The spring 2006 semester was a busy and productive one for the volunteer-students in USC Upstate's nonprofit leadership program.

Fifty-three students worked more than 3,300 hours in more than 20 local nonprofit organizations, donating their time and energy to improve the quality of life for Upstate citizens.

Theresa Ricke-Kiely

USC Upstate students, through a formal internship or in donated hours, provided help to local organizations in all areas of nonprofit administration including public relations, health education, community outreach, administrative functions, service delivery, meal delivery, fund raising, grant writing, customer service, event planning, program planning, arts management, and other areas.

Organizations that sponsored USC Upstate interns and students include the Boys and Girls Club, ReGenesis, the Haven, Hospice, Carolina Pregnancy Center, Mobile Meals, Family Care Council, S.C. Centers for Equal Justice, the Charles Lea Center, Total Ministries, Spartanburg County Foundation, Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Spartanburg Humane Society, Upstate Visual Arts, and others.

From January through May, Tiffany Olson interned at Upstate Visual Arts in Greenville, a 500-member organization dedicated to celebrating the talent of local artists through exhibitions, education programs, and other events. Her duties included preparing financial spreadsheets, updating the Web site, administering gallery shows, and keeping the membership informed through a newsletter. Upon graduation, Olson was offered the position of director of administration.

"As the only staff person, I will wear many hats," Olson said about the daily activities she will be managing. She added that "one of her goals is to have a larger community involvement. I will be working with community leaders to enhance the public's awareness of our organization."

David Kiely, executive director of the Charles Lea Center for Rehabilitation and Special Education, said that the center had good success with the five USC Upstate students who worked there this spring.

"They do a great job for us, and they get real-life experience," he said, adding. "It's great for them to get the experience, and it's also great to be able to assist them."

Kiely said that the students' experience at the center shows them how a nonprofit operates and it has given them a referral network for jobs they may apply for in the future.

"I really enjoyed the opportunity to develop my skills in a supportive environment," said Emmy Carter, a health and safety marketing intern at the Red Cross in Spartanburg who logged 135 hours. "The experience was very empowering, and I feel much more prepared for a job in the nonprofit field after working closely with the knowledgeable and helpful staff at the Red Cross."

"Most of our students get an A from our nonprofit partners, which demonstrates the effort and impression our students make on our local leaders," Ricke-Kiely said.

USC Upstate's Center for Nonprofit Leadership offers a BA in nonprofit administration, the only university or college in South Carolina offering this degree. The degree prepares graduates for careers in management and administrative positions within a wide variety of nonprofit organizations such as social services, youth activities, health, the environment, and the arts.

Basic leadership and management principles are stressed in the major courses, including strategic planning, board and committee development, nonprofit financial administration, assessment, marketing, volunteer recruitment and coordination, grant writing, special event planning, nonprofit administration, and risk management. In addition to actual supervised work experiences in a nonprofit organization, students receive a solid grounding in the history and philosophy of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector in the United States.

For further information, contact Ricke-Kiely at 52-5703 or tricke-kiely@uscupstate.edu.

7/06