Hi everyone…
My name is Andrea and I’m studying at the Bentley campus. After this semester I will be graduating with a degree in Tourism Management and Public Relations. My main interest in PR is in the events management stream; therefore for my internship I tried to look for jobs that will allow me to understand this field better. Luckily enough I have found my placement in the Fundraising-Events department at The Cancer Council WA, a non profit organization.
On the first day of work I was introduced to the whole Fundraising department. From what I can gather it is a very tight knit, easy going yet professional working environment. Most of the workers consist of females of all ages… I was told by my supervisor Karen that ¾ of the workers are volunteers like me. After the tour Karen took me to my cubicle; I was very excited to find that I have my own set of desk, phone, computer and stationary. I was placed alongside my supervisor, she helped me to settle in and introduced the computer program called DonMan (Donor Manager) which has the complete list of donator details and history. The program took a while for me to get used to, but Karen was very kind and helped me when ever I was stuck.
My internship started between the end of one major fundraising event, Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea into the set up of another, Daffodil Day on the 22nd of August. I had to help tie up some loose ends from the Morning Tea event, compiling an Exel list of donators was one of them, this was to be used for sending out letters of appreciation. Since Daffodil Day is just around the corner, there were many phone enquiries regarding orders of merchandise and the sale of fresh Daffodil flowers. I used the DonMan program to check if their orders were received or filled out an order form. There were an enormous request of orders, a lot higher than what the Cancer Council had expected therefore I was assigned to compile a package which outlined the shortage… if I’m not mistaken I sealed more than 2000 envelopes.
After a couple of runs in the office, I am more confident of my role and how I fit in the bigger picture. Last Saturday I helped out at the “Dig Deep” game which was a match between the Eagles v. St Kilda. My role at the event was to collect donations for the Cancer Council and sell phone socks, all proceeds help the foundation’s cost. The generous donations made by the game’s spectator generated over $15,000. I have realized that this opportunity does not only allow me to gain insights in the world of PR, but it also contributes to helping out a good cause.
Have a great weekend.
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