Office of Student Life

Leadership and Community Engagement

Nonprofit Immersion Program

What is the Non-Profit Immersion Program

The Non-Profit Immersion Program is a cohort of students who are paired with nonprofit organizations in Columbus. Students meet regularly with their local nonprofit partner and serve as non-voting members of the organizations' boards for one year, where they learn about the inner workings of a nonprofit. Students also complete a capstone project with their community partner, gaining hands-on experience in skills related to nonprofit management.

As a part of the program, students attend biweekly cohort meetings focused on the leadership and professional development skills needed to effectively contribute to a nonprofit organization, such as volunteer management, fundraising, and budgeting.

The nonprofit organizations that we partner with for the Non-Profit Immersion Program are subject to change year to year, however partners that we have worked with in the past include Broad Street Food Pantry, Neighborhood Services Inc., NNEMAP Food Pantry, RELA, I Know I Can, City Year Columbus, Neighborhood Design Center, VET Motorsports, The American Red Cross and Wild Goose Creative. 

 Non-Profit Immersion Program's Guiding Principles

The Non-Profit Immersion's mission is to:

  • Prepare Ohio State students to be responsible community leaders through an immersive experience with boards of local nonprofit organizations
  • Provide Ohio State students with development of leadership and organizational skills
  • Support Nonprofit organizations and the local community by offering a fresh perspective and skillset

After participating in the Non-Profit Immersion Program, students will demonstrate competencies in:

  • Operations of nonprofit organizations
  • Relationship building
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Leadership and professional development
  • Nonprofit financial and fundraising procedures
  • Project creation, implementation, and management

Apply to be a Community Partner with the Non-Profit Immersion Program

Participating community partners will be paired with 1-3 students from the program that you would work with throughout the year to help them understand more about what goes into managing a non-profit organization, including having them join board meetings and working on a capstone project in the Spring semester. They would also do direct service with your organization throughout the year. 

If you are interested in being a partner for the 2023-2024 school year, please submit an application at this link: https://forms.office.com/r/8e4hpurm2N. Applications are due on Sunday, March 26. Reach out to Anna Wagner (wagner.1476@osu.edu) with questions

 

Apply to the Non-Profit Immersion Program

The application for the Non-Profit Immersion Program 2023-2024 cohort is now open! Fill out the application and sign up for an interview here: https://forms.office.com/r/xT8CtvLUuk

Applications close on Friday, April 14. If you have any questions, please reach out to Lizzy Ehren (ehren.6@osu.edu).

What are we looking for in NPIP applicants?

  • Applicants need to be (at least) second-year status by Autumn 2023. Graduate and professional students are welcome to apply.
  • Applicants should have a strong sense of social responsibility and interest in learning more about local community engagement and the structure of nonprofit and community service organizations.
  • As there are no specific academic backgrounds or interests required, selected students typically represent a diverse array of majors.
  • NPIP interns generally have a range of previous community engagement experiences, so there is not a set prior service requirement.
  • Ability to commit to weekly cohort meetings on Tuesday evening and 2-4 hours a week with your non-profit partner.

What have previous NPIP interns said about the program?

  • "NPIP provides the opportunity to take on a larger role in a non-profit through board membership and volunteering and gives insight on board operations. The cohort sessions are also very informative and helpful when completing the capstone. It was also very interesting to just learn more about parts of a non-profit and see how this information related to my non-profit partner."
  • "Being a part of the NPIP provided me with the opportunity to participate in the 'behind-the-scenes' of a non-profit. The NPIP was that link between wondering how those community events are planned to learning almost every detail that actually goes into them."
  • "NPIP has been such a great experience! I like the combination of community work and cohort learning, as both enhance the other. NPIP has provided me with more knowledge about the nonprofit sector, providing real experiences that will help me in the future."