DoughMain Financial Literacy Foundation’s Commitment to Internships

DoughMain Financial Literacy Foundation is committed to providing service-learning internship opportunities for youth.  The Foundation involves student volunteers and unpaid interns who participate at high levels within our organization throughout the year. As an organization we strive to offer workshops directly related to the needs of the organization, and which also help our volunteers participate and give back to the community through the financial literacy educational programs that we develop.

• Service-learning Internships can improve character values and responsible behavior.  Interns learn about cultural diversity, tolerance, and how to be respectful toward others.
• Service-learning Internships can improve academic outcomes.  Interns participating in high-quality service-learning experiences that are meaningful have been shown to make academic gains.(1)
• Service-learning Internships can promote a sense of connectedness to the community.  Interns develop a sense of connectedness includes feeling valued by community members, feeling responsible for the welfare of the community, having pride in one’s community, and a high tendency to take action for the benefit of the community.(2)
• Service-learning Internships can promote social-emotional skills.  Researchers have found a statistically significant impact of service-learning programs on multiple outcomes, including improved social skills, improved psychological well-being, and a better ability to set goals and adjust behavior to reach these goals.(3)
• Service-learning Internships can promote civic participation.  Research has shown that high-quality service-learning programs can promote students’ civic knowledge and commitment to continue contributing to their community and to society as a whole.(4)

At DoughMain Financial Literacy Foundation we recognize the benefits to our organization:

• ​The opportunity to expand our mission and reach by engaging a cadre of competent, motivated young people who share their time and talents in support of the organization’s mission
• New energy, ideas, and enthusiasm as well as specialized skills (such as community skills)(5)
• Increased public support and visibility as young people become ambassadors in their schools, homes and other networks
• Cultivation of a new generation of volunteers

​Benefits for Service Recipients, Communities, and Society: Beyond the young people directly involved, community-based service-learning benefits the people served, our communities, and, ultimately, society. It meets real needs and priorities for individuals and communities as young people bring new energy, capacity, and creative ideas.(6)

See more at:
https://youth.gov/youth-topics/civic-engagement-and-volunteering/service-learning
1 RMC Research Corporation, 2007; 2 Yamauchi, Billig, Meyer, & Hofschire, 2006; 3 Deakin Crick et al., 2005; Irby, Ferber, & Pittman, 2001; Lerner et al., 2008; Michelsen, Zaff, & Hair, 2002; 4 Zaff & Lerner, 2010; 5 Chung, 1997; Roehlkepartain, 1995; Naughton, 2000; Melchoir, 1998; reinforced by the general research on the benefits of all types of volunteers identified in Urban Institute, 2004; 6 Mohamed & Wheeler, 2001

Throughout my time as a graphic design intern at DoughMain Financial Literacy Foundation I was able to obtain a valuable amount of real work experience.

That experience primarily consisted of the completion of various projects that were entrusted to me, all of which related back to my focus of graphic design.

For example, I was given the opportunity to design all of the promotional items for DoughMain’s upcoming 3rd Annual Financial Literacy Golf Classic. I took part in the redesign and discussions relating to the reformatting of their entire financial literacy curriculum. These were projects that the foundation will use and possibly implement on a larger scale. Knowing that I had a direct hand in creating these important components for DMFLF was and remains to be overwhelmingly satisfying. I truly felt as though I was treated not just as an obsolete intern, but as a professional equal, playing a vital role for the company.

In addition to gaining experience, I also learned a lot about how a non-profit operates and was able to take part in several interesting workshops. Those workshops allowed all the interns to learn about how to better prepare ourselves for the professional world, such as how to effectively use LinkedIn, and how to create and maintain positive energy in the workplace. I felt as though the Executive Director, Robert Church, really cared enough to create a well-rounded experience for all of the interns in order to ensure we got the most out of this experience. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed working for DoughMain Financial Literacy Foundation and consider it to have been a very beneficial and positive experience.     

Sophie
Sophie V., Rider University, Class of 2017
​Graphic Design Intern

Going into this internship, I wasn’t sure what to expect or if I was prepared enough for the tasks I would have to complete. I was both nervous and excited to lead a team, but afraid that I wouldn’t have all of the answers because I didn’t have much experience. I think that throughout this internship I learned that not having all of the answers all of the time is ok, I was able to put myself out of my comfort zone and I was able to use my skills outside of the classroom in a professional environment, which is something I have never had the chance to do before.

I set goals for myself of what I wanted to accomplish throughout this internship, with the first being to increase our online presence. Another goal I had set was to be able to learn more about the functionality of nonprofits and how their marketing is different from that of a for-profit business. I also wanted to learn more about financial literacy and how it affects others. My goals consisted of what I wanted to be able to do for the organization, and also what I wanted to learn from the organization. I was able to achieve all of these goals and more from this internship.

I liked the amount of freedom that I was given throughout this internship. The marketing and branding of the foundation was essentially in my hands, and it was up to me to determine the best approach to take. Through multiple analytics and assessments, I was able to determine the proper marketing approach. Many interns with other organizations most likely don’t get the opportunity to write their own plan and set the approach for the organization. I felt like I was able to truly contribute to the organization and not just follow guidelines that were already set for me. I got to be creative and test my ideas.
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Above all, I learned that managing social media takes a lot of time. Results don’t just happen overnight, which can sometimes be frustrating, but hard work pays off over time. I also learned that social media approaches are constantly changing. Like we saw, for example, our audience switched from more females to more males, and you always have to be ready to make a change to reflect that. Not only did I get marketing and social media experience, but I also got to improve my writing skills through the creation of newsletters and press releases.

DoughMain Financial Literacy Foundation went above and beyond to ensure that my internship experience was a success. Between the workshops and feedback from other professionals, the challenging tasks I was given and the opportunity to work in a team environment, I now feel prepared to go out into the professional world and continue to use and develop my marketing skills.

​I can’t thank DoughMain Financial Literacy Foundation enough for the positive experience they have provided me with.

Alex
Alexandra N., James Madison University, Class of 2017
Marketing Intern