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In order to continue service beyond one's time at Colgate, many students explore careers in the fields of nonprofit work, education, human services, philanthropy, and public service. Through a variety of programs, the COVE and the Center for Career Services offer opportunities for students to explore these interests.
Doing Well By Doing Good is a bi-monthly program to facilitate discussions about post-graduate options and careers for the common good.
Through a number of fellowships founded by Colgate alumni, students also have opportunities to explore these interests through summer experiences.
Colgate-funded programs
Upstate Field School: Participate in a 10-week summer program at Colgate
Manzi Fellowship: Work with a nonprofit organization in Boston through Colgate's endowed program
Grant writing course: Offered each spring semester to allow students to gain first-hand experience with grant writing.
Other resources
Post-graduate resources: Begin your exploration of summer and post-graduate experiences and opportunities.
Post-graduate scholarships, fellowships & grants: Visit Career Services' webpage to learn more about competitive grants and other opportunities.
Upstate Field School
In the summer of 2005, with the help of a seed gift from Sandra and Doug Campbell, the Upstate Institute launched the Upstate Field School. The field school matches students with community organizations to develop and implement projects that bolster organizational capacity. Students work 35 hours a week for 8–10 weeks with their organizations.
Once a week for eight weeks during the project, the student fellows come together to talk about their various projects and to attend a seminar. The seminar covers topics such as strategic planning, grant writing for organizations, and conducting field work. This past summer, 18 Colgate students worked with community organizations on a specific project as part of the Field School. The projects included working in theater management at Earlville Opera House, producing a digital inventory on cultural resources in remote state forest properties in Georgetown and DeRuyter for the Department of Environmental Conservation, and working as a paralegal on SSI cases with the Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York.
In addition to their field experience, the students met each Friday afternoon to talk about their projects and to participate in an eight-week Field School curriculum. This past summer's curriculum includes a panel discussion with local government officials, a panel of local business owners, a farm tour, and sessions on grant writing and strategic planning.
Manzi Fellowship
The Manzi Fellowship program is a paid summer internship program for students to work with nonprofit organizations in the Boston area. The Manzi Fellowship provides financial assistance to twelve students (12) enrolled at Colgate University who agree to perform summer-long community service in designated areas of Cambridge, Boston and Greater Boston, in association with a Colgate-recognized and sanctioned project or organization/agency. In return, the University provides a summer living stipend of $4,200. Qualified fellows are Colgate students (first-year through junior year) who demonstrate a strong interest in community service.
More about the Manzi Fellowship
Grant Writing Workshop
"Finding Money for Social Change: Grant Writing Skills"
Successful nonprofits have one thing in common – talented people with the skills to secure funding. What's their key asset? Strong grant writing skills! Colgate's COVE, Center for Career Services, Upstate Institute, and Writing Center will offer students the opportunity to enroll in a twelve week non-credit bearing class on grant writing.
This hands-on series of workshops is designed to help you understand the sometimes mysterious process of grant writing. Students will gain an overview of foundations, non-profits and grant funding, and then learn how to develop a feasible project idea, identify potential grant sources, and draft a well-written grant application (incorporating pertinent data, a program description and a budget). Students will also help prepare an actual proposal for a community non-profit.
Benefits for participants:
- Earn a certificate in grant writing skills (great for potential employers)
- Participate with other talented Colgate students, community organizations and professionals who work in the non-profit field
- Share in the expertise of members of the Colgate and Hamilton communities
- Gain valuable skills and help a community organization at the same time
Time commitment: This is a 12-week class beginning in January and running through April.
Who should apply: Juniors and seniors will be given priority; though talented sophomores are encouraged to apply.
Contact the COVE for details.
Other resources Students are also encouraged to pursue their volunteer activities beyond their time at Colgate, to become valuable contributors to society at large. There are many programs, domestically, internationally and faith-based which offer opportunities to gain valuable and meaningful experience. In addition, please see the Career Services website for more opportunities to engage in meaningful work beyond Colgate.
