The Doctors of D-SIP

Congratulations are in order for D-SIP’s two newest doctors—Molly Dobson and Shelley Strickland.  In December, Molly was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at winter commencement.  Her gifts of time, talent and money have shaped D-SIP into what it is today. Besides being the founding donor, Molly always volunteers to be a guest speaker in the Friday class to share her journey and thoughts on philanthropy with the summer interns. A specific gift of Molly’s allows D-SIP to place four of its interns into Ann Arbor community nonprofits.  Molly has always been a wonderful supporter of the program and is well deserving of her honorary degree.

It is no joke that Dr. Shelley Strickland defended for her Ph.D on April 1, 2013.  It is also not a joke that more than 20 D-SIPers were in the audience.  Shelley came to Ann Arbor to pursue her Ph.D in higher education and to develop the curriculum for the D-SIP program.  D-SIP has been benchmarked by at least 7 other institutions of higher education, and has been nationally recognized by the Council for Advancement and Secondary Education (CASE). Such success would not have been possible without the unique educational curriculum created by Shelley.  While there were many D-SIP alumni at Shelley’s dissertation, there were hundreds of others supporting her throughout the country.  Alumni demonstrated their support by donating to D-SIP in honor of Shelley.  Their gifts will provide more funding for Shelley’s educational class and curriculum.  We will keep you posted with how the money is used!

Congratulations to Molly and Shelley.  D-SIP is lucky to have such incredible individuals involved in the program, and D-SIP certainly would not be what it is today had they not been involved.

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The Inside Scoop: Applying to D-SIP

Being recent alums of D-SIP, we wanted to share some information about this incredible paid internship program and some advice to help you throughout the application process.  First, you should know that D-SIP has a 3 part application process!  We tell you this not to scare you, but to highlight that it is competitive.  You need to be prepared to present your best self in all three parts of the process.  So what are these three parts?!

Stage 1: Online Application http://www.giving.umich.edu/internship/index.php?page=apply

• Applicant Information (name, major, etc.)
• Two Personal Statements
• What does philanthropy mean to you and how does this understanding impact your pursuit of this internship opportunity?
• How has a past work/volunteer experience shaped you as a student and/or professional?
• Three References (*only need reference, NOT a reference letter)
• Cover Letter
• Resume

*Alumni Hints to Succeed at this Stage*

1. Be creative in discussing your meaning of philanthropy.  The recruiters know what dictionary.com says about philanthropy.  The question states, what does it mean to YOU!
2. Do not make careless errors in your essays, cover letter and resume.  Use Sweetland Writing Center , the Career Center, or a trusted friend to review your statements. 
3. Dress professionally because this is your first in-person presentation to D-SIP.
4. Let your voice shine through in your application materials so that the reviewers get a good idea of what type of applicant you are. Program administers are looking for the ‘wow’ factor in this section. A good start would be asking your friends and family what they think sets you apart from other highly qualified individuals.
5. Ask your references if you can use their name before you put them down. This will allow them time to prepare what they are going to say about you instead of being caught off guard when the recruiters call, which will also result in a better reference for you!

Stage 2: Round I Interview

• Interview Component: You will participate in an individual 20-minute interview.
• Group Discussion: You will participate in a group discussion about a provided article discussing relevant philanthropic issues with five other applicants.

*Alumni Hints to Succeed at this Stage*

1. Something as simple as knowing what the term ‘development’ means in relation to this program should not be overlooked during this round. Seriously.
2. Send a follow-up email to your interviewer. This will show that you are committed to the position and appreciate them taking the time to speak with you. Plus you’ll show you know a little bit about “stewardship” (a facet of development) from the beginning!

Stage 3: Round II Interview

• Interview for a position within a specific University School or Unit, Office of Development unit, or Ann Arbor Community Non-Profit. Interviews are half an hour in length.

*Alumni Hints to Succeed at this Stage*

1. Make sure to research the unit with which you will be interviewing. For example, if you are meeting with the U-M School of Kinesiology, you might want to read up on their advancement team as current research initiatives and student perspectives.  And, you better know where the School of Kinesiology is located on campus!
2. Again, follow-up with your interviewer! The people you interview with in Round II are usually your summer employer, so let your excitement and passion shine through.  Don’t be afraid to sell yourself!

To prepare for the interview stages be sure to utilize campus resources like the career center, academic advisers and other alumni of the program you may know. Overall, aside from the lasting friendships you will forage, D-SIP will afford you endless opportunities to grow professionally because of the knowledge you will gain and the network and relationships you will build while participating in the program.

To continue learning more and to apply, please visit:
www.giving.umich.edu/internship
www.facebook.com/UMDSIP

Good Luck and Go Blue!

Mandi, Matt and Kyle (D-SIP ’11)

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what do the D-SIP interns work on?

D-SIP interns have worked on various projects in the past 5 years.  Please check out our new archive highlighting some of these projects, the impact they have had and the skills interns have walked away with!

 

http://umdsipshowcase.wordpress.com/

 

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D-SIP Alumni Awards

Leadership is one of the competencies considered during the selection process of our interns, so it is no surprise that our alumni can do great things.  But, what does surprise us is what they do.  Because of the impressive work completed by our interns, two newly created awards  have been, and will be given out annually at the D-SIP Closing Ceremony.

One of these awards is given to an individual who works in the development profession and remains steadfast in making the profession better in some capacity.  This award,  the Chrissi Rawak Award of Distinction in Development, is named after Chrissi Rawak whose vision was critical in the creation the Development Summer Internship Program.  Although the impact of her work goes beyond students, her passion for creating a pipeline for students to enter into the development profession has created a transformative experience for many U-M undergraduates.

