Supporting Community Giving Across the Mohawk Valley

Through the Levitt Center Summer Internship Program, funded by Hamilton’s Community Outreach & Opportunity Project (COOP), Stern is working with the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, an organization that supports and invests in area nonprofits.

“I didn’t know that there were nonprofits that focused not on just one issue, but on supporting and investing in smaller local nonprofits,” Stern said. “Something I’ve learned … is how collaborative they are and how collaborative you have to be in order to effectively serve your community.”                                                

Working with both the foundation’s marketing and business teams, Stern helps prepare for Mohawk Valley Gives by assisting with outreach efforts, developing training programs for participating organizations, and contributing to event planning for the actual day of giving in September, which will include more than 400 local nonprofits.

Beyond day-to-day responsibilities, Stern is also conducting a long-term research project closely connected to her academic interests. She has been studying how the needs of Oneida and Herkimer counties may change over the next five years and what those shifts could mean for the future work of the foundation. Her research examines local policy trends and community needs, which will help the organization think strategically about how it can continue serving the region effectively in the years ahead. 

The internship has also allowed Stern to explore a range of projects. She sits in on meetings across departments, shadows staff members, and contributes to initiatives ranging from a documentary-style video about a staff leadership retreat to preparations for the organization’s upcoming 75th anniversary celebration.

For Stern, who grew up in New York City, the experience is also becoming a way to better understand the community Hamilton students call home during their four years on the Hill. “I really wanted to get a chance to learn more about the location that we’re in at Hamilton,” she said. “It’s really cool to get to know where we’re situated and get to learn more … about the surrounding community.”

While she is still exploring her future career path, the internship has reinforced her desire to pursue meaningful work that creates positive change for others.

“I’m not really sure what I want to do when I’m older … but for me, you know, helping people could be interacting with them in person or helping them behind the scenes and they don’t even know who I am,” she said. “I just want to do something that’s meaningful and brings change to other people’s lives.”