The Spire

Molly Landis ’27 

Staff Writer 

During the week of January 15th, students returned to take part in the annual Non-Profit Careers Conference (NPCC). This conference was an opportunity for students to learn more about the non-profit sector through speakers and workshops designed specifically to help students explore the field. Some speakers included Tim Garvin, President and CEO of United Way of Central Massachusetts, Frank Kartheiser ‘72, founder of the Mustard Seed, and a number of other alumni who now work at various non-profit organizations. Through these speakers, students learned about things like fundraising, grant writing, and public speaking. All of these workshops culminated in final case study presentations at the end of the week. Students were assigned to case study teams, working with local Worcester non-profit organizations on real issues. They partnered with these organizations, devising strategies to help combat the issues these non-profits are currently facing. The partner organizations included Summit Campus, Community Harvest Project, Abby’s House, Jeremiah’s Inn, Worcester Public Schools, and Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester. Issues faced ranged from creating a map that would display demographic details of students in order to understand the students at Clark St. Community School to seeking a way to recruit students to Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester who do not know how to read, but need to be reached through advertisements to revamping the volunteer process and orientation of Abby’s House Thrift Shop to create a more inclusive community. 

This week, complete with an alumni networking event and opportunities to learn about the different ways one can work at a non-profit, helped students to get a better understanding of what it means to work at different non-profits and how many opportunities await them now, while still at the College, and beyond, after graduation. Claire Hunter ‘26 stated “I am glad I participated [in the NPCC] because I was able to learn more about the non-profit sector and engage with Abby’s House to understand the struggles local non-profits face. The networking, case study, and post graduate sessions were insightful and I would recommend this conference to anyone considering working in non-profits!” Lilly Patton ‘26 said, “I’m glad I participated in the conference because I was able to expand my understanding of the non-profit sector while also learning more about my own interests. Working on case studies during the week with local non-profits continued to give me insight and felt like a valuable experience since I was able to develop real-world solutions.” Students were engaged and involved, feeling that the conference was a positive experience in helping them figure out what they want to do with their lives and helped them to understand the non-profit sector better.