Nandini Saldi: Exploring How My Business Education Can Make a Difference in a Nonprofit Organization
My first few weeks back as a Public Policy Intern at the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits this winter quarter have been exciting, rewarding and incredibly educational. Last quarter, I acquired skills in policy analysis, finished a newsletter style guide project, and got the chance to experience the annual Be Our Guest event at SVCN. This quarter, I hope to use more of the business and economics skills I have learned in the Leavey School of Business to create a positive impact in the Bay Area through this fellowship.
One way in which my perspective has changed about community work is that I have learned how multifaceted and complex nonprofit organizations -such as SVCN- truly are. The organizations include various departments that require employees of diverse skill sets. These can include finance, marketing, policy, and even an operations department. A few of the specific skills I have found to be used to support the operations of SVCN and in my recent project include conducting detailed research and analysis, understanding and quantifying my findings as well as communicating effectively and timely.
Many of the economics electives and courses I have taken have previously allowed me to use raw data and analyze their impacts on relevant and complex issues in the world, while creating detailed and concise reports. For example, I have previously analyzed the gender wage gap, as well as the impact of minimum wage changes on employment levels in the US. Additionally, various business courses I have taken at SCU have allowed me to analyze the market potential and strengths of successful companies in the Bay Area.
These skills that I have learned in the classroom, including detailed research and analysis, have been useful for SVCN. Specifically, this quarter I began a project in which I have been tasked to research how various cities in the US, such as Portland, LA and New York, promote civic engagement and include their citizens into their Participatory Budgeting Processes. This project has allowed me to understand how to sort through various sources to locate reliable information that I can present in my findings, which is an expertise I have gained in my coursework in the business school.
I am excited to continue developing and using the skills and knowledge from the classroom to support my research, and ultimately benefit my community through my work at SVCN.