Chaily Derecskey, COL ’25, Wilmington, DE
This summer, my Penn Career Services funding award allowed me to complete an internship at Charity Brands, a consulting firm specializing in nonprofit fundraising. During my internship, I gained valuable entry-level experience in the field of consulting. One of my primary responsibilities was conducting research on various nonprofit organizations, including their philanthropic endeavors, revenue streams, and leadership structures. My role encompassed not only researching but also translating these findings into presentations for my team. My colleagues and I used this research to determine potential partnerships between different corporations and nonprofits, facilitating matches for fundraising events and campaigns. The experience broadened my understanding of corporate social responsibility and the strategies nonprofits use to raise money for their causes. Our work spanned a variety of sectors including but not limited to education, healthcare, and gender equality, which exposed me to the variety of nonprofit initiatives in the United States. Additionally, I participated in daily team meetings and provided support by taking comprehensive meeting notes.
This internship was hybrid, so I was often able to work remotely. This provided me with a unique sense of flexibility, allowing me to further explore Philadelphia, where I lived over the summer. I would often work from local coffee shops and bookstores, or meet up with my friends who were also working from home. Exploring the city and venturing off of Penn’s campus is not always possible for me during the busy school year, so having a hybrid opportunity not only enriched my work experience but deepened my connection with Philadelphia.
Although I’m not completely sure where my professional future will take me, this internship equipped me for potential pathways in nonprofit management and consulting. I know that the hands-on engagement with nonprofits and corporations and the exposure to Charity Brands’ strategic approaches will be extremely valuable regardless of what path I end up taking. The experience solidified my understanding of navigating the nonprofit sector, fostering collaborative relationships, and helping to create innovative fundraising strategies. I also built skills in time management and research that will help me throughout the rest of my academic career at Penn. I feel as though I now have a strong foundation upon which to build my professional journey, and I am extremely grateful to Penn Career Services for the generous award that made this internship possible.
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2023 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
