Our Vision: Nonprofit organizations are strengthened and supported in their vital work
serving Santa Cruz County through shared communication, collaboration, and
resources.
Nonprofit Connection Santa Cruz County (NPC) is the first and only resource alliance
for nonprofits of “all sectors, all sizes” in our County. We provide a networking platform
for member organizations to connect people, ideas, and resources using digital tools.
We build individual and organizational capacity with an expanding schedule of
enrichment opportunities and professional development for staff and boards to support
effectiveness, equity, and growth.
We are building a long-term sustainability plan to grow from an all-volunteer Board and
staff to a paid part-time staff with a diverse Governing Board of leaders from local
nonprofits, government, and business.
Program Information For interested Public Administration/Nonprofit Management students, ONLY:
Our Agency serves as a nonprofit resource alliance (like a nonprofit "Chamber of
Commerce") for over 200 nonprofits and their business and government allies/sponsors
in Santa Cruz County.
• Our programs or collaborative network is broad enough for you to experience the
various perspectives and professional relationships involved in a multidisciplinary
environment among our members and allies, working on collaborative community
projects.
• Our administration, staff and governing body support the goals of field-based
education and allow adequate time for mentoring.
• Day-to-day work is 100% remote with occasionally-scheduled in-person events,
programs, and trainings. Students can be located in any of the tri-county areas but
Santa Cruz County is preferred.
• Mutually-agreed field work and Capstone will meet the CHHS Major Learning
Outcomes and expand your portfolio for future employment/Master’s Degree Program.
• Preference for students interested in/eligible for LAEP Paid internships for more than
six hours a week.
We are looking for candidates who have an interest in:
Assisting the Executive Director and Membership Chair with timely responses to
Member requests – including postings to our Nonprofit Calendar and Job Board.
Assisting with Member Services – including a new Customer Relationship
Management tool (CRM), an integrated database that helps manage, track, and store
information related to our organization's current and potential members and allies.
Assisting the Program and Engagement Committee with the planning, promotion,
implementation, and evaluation of programs, peer-learning opportunities, and events.
Assisting with social media postings on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram
Other as needed
Over the course of three semesters, you would be working with a very diverse, all
volunteer board of professionals with experience in the management and governance of
nonprofits, consulting, business, and government. Several serve in a volunteer staff
capacity. There will be weekly check-ins with the Executive Director, who will serve as
your Mentor, to discuss and clarify expectations/milestones for your work and for our
support for your success.
You will be invited to join monthly Board Committee meetings and meetings of the entire
Board, every other month, where your perspective would be valued.
Potential Capstone Project areas: The focus of our work through June 30, 2025 will be
on Programs and Engagement and Membership Development and Services, including
marketing and social media.
By the end of this opportunity, students will have learned...
• MLO 1: Collaboration and Ethical Leadership: Apply the principles of collaboration, ethics, and leadership to work with colleagues and diverse communities to establish shared values and vision to achieve mutual goals.
• MLO 2: Equity and Social Justice: Apply principles of cultural awareness and an understanding of social identities to promote diversity, equity, and social justice in all nonprofit sectors.
• MLO 3: Integrated and Disciplinary Knowledge: Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental principles of the interrelationships between all nonprofit sector fields, organizations, and systems.
• MLO 4: Policy, Politics, and Public Action: Demonstrate an understanding of all nonprofit sector challenges and apply the skills needed to identify, describe, and critically, analyze public policies. Synthesize evidence to evaluate alternative strategies to promote equitable public action.
• MLO 5: Professional Communication: Critically analyze the organizational and cultural contexts of communication, and demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate complex ideas to diverse audiences in a variety of professional settings.
• MLO 6: Professional Development and Application: Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for growth and development as a nonprofit management professional through self-awareness, personal reflection, and self-correcting behavior. Commit to lifelong learning and the application of best practices to advance the field.
• MLO 7: Research Methods and Information Literacy: Apply appropriate research methodologies to gather and evaluate different types of evidence to critically analyze public problems in all nonprofit sectors.