Nandini Saldi: My First Few Weeks with the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits
As a student in the 2023-2024 LSB Community Fellows Program, I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work as a Public Policy Intern at the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN) for the past few weeks. In this role, I’ve had the chance to apply the business and economics skills I’ve learned in the classroom to support the policy team at the organization.
One of my first experiences with the organization was setting up meetings with the different members of the SVCN team, learning about their line of work, and which projects they have found the most rewarding while being with the organization. This gave me the opportunity to understand the different facets of the organization, including the various tasks that the policy,
marketing and finance teams partake in. For example, I got to meet with my supervisor, Yvonne Jimenez, who taught me several initial skills when working on policy analysis. The team was incredibly welcoming, and ensured that they were always available to answer questions and provide support.
Another exciting experience I had with SVCN was their annual Be Our Guest event, which is an auction and event that aims to bring together nonprofit leaders in the Bay Area, taking place in the Excite Ballpark in San Jose. In the event, the organization auctioned off uniquely designed and decorated pumpkins to fundraise and bring a positive impact in the community. In the event, I was able to get to know the team better and understand the impact and scope that SVCN is able to provide to the greater community.
An aspect about this role that surprised me was the amount of organizations that benefit from SVCN, and the support they offer to smaller nonprofits in the San Jose and greater Bay Area. The organization supports over 100 nonprofit members, and provides them with the tools and resources to provide positive and beneficial impact to the greater community. Additionally, the
organization’s newsletter provides more visibility to smaller grassroots organizations to ensure they can thrive and gain traction.
Through my role as a fellow, I hope to contribute to the community by continuing to take on projects and initiatives that promote economic and social equity, especially in the city of San Jose and the greater Bay Area. Furthermore, I hope to use my education and skills that I have
learned in the Leavey School of Business, and understand how I can leverage these experiences to benefit my community.