The other award granted this year was the Block M of Honor for Community Impact.  This award is given to an individual that has made an impact in their community. 

Without further ado, let’s meet the honorees.

 Amy Pfaehler, D-SIP 2007, was granted the Chrissi Rawak Award for Distinction in Development.  Just as Chrissi helped to create a pipeline into the profession for young professionals, Amy continued such work for D-SIP alumni.  An advocate for development work, Amy gladly met with all D-SIP alum searching for jobs in the D.C. area and provided guidance.  In fact, her help led one of our alumni right into another political fundraising position in D.C. 

The Block M of Honor for Community Impact was given to Nick Glauch, D-SIP 2007.  Nick was responsible for raising 25,000 dollars for an endowment he established for his local high school.  He achieved his goal due to his ability to work with the senior class, alumni, and community members.  In today’s economy, such an endowment is quite an accomplishment and, even more, a great help to his high school.

Congratulations Amy and Nick! 

 

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Celebrating 5 years

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The U-M Development Summer Internship Program

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MPortfolio and the Division of Student Affairs

Paula Wishart, from the UM Career Center, converses with D-SIP interns about professionalism at the Etiquette Dinner

One of the reasons our program stands out as a national best practice is because of our strong partnership with the Division of Student Affairs (DSA) — the Career Center played a critical role in shaping our professional development curriculum; Intergroup Relations fostered dialogue amongst our interns on the interplay between interculturalism and philanthropy; and DSA Development has hosted and mentored 5 D-SIP interns. For this newsletter, we want to particularly focus on how our partnership with the MPortfolio initiative, through DSA, has transformed our interns’ learning.

In year two of the program, Simone Himbeault Taylor, associate vice president for student affairs, suggested that D-SIP become one of the pilot sites for the integrative knowledge portfolio process (MPortfolio). As a result, Melissa Peet, the academic lead for the MPortfolio Initiative at the time, and her team worked with us to create the processes to help successfully incorporate this initiative into our program.

Through MPortfolio D-SIP interns engage in self-directed reflection of their past and present experiences and then draw connections between these experiences and their overarching philosophy, vision, and goals for the future. They then post these reflections in an electronic portfolio.  By the end of the summer our interns:

• gain an increased awareness of themselves as learners, leaders, and professionals
• create examples of work and a philosophy statement that exhibit their skills, capacities, and lessons learned through D-SIP.

According to Joseph Sutkowi (D-SIP 2010), “MPortfolio was valuable because it required me to take my thoughts on the work I had done and the lessons I learned in D-SIP and put them into very concrete pieces. Having already put these thoughts into words, I was able to articulate my thoughts much more clearly to employers.”

The integration of the M-Portfolio dramatically changed the way our interns speak about their experience in our program and their understanding of the role philanthropy

An example Mportfolio page

will play in their lives as engaged citizens and future leaders. We want to ensure that our interns leave the program having learned about: the profession, the impact of philanthropy in education and in our global society, and most importantly, themselves as young professionals and future leaders. MPortfolio is essential in making certain this transfer of knowledge and type of reflection occurs. The  process of creating an M-Portfolio encourages our students to engage in life-long and life-wide learning.

Kat Walsh

D-SIP Program Director

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Philanthropy in the Corporate World

Painting murals during Volunteer Day at L’Oreal

Corporate Social Responsibility were words that basically meant nothing to me prior to D-SIP. But through my internship I’ve seen words that I used to shrug at like “matching gift” and “corporate volunteer initiatives” actually feed the hungry and house the homeless. Corporate Social Responsibility is no longer just an empty claim to use less paper but a shift in the way companies function. With savvier consumers and stricter federal laws (and lets not forget last summers’ manmade natural disasters), companies have begun to reexamine what it means to function not as a “company” but as a citizen in the modern world. Having recycling programs in place is now becoming a norm, corporate sponsored fundraisers and grants are spreading like wildfire. Firms like Pepsi and American Express have found ways to let the Social Media storm help build both their brand image and provide much needed funds to non-profits across the nation with initiatives like the Pepsi Refresh Grant and American Express Members Give. Working in Ozone House showed me how much non-profits depend on the kindness of corporations, and although I am currently working in the for profit sector, it is a lesson that I still hold close. Corporate social responsibility was something that I researched before even applying to a company. If I was spending my whole summer at a company, and potentially a large portion of my adult life, it better share some of the values that I do and it better have matching gift. This summer is half way over and the upcoming interviewing season is looming not far ahead. And it is a time that most people ask themselves, “Am I good enough for this company?” but don’t forget to ask yourself, “Is this company good enough for me?”

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Why was the Development Summer Internship Program created?

D-SIP was created in response to there being no pipeline into the development profession. The talent pool was, and continues to be, very thin, even though the demand for exceptional development professionals continues to increase. To address this issue, we decided to create D-SIP. The recruitment targets undergraduates, as it is easier to introduce them to the profession and influence their career choices, versus graduate students, who are more likely to have a developed career plan.

I was highly confident that D-SIP would be successful even though we were dreaming big. D-SIP is such a great summer experience for all the interns.  And, one of our greatest findings from our program is its lasting impact.  D-SIP not only introduces undergraduates to the concept of fundraising as a profession, but it also creates a deep understanding and awareness of the role philanthropy has played in the interns’ overall U-M experience.  They value their U-M experience and truly see the responsibility and potential they hold, as alumni of the university, in affecting the U-M experience for future generations of students.

As D-SIP embarks upon its fifth year, I am very proud of the program, our graduates and the investment our community has made in the program. D-SIP has exceeded my expectations and hopes.

Go Blue!

Chrissi Rawak

Assistant Vice President, Talent Management and Development Operations

Office of University Development

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Act as if what you do makes a difference.  It does.

~William James

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