoston!). Sara is driven and passionate about working for women’s rights and communities with any career path she chooses in the future. She is immensely grateful for the opportunity to work as a Development Intern under CEO Christina Gordon this summer.
Why were you interested in interning with WFBoston? What about our mission resonates with you?
Working for and toward the advancement of women are things that have mattered to me for a long time, with much of my desire to do so coming from my mother. She worked as a coach and educator for expecting mothers and would often emphasize the power within women’s bodies and also within female communities when they come together. My worldview was shaped by these first encounters with feminist thought and grew with time. I read female authors, was inspired to attend political rallies for women’s rights, and learned women’s history in school. From an early age, I knew the importance of supporting women’s communities.
When I stumbled upon the Women’s Foundation of Boston during my internship search this past spring, I knew it would be the right place for supporting my beliefs and also to feel like I was making a difference. I had some policy, advocacy and nonprofit experience in the past, but had not seen the tactical and business side of those organizations. While I have not spent this summer working directly with the women in these communities, I know the behind-the-scenes projects I have helped with are driving forces in giving our partner organizations the financial force they need to succeed in serving women and girls. I have also made valuable connections through meetings with the Junior Board and the Lunch and Learns (where we meet different members of the organization and advising boards), which have helped me comprehend the groundbreaking network WFBoston has built to connect women in the nonprofit industry and now benefits young women like me just starting their careers in the sector.
What has your internship experience been like thus far? How do you feel you’re making an impact?
My internship experience has been insightful, engaging and fully worthwhile. I have learned the ins-and-outs of development work at WFBoston in order to understand the necessity of good data, working with donors and selling the mission to outsiders. Without our incredible donors, there would be no WFBoston and without those on the development team, those donations would not find their homes at our partner organizations. I am truly inspired to work for individuals who are both committed to WFBoston’s mission, but also to my growth by believing in me to accomplish any tasks they assign to me. They are each powerhouses in their own right, coming from a wide array of business, consulting, policy and higher educational backgrounds that make them each an asset to the team.
Additionally, while I have been focused on development through the acquisition and organization of donation data, I have also been offered opportunities to work collaboratively with WFBoston’s CEO and my supervisor, Christina Gordon, on grant writing. Anyone who has been a part of nonprofits or hopes to be in the future knows that grants are essential aspects of these organizations, making me grateful that I was able to learn that skill as well.
How has your educational background or prior work / volunteer experience prepared you for this internship?
Senior year is scary. The great beyond after graduation has been looming in my mind for months now. As a rising senior at Tufts studying political science, I know I have done my best to gain all the skills I hoped for through various internships the past three years, but I felt I still had more to learn before I committed to the idea of a career in the nonprofit sector. I knew accepting the position of Development Intern at WFBoston would push me one step closer to that all important post-grad decision of where to start your career. I based the acceptance off of three ideas: 1. Solidification of my desire to work in nonprofits, 2. Acclamation of tactical and business skills including data management, networking and grant writing, and 3. Working for women’s rights in the future. WFBoston seemed to hit those three things and has by far surpassed my expectations.
I also knew it would be built off past career choices, including my other internships. Last summer I worked at Jumpstart for Kids in their Policy and Government Relations department. I was driven by their mission to solve children’s literacy levels for those below the poverty line and the way in which my department worked to achieve it. By going right to the source – our nation’s leaders – and advocating for their signage of various bills supporting child care, funding for work study of Jumpstart’s college programs and investments in organizations like Jumpstart; I felt like I was really making a difference on a national level.
I loved the policy work, the research and most importantly, the values-based mission that the organization had. Upon leaving that internship, I knew I wanted to feel that power and passion in any career choice I made into the future. I felt that determination and mission-oriented dedication when I came to WFBoston and knew the others I worked with were feeling it, too.