With a mission to help donors create thoughtful, effective philanthropy throughout the world, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) is a nonprofit that currently advises on and manages more than $400 million in annual giving by individuals, families, corporations and foundations. It works towards its mission through three key programs: (1) providing advisory, management and implementation services for families, foundations and other philanthropic initiatives; (2) incubating innovative and early-stage nonprofits and donor collaboratives; and (3) sharing insights and producing publications on philanthropic approaches, strategies, and practices.

During my volunteer engagement with RPA, I worked in the communications team. Specifically, I helped to (a) create guidance for donors new to certain issues and programmatic areas (economic development, collaboration, philanthropic time horizons); and (b) conduct research on and develop strategic plan for learning communities that address areas of knowledge gaps for philanthropists of different sizes and types.

The engagement was beneficial for RPA in a few ways. First, creating sector-specific guides for donors is an important part of building and strengthening RPA’s donor advisory practice. Additionally, RPA has been keen to launch communities of practice to build knowledge exchange and peer learning among donors, so the strategic plan for these learning communities has served as a foundational document or starting point for pursuing this new initiative.

I believe most of what I have learned at CBS has been extremely useful during my internship. Having an understanding of innovative concepts such as ESG and impact investing were very helpful when creating the guides and even during brainstorming sessions. In addition, I also applied skills in marketing and strategy when creating the strategic plan for learning communities. Throughout the internship, I also kept in mind what I had learned in my Leaders’ Voice class, and applied principles of effective public speaking throughout my interactions at RPA. My internship was virtual, which presented some challenges. Working remotely can be isolating, and communication with the team is sometimes less than ideal in a virtual setting. However, I dealt with this challenge by having daily check-ins with my manager, which helped me feel constantly connected to the work and the organization, and allowed me to engage deeply even with no in-person interaction.

Overall, I found this experience to be very rewarding, and it tied in well with my own personal and professional goals. After graduating from CBS, I want to pursue a career in the philanthropy sector in the United States. While I have worked in the philanthropy sector in India in the past, I had not had experience with the US philanthropy market (which is substantially different), and this internship offered me the opportunity to learn and gain exposure to trends in this sector from a US perspective. Additionally, it allowed me to build networks and relationships within the industry that I will carry forward in my work here. I also plan to leverage this learning experience over the summer to contribute more effectively to social impact and philanthropy-related courses that I plan to take at CBS in the fall and spring.

Finally, my most lasting impression from my experience at RPA is the strong value the organization is providing foundations, families, and individuals to easily navigate their philanthropic journey in the most effective manner. This good was met with equally kind, open, and wonderful people that are passionate about making a difference. I am extremely thankful to RPA and the Tamer Center for providing the opportunity to work together during my internship summer.