We are pleased to introduce our newest interns. Welcome, Xena Dameh and Marshall Kelly!
Both undergraduates at the University of Minnesota, Xena and Marshall are on different career paths but share an interest in and appreciation for the nonprofit sector’s role in building strong communities. Find Xena and Marshall’s bios here, and read on to learn a bit more about the interns supporting the Council’s work this summer.
Q&A with Xena:
What is your favorite Accountability Standard®?
“My favorite Accountability Standard® is legal compliance. I believe that the compliance of non-profit organizations with applicable laws and regulations displays their commitment to their values as an organization and more specifically a non-profit organization. Legal accountability is important to building and ensuring trust between all relevant parties, which is imperative for non-profit organizations in allowing for their success.”
How have you seen nonprofits have an effect on our community?
“As a result of my coursework, local non-profit organizations are frequently referenced and advertised in many of my classes. I have witnessed the ways in which non-profit organizations foster leadership and community engagement as my peers come together to vocalize their support for the initiatives of non-profits that they are committed to and resonate with. The engagement of the community with non-profits is crucial to ensuring that they receive the support they need to remain successful and impactful with respect to their missions and goals.”
What are you most excited for as you begin your journey with Charities Review Council?
“As I begin my work with Charities Review Council, I am excited to learn more about the relationship between donors and non-profits and the ways in which a successful partnership is important to the success of non-profits. I am also excited to learn more about the Council’s review process and its importance to non-profit organizations as a whole. Overall, I am excited to support and learn more about Charities Review Council’s mission through this internship!”
Q&A with Marshall
What is your favorite nonprofit cause or focus area?
“Children and youth support is an especially important cause for nonprofits and is the topic that I feel personally compelled to focus on. Marginalized youth that are experiencing houselessness and poverty deserve safety and support, as well as a system that serves their unique needs individually. BIPOC and LGBT youth experience disproportionate rates of houselessness in Minnesota, and the wider US, according to a report by The Bridge for Youth.”
How have you seen nonprofits play a role/show up in our community?
“I really love the culture of charity and community support that I see nonprofit organizations inspire on the day-to-day. I’m excited to learn more about the intersections of all kinds of industries and charitable funding. I’d like to encourage any nonprofit I work with in the future to meet the CRC’s Accountability Standards, and this internship is an amazing opportunity for me to learn more about what it means to be an accountable organization.”
What excited you about joining the Charities Review Council team?
“As a young artist, I have benefited tremendously from organizations that were being sustained through grants and charitable donations in the interest of artistic education. I have also witnessed the way that a lack of accountability from nonprofit organizations can result in donors’ money being handled in ways they didn’t anticipate or condone. This is why I’m so excited to be a part of the Charities Review Council team, and to learn more about the ways that accountability and responsibility of an organization is vetted and verified for their potential donors.”
