Cleveland Foundation

Summer Intern

May - August 2022 • Cleveland, OH

What I liked

The Cleveland Foundation did a great job connecting interns to other nonprofits in the local Cleveland network, and supported us in navigating these new professional relationships. Some of the work sessions included really valuable discussions and skill development. The staff I worked with were very helpful in getting me connected to nonprofits in the area that align with my career goals, even though it was very much outside the work I was doing as an intern. I could not be more grateful for my time in the SIP program!

What I wish was different

The host site I was placed with wasn't especially clear on directions for the work assigned, and tended to overwhelm me with their work expectations. But when I brought these concerns to TCF, they were really great about helping me develop an actionable plan, and even communicated with my host site directly when needed.

Advice

Go in with an open mind! There are so many different ways to work in the nonprofit world, so try things out and see what fits!

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Summer Intern

May - August 2019 • Cleveland, OH

What I liked

Excellent exposure to nonprofit and public sector organizations in Cleveland. I grew my network substantially and gained a really solid understanding of nonprofits and government agencies. I also loved having a career coach that was provided by the Cleveland Foundation throughout the summer. Plenty of professional development opportunities and lifelong friends and mentors made within the cohort.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have had more control over my host site. I really enjoyed being a part of the Cleveland Foundation but found some parts of my host site to be problematic. I would have liked having a bigger say as to where I was placed for the summer. The success of your summer as a Cleveland Foundation summer intern is largely dependent on where you are placed, and the quality of managers, projects, and company culture varies from host site to host site and is out of your control. In other words, the Cleveland Foundation is great, but your host site (where you spend 40 hours a week for 11 weeks) may not be.

Advice

If you choose to apply, it is very competitive so be sure to always show the best version of yourself. Words of kindness go a long way!

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Summer Intern

May - August 2019 • Cleveland, OH

What I liked

I loved my time as a Cleveland Foundation Intern. I expanded my network of non-profit professionals exponentially and received wonderful hands on experience in networking, Grant proposal writing, event planning, and more. I also learned about the NE Ohio non-profit sector and made life long friends and mentors in my cohort, the Foundation, and my host site.

What I wish was different

I wish there more of a project for me to work on. I surprised my supervisors at my host site by being incredibly efficient, which unfortunately left me without a lot to work on!

Advice

Keep yourself open to all possibilities! Saying yes leads to new experiences and networking possibilities!

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Community Development Intern

May - August 2018 • Cleveland, OH

What I liked

Through the Cleveland Foundation I was placed at Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation. There were 19 other interns in my cohort, all placed at different nonprofits in Cleveland. Throughout the summer, our cohort visited each others sites and gained knowledge about nonprofit/public sector work while making connections at many different organizations. This added another level to the work that I did at FRDC, which I really enjoyed.

What I wish was different

I wish I had a bit more creativity within the internship I had. I learned a lot about my organizations and had the independence to dive deeper into areas that interested me. However, I generally learned a lot about what type of job I do not want to have in the future. Although I wish I had more innovation and creativity around me, I learned a lot about myself in the process.

Advice

Be nice! Be nice to everyone and appreciate experiences for what they are, rather than focusing on what you WANT them to be or what you EXPECTED them to be.

1 One person found this helpful