My fellowship took place at The Bell Tree, Inc., in Earlville, N.Y. The Bell Tree’s mission is to provide a safe and inspiring community space to play, learn, and socialize. The nonprofit organization serves local residents by hosting a free lunch program during the summers, providing open play hours all year round, and planning events for both children and adults within the region. They encourage children to play with many different kinds of toys, puzzles, art supplies, and more. However, they find it difficult to advertise themselves as much as they would like to, and they have a limited number of volunteers. I spent this summer contributing to their mission by working on the foundation of the organization and dedicating my time and efforts to weekly events and services that The Bell Tree provides. They are located at 20 North Main Street, but you can find them online at www.belltreecny.org.
My project consisted of creating and carrying out surveys for patrons and community members to provide The Bell Tree with data that they can use to improve their services and understand the needs of local residents. The survey records anonymous answers to questions about patrons’ demographics as well as their opinions about The Bell Tree’s operations. I asked what patrons would like to see from the organization in the next few years, offering options like afterschool programming, more open play hours, and programs from organizations outside of Earlville. Through this research, I learned that a lot of The Bell Tree’s patrons come from other towns surrounding Earlville, including Sherburne, Hamilton, Smyrna, Lebanon, and even as far as Norwich. Most of the adults accompanying visiting children are mothers, grandmothers, and other female guardians, though there are a few survey responses from male family members. The organization intends to host more events and programs that will appeal to a wide range of children and their families, including gaming events, Halloween parties, movie nights, and more. They also plan to renovate the basement kitchen for commercial use, in hopes of providing a communal kitchen space for community meals, cooking classes, and other uses. The results of the surveys I created for The Bell Tree will inform the organization’s future projects and programming.
The outcome of my project was a three-year strategic plan for the nonprofit. In the strategic plan, I explain the need to increase the number of volunteers and improve their use of social platforms with enhanced media training. The plan also includes a timeline for when The Bell Tree should apply for grant opportunities, adopt new programs, and renovate their kitchen. Not only did I establish an agenda to provide The Bell Tree with specific plans to use in the next few years, but my surveys will continue to circulate throughout the fall and winter so that the organization can further assess the needs of the community over time. Over the course of my fellowship, I also helped to recreate spaces within the building by organizing and consolidating inventory. As of the end of my fellowship, their arts and crafts room is newly painted and refurbished in the hopes of creating a more inspiring space for young kids to engage more fully with art materials.
Upon my recent graduation, I thought a third and last summer with the Upstate Institute Summer Field School would be a great way to end my time at Colgate. This was my second summer with The Bell Tree, in which I learned so much more about the organization and about nonprofits here in upstate New York. My degree is in environmental economics, and I hope to have a long career in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) work. Last summer, I helped The Bell Tree identify ways in which they can become more energy-efficient and eco-friendly. I developed a portfolio for them to consider more efficient technology when they receive grant funding in the near future. This summer, I focused on improving their governance and capacity as an organization by consolidating their files within their Google Drive, revising their bylaws, creating and disseminating client and community surveys, and putting together a strategic plan. All of the work I have done at The Bell Tree has pushed me toward a career path in the ESG field. As a result of my inspiring and memorable experiences with the Summer Field School, I hope to continue to work with and for nonprofits now and into the future.