| Written by Breanna R. |
In my final semester as an undergraduate B.A. in English student at Rutgers–Camden, I took a course with Leah Falk called Writing for Nonprofit Organizations. It was a writing intensive course coupled with civic engagement. Leah coordinated with local Camden nonprofit organizations like Interfaith Homeless Outreach Council (IHOC), Joseph’s House of Camden (JHOC), and Friends of the Camden County Child Advocacy Center (FoCCCAC) and partnered students with organizations. Along with two other classmates, I was partnered with FoCCCAC. Leah’s ultimate goal was that we put the skills and knowledge learned from the course into practice and create a project that served our organization’s need. Some of us conducted research and wrote drafts for grants, some of us planned fundraisers, some of us designed logos and other branding.
While the other organizations were established, FoCCCAC was just starting out. In other words, we could help with anything and everything. I chose to marry my social media skills with my new understanding of how to write for nonprofits and create a Facebook page for FoCCCAC that raised awareness of their mission and vision. This project was a huge success. FoCCCAC’s new Facebook page gained hundreds of new followers and had posts scheduled for months in advance (making its operation as efficient as possible for the busy board members). At the end of the semester, we had to present our projects to our classmates, instructor, and partner organizations. I shared my progress as well as my knowledge of Analytics and Post Boosting.
Tom Martin, a member from another partner organization, took notice to my work and approached me after the final class with his contact information. I reached out to him over that summer when all the excitement of graduating had died down. At the time, he was working with United Methodists of Greater New Jersey (GNJUMC) but had a few ideas of his own. He was very passionate about spreading literacy throughout the Camden community and started hosting Pop Up Libraries around the city in popular areas and giving books away for free to people of all ages and from all walks of life. To advance his efforts, he needed to be in a position to accept monetary donations, which he couldn’t do while affiliated with his current organization. So, after some deliberation with me and others who supported his work, Tom decided to found his own nonprofit organization, Camden County Pop Up Library (CCPUL), of which he is Executive Director. I have been working with Tom for over two years, building websites, creating e-mail lists, publishing newsletters, maintaining Facebook and Instagram, and helping him find additional resources to forward his mission. On my resume, it says that I am Tom’s Digital Marketing and Media Consultant, but I feel like much more than that. I feel like I’m a part of something that is constantly growing and changing lives, something important, something serene and focused in the midst of all the craziness in the world. Although I work behind the scenes, my work feels just as rewarding as that of the many volunteer Pop Up Librarians who man the Pop Up Libraries now scattered through Camden, Burlington, and some of Gloucester counties.
When I signed up for Leah’s Writing for Nonprofits course, I didn’t think I was taking a step toward finding lifelong friendships or toward finding both a career and passion working for nonprofit organizations and specifically working with CCPUL.
After tracing my progression from merely signing up for a course to establishing a professional relationship with a great organization, I hope you realize that every choice you make gives you opportunities to network and can lead to a great snowballing effect if you allow it to and are open to new experiences! Also, a lot of these organizations could use your mind and your energy. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the organizations personally or go through the Office of Civic Engagement. In speaking for CCPUL, we love working with Rutgers–Camden students! Please feel free to e-mail Tom Martin at kennedyper@aol.com for volunteering opportunities (plus, that always looks great on your resume). Last semester, a Rutgers–Camden student group put this video together for us. Check it out!