Non-profiting for profit

Students interested in working in the nonprofit sector should come to today’s nonprofit career fair, hosted by Portland State’s Career Center, that will feature 67 nonprofit organizations from around the city. The event will be held in the Smith Memorial Student Union ballroom from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For the past 11 years, the nonprofit career fair has provided resources and opportunities for students interested in working in the nonprofit sector. Representatives from some of the most recognizable organizations—including Planned Parenthood, the Peace Corps and Volunteers of America—as well as smaller organizations, such as Loaves and Fishes and Bethesda Lutheran Communities, will be on campus to speak to students.

A large number of nonprofits at the event are in the healthcare sector.

One of the most recognizable organizations at the event is Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Volunteer Program Manager Lorie Kresse will be on hand to talk to students about the organization, and will be recruiting for seven internship positions.

Kresse said the group has been presenting at the nonprofit fair for the past seven years. One of their most popular internship positions involves working on fundraising for the Race for the Cure event. In addition, Kresse is recruiting students for their annual March breast-cancer conference that is attended by approximately 500 people every year.

Kresse said that students gain valuable experience working with Susan G. Komen.

“They learn a lot about what’s it like to work in nonprofits, and learn firsthand about the organization, how we do outreach to the community and promote awareness for breast health,” Kresse said.

Another organization at the fair is Morrison Child and Family Services, which provides counseling services to children from birth to age 18. Alicia Jackson, a human resources generalist from the organization, said that Morrison is looking to fill ten support positions.

“We have a number of therapist positions open, and we’re looking for master’s work students who have experience working with children,” Jackson said.

Jackson, herself a PSU alumna, said that students can also volunteer as a mentor for children. The ideal candidate is someone who believes in the mission of Morrison Child and Family Services—in the past, students who successfully applied were interested in going into social work or mental health service.

Nicole Boyer, a volunteer program coordinator for Planned Parenthood, said some of the internship positions with Planned Parenthood allow students in certain program to earn school credit. Time commitment for their internship program is a minimum of 90 hours in total, with flexible hours that accommodate a student’s school schedule.

Planned Parenthood has in the past also had positions that give students interested in the health care industry an opportunity to work directly with patients in surgical procedures administered at its clinics. The organization currently has one intern from PSU who organizes its database and tracks volunteer records.

Tom Parker, a representative from the Oregon Partnership, said that his organization is recruiting about 20 students to volunteer for their crisis suicide hotline. The position requires at least 56 hours of training, Parker said.

“Students should have a personal drive to do something to prevent substance abuse,” Parker said, adding that his organization fields about 35,000 phone calls a year that run by volunteers.