ENGAGE – Wesleyan University

The Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship presents

FUNDRAISING BOOTCAMP: GRANTWRITING 101

A dinner, talk, and workshop with Sonya Behnke ’03,
Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Mass General Hospital,
(previously Manager of Institutional Giving for the Greater Boston Food Bank)

Tuesday, February 17
6-7:30 p.m.
Allbritton 311 

Dinner will be provided for those who register by February 13. 

Have you ever been part of an organization that needs funding? Do you think you’ll work for a non-profit or NGO at some point in your career? Identifying donors and foundations, building relationships with prospects, writing compelling grant applications, and demonstrating program outcomes are key skills for anyone working to have social impact. During this 2-hour bootcamp, participants will hear about careers in fundraising, learn some concrete tools for raising money, and get hands-on grantwriting practice.

Sonya Behnke ’03, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Mass General Hospital
Sonya Behnke has nearly a decade of experience fundraising for diverse nonprofits. Through full-time positions and as a volunteer and consultant, Sonya has effectively built relationships with foundations and corporate partners of all sizes and scope, closing gifts ranging from small seed funding grants for nonprofit start-ups to transformative, multi-million grants to established institutions.

Sonya was first “hooked” on the power and promise of working in the nonprofit sector while completing her Master of Public Policy at Georgetown University.  Selected as the Waldemar A. Nielsen Philanthropy Fellow in her second year of study, Sonya worked as a grantwriting intern for the innovative nonprofit, DC Central Kitchen, and published work in The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Quarterly. Following graduation, Sonya became a grant writer for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, supporting the organization’s diverse social and health services for the immigrant and refugee populations of Washington, DC and surrounding counties. After relocating to Boston, Sonya was hired as the manager of institutional giving at The Greater Boston Food Bank. In just over two years, Sonya increased annual foundation revenue by over 70%, working in close concert with a portfolio of roughly 60 foundation and corporate partners. Today, Sonya serves as director of corporate and foundation relations for Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), raising over $8 million annually for the hospital’s Cancer Center as well as the Red Sox Foundation and MGH Home Base Program for veterans and military families.

Sonya graduated from Wesleyan University as an English and American Studies major and was a member of the Women’s Field Hockey and Lacrosse teams.

Tags: fundraising, grant writing, grants

Has the American government been paralyzed by obsolete law?

Philip K. Howard, author of The Death of Common Sense and The Rule of Nobody (and a periodic guest on The Daily Show), argues that we must clean out old laws and programs in order to meet today’s challenges. Howard will visit Wesleyan on Wednesday, February 4 to discuss the effects of living in an the overly-litigious society and how we might begin to untangle our increasingly dense legal system.

The talk will be held at 4:30 PM in PAC 002 and is sponsored by the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life.

Tags: allbritton center for the study of public life, law, philip k. howard, rule of nobody

Are unpaid internships exploitative, or is free labor a fair trade for a learning experience? Why do businesses and organizations hire unpaid interns, and should students accept these positions? Who wins and loses in a society where unpaid internships are permitted?

We will consider these questions and more over pizza on Friday, January 30 at Allbritton Talks, a new conversation series addressing current events, controversial issues, and the enduring questions of public life. If you’ve got a hot-button issue or ethical quandary you’d like to pick apart as a group, send your suggestions to Civic Engagement Fellow Rosy Capron at scapron@wesleyan.edu.

This event is sponsored by the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life.

Tags: allbritton center for the study of public life, Allbritton Talks, cspl, current events, fridays, lunch, open discussion

If you love horses and want others to experience the joys of riding as well, contact the Manes & Motion Therapeutic Riding Center about volunteering with their programs. This Middletown-based not-for-profit aims to enhance the well-being of individuals living with physical, emotional and/or cognitive special needs through the benefits of equine-assisted activities. Volunteers are needed to assist the participants, serve as side walkers or leaders, and do valuable behind-the-scenes work like caring for the horses, maintaining the facility, and helping with fundraising events or office tasks. To get involved, contact Sarah Hallwood by calling 860-685-0008 or emailing m&mvolunteercoordinator@hfsc.org

Tags: horses, riding, special needs, therapy

Tutoring kids in the community is a great way to make a difference in someone’s life while also forming new friendships and brushing up on your pre-algebra skills. There are seven student-run tutoring programs in Wesleyan’s Office of Community Service — including two *new* programs recently awarded generous grants — and a few other groups on campus are also working to connect college students with local youth. Come to Thursday’s info session at 7 pm in PAC 002 to learn about all of these programs at once!

Beginning this semester, you can get in touch with every tutoring group by filling out just one form. To sign up, use the “OCS Registration Process” form on the OrgSync page for the Center for Community Partnerships. Students granted federal work-study can be paid for their participation in any OCS literacy group.

Tags: Andre's All Stars, green street, keigwin, tutoring, wesreads, work-study, wwms

Join representatives from the Wesleyan Sustainability Office, Zipcar, CT Rides, and tech startup Wheeli for an information session, open-panel discussion, and networking opportunity about the latest and greatest in sustainable transportation. Invite your friends, contribute to the discussion, and pitch your own ideas as you network with the featured organizations over a common purpose of traveling green.

Casey Pickett will be the moderator and keynote speaker of the evening. He is currently the Director of Innovation for the State of Connecticut in the Department of Economic and Community Development.

The panel will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Wednesday, February 11 in Beckham Hall. It is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. View the Facebook invitation here.

