PLCY213 - Non Profit Leadership and Social Innovation

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For my Public Leadership scholars practicum, I took the class PLCY213, which introduces students to the nuances of running a non-profit organization. Professor Selvon Waldron, executive director of educational non-profit Genesys Works, covered topics such as corporate social responsibility, organizational structure, financial literacy, and the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Throughout the course, students prepared for a final presentation and paper that would analyze an existing non-profit organization in depth. 

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I chose to research an organization that I am already involved with as a volunteer - Fidos for Freedom. This organization, based in Laurel, MD, strives to raise and train service dogs for disabled members of the community. I interviewed the executive director at Fidos, Diane Bernier to get her perspective on the organization and her goals for the future. She talked about wanting to reach out and partner with other community groups and promote DEI in the executive team and board.  I also analyzed the non-profit's 990 forms from the past few years, which are mandatory financial statements that all nonprofits need to submit to the IRS and publish publicly. I tracked trends in revenue, expenditures, salaries, and assets to characterize better characterize the organization. I ended with recommendations such as increasing marketing to volunteers and to increase salaries slightly to better retain talent. 

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Throughout my experience in PLCY213 and my work with Fidos for Freedom, I have learned that the non-profit sector is a complex and evolving field that thrives on leadership and managerial prowess from all involved. Before taking this class, my understanding of the sector was simplistic - that people donated money and that it helped those in need. I thought that running a non-profit was always easy and emotionally rewarding. What I know now is that managing a non-profit is exceptionally challenging and that organizations in the sector constantly struggle and respond to staff turnover caused by burnout. Furthermore, that the path from donation to change is not always straightforward - that it takes experience, skill, and organizational clarity to make change happen. 

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I have so much more respect and awareness of the issues faced by non-profit organizations. I now realize that the sector is very challenging and the fact that people continue to engage in it is a testament to the demand for positive change in our society. 

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Personal Growth

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Over the course of the past few months, I have become a more mature and experienced leader. In the first semesters of the program, I learned about leadership theory and studied the actions of other leaders. However, it was not until this past semester that I became immersed in what it means to be a leader practically. An understanding of theory is an important foundation, but experience provides essential insight that theory alone will not. 

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In my PLCY213 class, I studied very specific applications of leadership in the non-profit sector. I also became involved as a volunteer with Fidos for Freedom and a pledge educator for the Alpha Rho Chi professional architecture fraternity. I learned that, in practice, leadership can be difficult. There have been times in the past months where I felt tired, underappreciated, and unsure. Making change takes the dedication to accept the challenges ahead and confidently face them. I characterize myself as being more mature because now I fully realize the implications of being in a leadership position and I take my responsibilities to myself and other more seriously. I realize that while leadership is rewarding, it is also a perpetual struggle. 

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To illustrate this concept, I have included pictures of Shadow - a service dog I help care for and train. I am a service dog sitter at Fidos for Freedom, which means I help by watching the dogs when their primary handlers are unavailable. I am expected to take the dogs everywhere I go throughout my day and help train them to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities. I knew that I wanted to volunteer in this way because I love caring for animals and I believe in the importance of the organization's mission. What I did not know is that caring for a service dog can be very taxing at times. You have to be able to multitask and simultaneously address your needs and the needs of the dog. Everything takes extra planning and time - especially seemingly mundane tasks like using the bathroom, eating in a restaurant, and attending a lecture. 

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Shadow is unique in that he is especially susceptible to distractions and needs to be handled differently than most service animals. He is friendly, eager, and cute, but he can get over-excited easily and is quite large - meaning it is harder to keep him under control physically. The first few times I watched Shadow, I was very stressed. He never seemed to settle down and I struggled immensely to manage my workload, which can be overwhelming by itself. 

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Determined to overcome this challenge, I turned to the skills I learned in Public Leadership. I immediately stepped back from the situation and tried to think objectively. I identified a mission - to help Shadow stay calm. I researched online and asked experts at Fidos for advice. After about a week of trial and error - I realized what I could change about my behavior to make the situation better for both of us. Most notably, I began exercising Shadow more to exert some of his pent-up energy. 

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Soon, Shadow became a very different dog around me. He was calmer and more obedient. He would lay quietly while I did my homework. He would sleep through the night without waking up early in the morning. These pictures of Shadow relaxing mean so much to me because they represent a challenge that I overcame by pausing and applying knowledge I learned in the Public Leadership program. 

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I have learned to better appreciate the leadership I see around me and to cherish the small victories each day. My practicum has made me more eager to be a leader and strengthened my resolve to succeed.

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APPLICATION

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In my practicum, I developed a variety of skills that will useful in my career and life moving forward. In PLCY213, I learned about the non-profit sector and how to succeed in the industry. I want to make public service a central component of the professional work I do. My knowledge and experience learning about non-profits this semester will help me to maximize what I can give to my community through volunteerism, philanthropy, and leadership. 

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THE FUTURE

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My long term plan is to become a licensed architect. I would like to specialize in public infrastructure such as hospitals and schools. I would also like to research new ways to incorporate accessibility into the built environment. At Fidos for Freedom, I hear from disabled people about the struggles they have with doors, stairs, inclines, and other obstacles that make navigating a building very difficult at times. As an architecture student, I believe it is my responsibility to design buildings that are accessible to everyone. 

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In the career I envision for myself, I want to contribute to the public good by donating money, volunteering, and serving as a member of a non-profit organization's board. Architecture is important to me, but it is just one of the many ways I plan to better the community I live in. 

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Short term, I am focused on making the most out of the opportunities I have available. I want to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree two years from now. I want to experiment with classes outside of my major to give myself a more wholistic and diverse education. After taking PLCY213, I have realized a passion for non-profit work and am considering pursuing the Non-profit Leadership minor at UMD. I also plan to continue to participate and contribute to the clubs/organizations I am involved with - APX and Fidos for Freedom. 

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JOB SEARCH

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I will incorporate what I have learned through my practicum in my search for a job in the future. In my experience, employers want to hire individuals that are passionate, enterprising, and skilled - characteristics that I have strengthened within myself over the course of the past semester. I will emphasize to potential employers the lessons I learned in Public Leadership and the skills I have developed such as emotional intelligence, patience, financial literacy, cooperation, and resilience. Below are my resume and an example cover letter that I could use to convince a potential employer of the benefits I offer as a Public Leadership student. 

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