Meet Rebecca. Or, should I say, British Becca. Our beloved Donor Administration Intern came all the way from the UK to join the Development Team after graduating from Oxford University. But it’s not just her charming accent or clever intellect that we love about her: Becca is a integral member of the Development Team, a group of individuals responsible for Invisible Children’s fundraising logistics. I was so excited to sit down with Becca to talk about California sunshine, life without tea– oh, and what she loves about being a Donor Administration Intern.
What made you want to intern at Invisible Children, especially coming from across the pond?
I’m one of those people who heard about Invisible Children through KONY 2012, so that was when I first engaged with IC. I had known a girl from the UK who had been a Roadie, so that made it seem attainable for me to come here. I just thought it would be a dream to work for such a creative company that’s working towards social justice but also knows how to be really joyful in that. And I also thought it would be such an adventure to go to California. I romanticized California in my head, and it lives up to it! California is the dream.
What does a typical day as a Donor Administration Intern look like?
I’m responsible for looking after all of our one-time donors. These are any donors that aren’t Fourth Estate members or any donor that isn’t yet recurring, like third-party donors. For example, say your mum donates to your #zeroLRA fundraising page: I might give your mum a call to say thank you for supporting. So my duties could be anything from giving donors a ring to say thank you and tell them how much we love them, to writing them a card, to doing things like tax receipts and those kind of practical things. It’s a lot of phone calls, checking emails, and writing cards, so I get to have tons of personal contact with people.
What sets your internship apart from others and what impact are you able to make in your specific role?
What makes my role unique is that I am the sole point of contact for these one-time donors, and that enables my role to have an impact because these are often the people who haven’t been very connected to Invisible Children, especially if they’re third-party donors that have donated through somebody else’s fundraising page. So I get the opportunity to tell them about Invisible Children, about our story, and then connect them to us a bit more. It’s really exciting to have that opportunity to make one-time donors feel loved and appreciated. You get to make sure that they have a positive experience with us so that they’ll stick with us in the future.
What’s your favorite part about living in San Diego?
My goodness, there’s so much! The people, the sunshine, the beaches. The weather is so much better than in England! And it’s fun how much people appreciate my accent. [British laugh]
What’s it like working and living with other interns?
It’s pretty awesome because you really get to know people, and all the people here are so special. They have such a drive, and they really know how to live with purpose, which is very inspiring and infectious. It’s also super fun doing things outside of work together, like taking trips to the beach and things like that.
Becca works closely with Bryan, our Development Associate
What’s been your favorite moment so far?
My favorite moment was just this morning when our staff launched the Roadies off on tour. There was the sense that they’re about to do something epic, and we’re sending a bunch of peace-makers off into action, which is really exciting. There are a bunch of moments like that at Invisible Children where the community comes together and we can actually remember why we’re here, doing what we’re doing.
In one sentence, why do you love working at Invisible Children?
Because what you do has so much purpose as we work towards ending such an awful conflict, and because of the people and how creative and loving they are.
What advice would you give a future intern?
Jump in, be confident, and know that you’ve got a lot to offer. Don’t be intimidated by the many creative, intelligent, hardworking people who are here. I never expected to be here, but here I am. Dream the dream, apply, and come!
We’re looking for passionate individuals like Rebecca to join our Spring 2014 Development Team. If you’d like to learn more about how you can be a part of the team, view our internship openings and fill out an application, which are open now through October 21.
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