For more extensive lists including nonprofit job fairs, fellowships, scholarships, research organizations, and information for specific interests, please visit Career Services' Nonprofit Information.
Domestic | International | Faith Based
Domestic
Americorps: Spend a year working in underserviced communities around the United States.
Americorps VISTA Serve a year as a volunteer in communities all over the U.S.
Break Away: A resource to organize alternative spring break trips.
Campus Outreach Opportunity League (COOL)
City year : Serve in communities around the US. This is a one-year, full-time commitment for 18-24 year olds only.
Feminist Majority Foundation Join women around the country in several different women's rights causes.
Global volunteers Tutor at-risk children and help build community infrastructure in low-income communities across the U.S.
Habitat for Humanity Join volunteers across the world to work toward the eradication of substandard housing by building houses with low-income families.
National Alliance to End Homelessness Work to mobilize the nonprofit, public and private sectors of society in an alliance to end homelessness.
Raise Your Voice Campaign Join other college students across Northern New England to increase student involvement in public life.
Teach for America Teach for two years in low-income, underserviced communities across the U.S.
WWOOF Work on independent organic farms that promotes environmental education and understanding.
International
Amigos de las Americas : Work with communities in Latin America.
CARE - one of the world's largest private international relief and development organizations. Includes international and US based job opportunities and internships.
Cross Cultural Solutions : Volunteer in 2-12 week service projects in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Peru, Russia, Tanzania or Thailand.
Foundation for Sustainable Development : Long and short term volunteer opportunities in Latin America and Africa.
Mercy Ships : Travel the world helping poorer communities in port cities.
Global Volunteer Network : Support the work of local community organizations in developing countries such as China, Ecuador, Ghana, Nepal, New Zealand, Romania, Russia, Thailand and Uganda.
Oxfam International: Many volunteer opportunities to help relieve poverty, suffering and injustice worldwide.
Peace Corps : Work for two years in education, community development, business development, agriculture, health, HIV/AIDS, IT all over the world.
Peacework: Volunteer with international service programs that help alleviate conditions of poverty and promote peace and prosperity through economic development partnerships and service around the world.
Travel To Teach : Volunteer teaching English, IT, conservation, eco-tourism and community development in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Laos, Nepal, Vietnam, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Ecuador.
Unite for Sight : Unite For Sight volunteers work with eye clinics to implement screening outreach programs, to reduce the barriers to healthcare, including financial, transportation, and education barriers in Asia, Africa & Latin America.
Volunteers for Peace : Travel to workcamps all over the world to promote peace.
WWOOF: Work on independent organic farms that promote environmental education and understanding.
Faith Based
American Friends Service Community : Join this Quaker organization in service, development, social justice and peace programs throughout the world.
AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps : The Jewish Service Corps: Combinine front-line anti-poverty work, Jewish study, and community-building in urban US settings.
Bread for the World: A national Christian citizens movement seeking justice for the world's hungry through lobbying the nation's decision makers.
Buddhist Peace Fellowship:
Catholic Network of Volunteer Service : Join the work of this national association of faith-based volunteer programs.
Christian Appalachian Project : Serve low-income communities in Appalachia.
Christian Foundation for Children and Aging : Work with disadvantaged children and the elderly in long-term service projects in Central and South America, Africa, India and the Phillipines.
Church World Service: Assist with the relief, development, and refugee assistance ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations. Jesuit Volunteer Corps : Work for peace by providing essential services to low-income people through domestic year-long and international two-year programs.
JDC Jewish Service Corps: Serve a Jewish community abroad for one year in such areas as Jewish outreach, community development, health and social welfare.
Project Otzma: Join this ten-month program designed to offer Jewish adults ages 20-25 (college graduates preferred) an opportunity to live and volunteer in Israel in a variety of settings.
Red Cloud Volunteers : Teach all ages in Jesuit schools at Pine Ride Indian Reservation in South Dakota.