Tags: panel discussion, sustainability, sustainability office, travel, wheeli, zipcar

The Hartford-based Sheff Movement coalition has invited middle and high school students and activists from across Greater Hartford to submit films on “Racial Justice in Education” for their festival on April 25. To help Connecticut’s youngest writers, documentary makers, and cinematographers develop their projects, Sheff Movement is seeking students and faculty from Wesleyan to lead and/or staff workshops on film-related topics in February and March. To get involved, contact Gina Chirichigno at intern@sheffmovement.org.

Tags: Film, Hartford, Reel Youth, Workshops, youth

The “Cardinal Internship” designation refers to opportunities with companies or organizations where alumni, parents, and friends of Wesleyan are especially interested in hiring Wesleyan students. The variety and caliber of the internship hosts speak to the excellence and adaptability of a Wesleyan education and, as one might expect, many of the positions are with groups working for social and environmental change. While a full list of these opportunities can be found on CareerDrive, we’ve begun to pick out the internships that are with organizations doing work related to social impact or civic engagement. Check back for updates, and remember to apply for grants and academic credit to make unpaid positions more feasible!

Social Enterprise Internships at GatherWell
- Bay Area or work remotely
– Due January 19 for Spring and April 28 for Summer
– Cynthia Jaggi ’00 is the founder

Summer Intern/Fellow at BlueLabs
- Washington, D.C.
– Due January 23
- Leonid Liu ’14 is a Data Analyst

Machon Kaplan Summer Intern Program at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
– Washington, D.C.
– Due February 1 (requires an official transcript, two short letters, and letters of recommendation)

Common Ground High School, Urban Farm, and Environmental Education Center
– New Haven, CT
– From Jesse Delia ’04
– Due February 1

Summer Intern at Creative Artists Agency
- Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville
– Due February 1

Spring and Summer Internships at the Bipartisan Policy Center
- Washington, D.C.
- Due February 2

Summer Internships at the Bronx Defenders Office
– Bronx, NY
– Due February 6

Internships at Groundwork Bridgeport
- Bridgeport, CT with some work done remotely
– Due February 10 for Spring and April 14 for Summer

GIS Mapping and Radio Program at Maji Safi Group
- Shirati, Tanzania
– Due February 10
– Organization co-founded by Max Perel-Slater ’11

Forensic Social Work Intern at Lawyers for Children
- New York, NY
– Due February 14
- Karen J. Freedman, Esq. ’75 is the Executive Director

Summer Institute at Shining Hope for Communities
– Nairobi, Kenya
– Due February 15
– Founded by Kennedy Odede ’12 and Jessica Posner ’12

Paid internship in civic leadership through the Hope Reichbach Fund
– Brooklyn, NY
– Due February 27

Legal Intern at Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities
- Hartford, CT
– Due March 3
- Has hired Wes students in the past

Legal and HR Intern at Women’s Health USA
- Avon, CT
– Due March 17
– CEO is Bob Patricelli ’61 P’88 P’90

Summer Intern at the Lalela Project
– New York, NY and Western Cape, South Africa
– NYC due March 17, South Africa due March 24

Summer Associate at Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy
- Brooklyn, NY
– Due March 24
- Kara Gilmour ’92 is the Program Manager and several Wes students have enjoyed working here in the past

Theater Camp Intern at Helen Hayes Youth Theater
- Nyack, NY
- Due March 24
– from Danielle Rudess ’82 is the founder 

Policy Intern at the NYS Task Force
– New York, NY
– Due March 24
– from Stuart Sherman ’03

Publishing Intern at CHOICE
- Middletown, CT
– Due March 31

Program Intern at Recess
- Brooklyn, NY
– Due April 1
– Allison Weisberg ’05 is the founder and executive director

Summer Intern at Provincetown Art Association and Museum
– Provincetown, MA
– Due April 14

Humanities Curriculum Development and Data Analytics interns at Ascend Learning
– Brooklyn, NY
– Due April 14
– Several Wes students have interned here in the past.
– Betsey Schmidt ’89 is the Chief Curriculum Officer

Summer Intern at National Endowment for Democracy
- Washington, D.C.
- Students must receive credit through CSPL 493
– Due May 1
– Nancy Herzog ’90 is the Senior Director of Grants Administration

Tags: cardinal internships

Tutoring, gardening, cooking, eating, hiking, playing, dancing, doula-ing, farming, teaching, advocating — Wesleyan students are doing a lot off-campus! Come by the Engagement Fair on Wednesday afternoon to hear from over twenty student groups who are working in the greater community and learn about the various ways you can get involved. CCP staff will also be on hand to answer any questions about community-based work study positions.

Tags: community engagement fair

We are pleased to share this announcement from Sitar Terrass-Shah ’17:

Wesleyan’s Development Conference Committee is seeking alumni to speak at  our first bi annual conference titled “Creating a Better World: Perspectives on Global and Local Development” on Saturday, February 21st 2015.

Our goal is to have speakers share insights and critiques of both the theory and practice of international and local development. Practitioners and academics who work in education, non profits, health care and poverty alleviation are welcome. Individual speakers will present; followed by a larger plenary question and answer section in which the speakers and audience can interact with each other.

This is a great way to talk through the complexities of practicing and theorizing development with students and Middletown residents who want to create a better world.

If you are interested in speaking or have questions, kindly contact me at sterrassshah@wesleyan.edu. Speakers will need to arrange their own transportation, but we are willing to work with you to offset some expenses.

Tags: conference, international development