United Way is looking for an intern to help with their Community Investment funding process. This is the process where we recruit three panels of 10-12 volunteers each who read and rate grant applications and make funding recommendations to United Way’s board. The volunteers read and rate 18-30 grant applications, participate in interview meetings with non-profit agencies and rank all of the applications they’ve read. Then they meet for a final deliberation meeting where, as a group, they come up with an overall ranking and funding recommendations for each program requesting funding. The interns will participate in this process and also assist the panel chairperson in keeping the process running smoothly and take notes at every interview meeting. I’ve listed intern duties below.
This is a great way to learn more about social service non-profits serving Thurston County. Reading and rating grant applications is good experience for those who plan to write grants. This process also gives students some experience with outcomes measurement and logic models, as those are integral parts of our grant application form.
Students who are interested should contact me at 360-943-2773 x 11 or sblumhagen@unitedway-thurston.org.
United Way Community Investment Intern
Late February – early May 2012
Duties:
Read and rate grant applications. Participate in volunteer panels making funding recommendations to United Way Board of Directors.
Take clear and concise notes at all panel interview meetings and e-mail notes to other panel members within 3 days of meeting.
Submit followup questions to interviewees and provide responses to all panel members.
Serve as assistant to Panel Chair.
Facilitate meetings if Panel chair is unavailable. (In this case you will need to find another panel member or United Way staff person to take notes.)
Assist in coordinating scheduling of volunteer panel interviews
Assist in tallying final panel scores using Microsoft Excel
More info:
Year 1: Funding Process
February 28, 2011 (tentative) – Volunteer orientation and training (location TBD)
March 5, 2012 – April 20, 2012: Review grant applications and participate in grant application interviews
(dates and locations will be determined in mid-February)
April 23, 2012 –May 1, 2012 – Impact Panels hold final deliberation meetings, submit final scores and make funding recommendations.
Early June – Volunteer recognition celebration
Year 2: Review Process (February and July)
The second year is dedicated to measuring progress of the programs that received United Way funding. Volunteers will review reports on program measures and assess the level of progress made by each program. You can expect one meeting in February 2013 and one meeting in July 2013.
We will provide an orientation on United Way of Thurston County’s funding priorities and training on how to review funding applications. Interviews and final meetings will generally be held on weekday evenings. Volunteers are expected to read and rate the funding applications on their own time and come to applicant interviews prepared.
As a Community Investment volunteer, you play a central role in this process! We hope that you will decide to join us.
Please click here to fill out our volunteer application: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CommunityInvestmentVolunteerApplication
If you have questions or would like additional information you may contact Megan Hawthorne, Community Engagement Coordinator at VISTA@unitedway-thurston.org or 360-943-2773 x22
Or Stephanie Blumhagen, Grants and Financial Stability Manager at sblumhagen@unitedway-thurston.org or 360-943-2773 x11