Summer with Spark Point, a Q&A with Emily Baker, Marketing and Operations Intern

This summer, Spark Point Fundraising welcomed Emily Baker, a University of Washington student based in Seattle, as our Marketing and Operations intern. We were extra excited to work with Emily both because of her interest in the nonprofit sector and because of her initiative; after seeing full-time job postings on Idealist, Emily reached out to us to see what internship opportunities were available. And we are so glad she did!

Learn more about Emily and her summer with Spark Point below:

  1. What is your hometown? 
    1. Austin, TX
  2. What is your school, year, and major?
    1. I’m a senior at the University of Washington, studying Political Science and International Studies.
  3. Describe a typical day of your internship.
    1. The first thing I usually do is check internal communications to see if there is anything pressing to address. Then, I attend two or three client meetings a day. Between meetings, I work on creating social media graphics or push forward different operations projects, such as organizing documents or researching potential clients.
  4. What types of projects did you enjoy the most and why?
    1. I really enjoy creating the graphics for social media because I gravitate towards projects that allow me to be creative and enhance my knowledge about people and organizations. I also like researching business leads.
  5. Which client do you enjoy working with the most and why?
    1. My favorite client is the National Abortion Federation. The first meeting I attended was right after the consequential overturn of Roe v. Wade. Although it was an upsetting and stressful time, I was impressed by the organization’s response, as they had to quickly pivot their workload to handle an overwhelming amount of communications and requests for assistance. 
  6. Tell us something you have learned about nonprofit fundraising through your experience with Spark Point Fundraising this summer. 
    1. Throughout my internship, I learned not only about the behind-the-scenes creation of successful nonprofits, but also many of the terms used in the industry. For the most part, they were new to me. For example, I discovered that one such term, “fiscal sponsorship,” refers to how newly formed nonprofits sometimes need additional help with management and oversight to raise money during their start-up phase.
  7. Describe the long-term project you worked on over the course of your internship. Why was this important to complete?
    1. The long-term project I worked on throughout my internship was creating a Black Women Spark Change (BWSC) process document. This document was created because from the initial step of selecting a person to feature to the final step of posting the article on the website, there are many complicated communications, logistics, and digital portals that need to be managed. I am proud of the final result, as this document will serve as a resource for the Operations Team, support the development of new BWSC campaigns, and increase the efficiency of one of Spark Point’s longest running anti-racism initiatives. Finally, future Operations team members will be able to learn from this document during their onboarding process. 
  8. What are you most excited to take away from this opportunity?
    1. What I loved most about my internship was working closely with my colleagues on the Spark Point team! I have cherished expanding my network to people from all across the country that I would have never met without this opportunity. I’m also incredibly excited that Spark Point is supporting my professional development by assisting with my PMI certification, which will help me gain the skills of a project manager. By earning this certification, I will be better prepared to make a positive impact on the world. 
  9. What are your professional plans for the future? Tell us where you might like to work and in what positions. 
    1. In the future, I would like to work in the public policy, tech, or business sector in the capacity of consulting, marketing, or project management. I also hope to work abroad at some point in my career and have the chance to meet a diverse group of people!