The word “networking” really intimidates me. I feel like it implies a level of sophistication that I just don’t have yet. So naturally, I’ve avoided any event that has the word networking in it. I recently learned that this was a mistake.
On February 19, I attended an event in Grupp called Managing Not-for-Profits: Make a Difference Panel. The event was a discussion with a group of five Canisius Alumni panelists who worked for not for profit organizations. The event operated similarly to most other panelist events. The panelists introduced themselves, then talked for a bit about their jobs. The moderator asked questions about what it was like to manage not-for profit organizations, and they would take turns answering. Next, the audience members were invited up to ask the panelists further questions. Lastly, everyone was able to mingle.
This event was very interesting and I learned a lot. I hadn’t ever really considered working for a not-for-profit organization, but after attending this event I’ve considered it! One thing that all of the panelists agreed on was how much they loved being able to feel good about their jobs. Each panelist said they were glad to be making a difference in people’s lives. They also talked about how managing a not-for-profit allowed them the opportunity to learn a lot very quickly, which is something that is helpful in almost any field. One woman was talking about how she wrote grants for Canisius as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations. She explained how hard she had to work convincing the people who approve grants that her cause was worthwhile, but how rewarding it is when her grants get approved. Another woman who works at Buffalo Prep talked about how much she loves seeing students change and grow over the years from freshmen to graduation, and she loves being able to improve the quality of their life and education.
This networking event also taught me that working for Not-for-Profit organizations is extremely challenging. Since there are so many charities supporting important causes and there is a limited amount of money to go around, it is difficult to convince organizations to grant your charity money for something you might need. One way they work to help fix this is by increasing the number of individual donors by building strong relationships with them. One woman who worked for Park School as a Capital Campaign Coordinator talked about holding fundraisers to attract younger donors.
Overall, I found the networking event to be very informative! One thing I always worry about is finding a job after graduation. I’m sure I’m not the only one. I haven’t really found a “passion” like a lot of people my age, so in a way I’m lacking some direction. I felt better after meeting one woman who now works for American Cancer Society as the Director of Community Engagement. She found her passion in helping people! This made me feel a lot better about not knowing what I want to do yet exactly!
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