Name of Student: Mia Cassidy
Job Title: Fundraising Assistant
Job Summary:
- Researching potential donors and funding opportunities and organising into a spreadsheet and updating when appropriate.
- Researching information about AI policy in the charity sector.
- Independently researched and wrote a participatory – grant proposal.
- Developing the Winch’s case for support by researching and collating data.
- Interviewing beneficiaries and writing up case studies.
- Researching and developing a case for support about systems change in the secondary school context.
What was your biggest achievement on your internship?
My biggest achievement was having the opportunity to research, write and submit a bid from start to finish, almost independently, for a grant to fund a series of mental health related training within the charity. I also enjoyed working on case studies where I got to witness first hand the impact of the charity, interacting with the beneficiaries and ensuring their voices were heard.
Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?
I did not have any major challenges during my internship. If I had any queries my manager and the team were always happy to clarify any misunderstandings.
Would you recommend this internship scheme to other students?
Yes, I would recommend the scheme to other students.
This was my second internship through the A2i scheme, and both experiences have been incredibly valuable. The opportunities allowed me to explore career paths that aren’t usually accessible through traditional internships, and gave me the flexibility to focus on areas I was genuinely interested in.
Initially, I was nervous about being the only intern in the team, but this turned out to be a real strength. It gave me the chance to take on a wide range of responsibilities and gain insight into different aspects of how the charity operates.
If you would like to find out more about the A2i scheme, you can contact the team via a2i@exeter.ac.uk, or you can also visit the student and employer facing webpages here.