Nonprofit Management Intern at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast
By Carlie Cintrón
My name is Carlie Cintrón, and I am a junior studying Sociology and Social Policy & Practice with a minor in Gender & Sexuality Studies. This spring, I was very lucky to continue my work with Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast as the Nonprofit Management Intern through the Reproductive Rights, Health, and Justice Internship. I was drawn to this position and work because of my goal of starting or leading a non-profit one day. The fight for reproductive health, specifically in Louisiana, is a cause that I am extremely passionate about. Growing up as a low-income, Hispanic female in Southern Louisiana gave me the drive to stay close to home and be involved in the amazing work surrounding reproductive health constantly being done here in New Orleans. This internship combines my interests and background and gives me meaningful experiences and information that have and will continue to help me grow intellectually and personally.
My main responsibilities so far have included reaching out to donors to thank them for their contributions and asking for more of their generosity, helping to plan events with donors and people in the community, and attending the events to assist with what was needed. This semester, I had the wonderful opportunity to plan and host an event with SURJ, a student-led organization at Tulane focused on reproductive justice. We invited other students to discuss the current legislative session in Louisiana and how to write emails/letters to Louisiana Representatives. Also, I have been focusing on gathering information, ambassadors, and donors for PPGC’s GiveNOLA campaign. I created my own fundraising page to raise money for PPGC’s $40,000 goal as well as contacted and met with community ambassadors to assist them with sharing PPGC’s mission and goal and accumulating contributions.
I have learned a lot over the past two semesters about how a nonprofit is run and the multiple parts of it that make it successful. I have learned from each department and gained an understanding of the work they do that contributes to the overall fight for reproductive justice in Louisiana. With this knowledge, I have been able to grow professionally and accumulate a new insight into the nonprofit space. I hope to use this progress as a way of advocating and educating the people in my community and beyond. I am looking forward to continuing my internship with PPGC throughout the summer and into the fall. I will focus more on planning and hosting events and training to become a Community Health Ambassador. I am grateful for these new skills and wisdom that will assist in the development of my future career, hopefully in nonprofit work in the fields of reproductive rights, health, and justice.