Center for Nonprofit Leadership
Helping nonprofit leaders do better at doing good

Grace Perez - A Moment of Reflection with the CNL

Grace Perez

I learned about the Center for Nonprofit Leadership (CNL) from my professor who knew I was looking to gain some experience in the nonprofit sector and recommended looking into CNL. The incredibly kind group at CNL gave me the opportunity to work with them and I have been fortunate enough to learn more about the inner workings of the nonprofit sector. 

I greatly enjoyed meeting all of the staff and board members at the meetings I was able to attend. The conversations I heard were always respectful and productive, and I appreciated hearing all of their experiences and thinking processes. Above all, I enjoyed working on the Needs Assessment project with the CNL team and learning about all the small details that go into the process. Everyone was patient with me and always made an effort to include me in all of their conversations. From working on the Needs Assessment, I learned quite a bit about creating surveys, particularly in Qualtrics, and data analysis which has already been useful in my work at school. 

One of the best parts of working with CNL is knowing that they are having such a significant impact on the nonprofit sector by helping further the educational resources available for individual professionals and organizations. I also have the privilege of hearing about the organizations that CNL serves and how members of the board and other volunteers work with them. I continue to be inspired by how so many individuals donate their time and expertise to improve the social welfare of their communities.

I hope to see continued development for professionals in the nonprofit sector and continued conversations around DEIJ.  While asking such questions and evaluating internal practices can be challenging, it is incredibly important for an organization to be self-aware and evolve. I admire the Center’s commitment to always improve their services and ask difficult questions about how they can best serve everyone in their community. In the future, I hope to see this become a genuine concern and priority in other organizations. 

After graduation, I plan to go into human resources or healthcare administration, and I hope to remain involved with nonprofits whether my role is as a volunteer or employee. Overall, my time as a student could not have fully culminated without my internship at CNL. My experience has changed my outlook on the future since seeing so many selfless, hardworking individuals has given me optimism for the nonprofit sector. Overall, I am infinitely grateful for my time at CNL and their willingness to let me be a part of the organization.

–Grace Perez, Intern

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