Career Path of a Nonprofit Manager at Center for Social Innovation

My time in college was a period of exploration. I majored in art history because I didn't know what I wanted to do in the future, but I loved learning and culture. To me, art history *is* the history of culture.

I also knew I loved organizing and keeping things administratively in order. So, I started with an internship at MTA Arts for Transit. This government organization uses public funds to provide art for subway stations in New York City, and there are many policies in place to make that happen. That experience really opened my eyes to how culture can be integrated into our society.

After college, I would have loved to continue working in a field like that, but bills needed to be paid. Fortunately, my first job was still interesting, even though it had nothing to do with art history. It was at a market research firm.

What was great about that job is that I learned how and why people do the things they do. I worked for clients from media companies, where I created surveys, wrote interviews, and facilitated focus groups. I learned how to answer research questions and understand why TV shows succeed, as the Food Network was one of my clients.

However, I missed working with people directly. I wanted to actively make their lives more fun and enjoyable, and better in the long run for myself and my future family. So, I transitioned to a nonprofit working on the Hamilton Education Program.

This education nonprofit combined education and arts curriculum. The goal was a full-day field trip for students. After participating in the lesson plan, students performed their work on the Hamilton musical stage and then got to see the musical itself. My job was to facilitate this.

I was again using my interest in arts, culture, and history. My administrative skills in event planning were crucial for ensuring the day ran smoothly and safely for the high school students.

Then the pandemic hit, and I could no longer run these in-person events. This made me reflect on what I truly enjoyed through college and up to that point. The thread of art, history, policy, and government became clear. I realized I wanted to go back to school for my master's in public administration.

This is like a business degree for the public sector, for both nonprofits and government. It was my way of advancing my career path, gaining more managerial experience, and learning how to handle budgets and other essential tasks to help create more programs like the ones I had worked on.

While in grad school, I was fortunate to work for the Center for Social Innovation. They focus on advancing research, culture, and community organizations by providing them with free tools. They liked my work, and I was able to continue working with them post-graduation.

Now, I'm still with them. I manage grants, like I did at the arts education nonprofit. I'm also learning new skills such as fundraising and how to ensure financial stability, managing the entire grant process from application to closing.

I am now looking for an additional job in a similar field but at a different company. I'm applying to advance my career and work more in management and fundraising. We'll see where it goes.