This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2021 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here.
This entry is by Winni Zhang, WH ’23
This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Common Cents [CC], a non-profit startup organization dedicated to empowering students to manage their money and reach financial independence. I was able to gain exposure to many different aspects of the organization because it is still a young startup.
During my 8-week internship, I gained skills related to the operation and expansion of a growing non-profit startup organization. I took part in the funding team and assisted in the process of sourcing contacts from potential sponsors. Joining the funding team allowed me to attend meetings with potential sponsors and learn how to pitch our organization to them. I learned the performance metrics and characteristics of CC that sponsors care about as well as the way to go about presenting them.
In addition to taking part in the funding team, I also gain experience with website design. I learned how to use web-based prototyping tools like Figma to design web pages that convey CC’s mission and impact. I also designed the product marketplace page that displays different financial tools and services for students to take advantage of.
Other than designing the organization’s new website, I created a flyer detailing the CC Core Curriculum for our different campus chapters and the CC Sponsorship Packet. These flyers are shared with our potential sponsors to provide a greater understanding of our mission and how they can become involved in our mission. I also designed standing banners and tablecloths for the organization to display at individual chapter’s club fairs.
Another skill I gained is how to document the flow of funds for the organization. I received the responsibility of adjusting the CC Accounting Sheet to represent our club’s various transactions better. I updated the CC Accounting Sheet and gained a better understanding of how non-profit organizations track the donations that they receive and their expenses.
My summer internship at CC helps me gain greater insights into the operation and expansion efforts of a non-profit startup organization. I was able to work with many individuals who are also passionate about CC’s mission and the startup culture. I am very grateful for the summer funding that made this experience possible.
