Student Name: Ethan
Pathways Programme: Pathways to Charity and Development (2025 Cohort)
Internship Role: Fundraising Assistant
Internship Employer: Borneo Nature Foundation International
Summary of Organisation: We believe everything is connected, you, us, rainforest, Borneo, everything. Our mission is to collaborate to protect Borneo’s rainforest, one of the most important on Earth, with science, community-led action and education. We want a world where people and nature thrive. We are an award winning, international NGO, celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2025. We have a 15+ person team based in the UK and Europe and 100+ people in Indonesia.
Please briefly outline the project/tasks/responsibilities you worked on during your Professional Pathways internship:
“My main project was developing a competitor analysis in order to explore potential corporate partnership opportunities, guided by my line manager. This was a brilliant insight into how strategic partnerships drive real impact.”
How has the Professional Pathways programme helped you in taking the next steps in your career?
“Iām not sure whether I want to enter conservation through an NGO or research. This internship has allowed me to see the NGO side of conservation, where I worked on extra projects on top of my initial brief in global partnerships and funding to get a real overview of this avenue for working in conservation.”
How do you think this experience will impact on your employability as you enter the job market as a recent graduate?
“The experience has boosted my employability. Even if I choose to work in research, having an understanding of the industry is invaluable.“
What achievement(s) were you particularly proud of during your Pathways internship?
“I finished my brief early on and so proposed a new funding initiative to branch out into Australia based on my own experience in studying abroad there. I developed a plan, pitched it to the department lead of global partnerships, and found Australia specific funding that BNFI is eligible for.
A highlight was speaking withĀ the Programs & Partnership Development Officer about potential expansion into Australia, where I could draw on my own study abroad experience as aĀ QUT (Queensland University of Technology)Ā alumnus.
I also learned a lot fromĀ the Communications Manager about impactful campaign strategy, and loved seeing the work of the GIS mapping department, directly linking to the spatial skills Iāve developed in my QGIS module as part of my Masterās in Marine Vertebrate Ecology and Conservation at theĀ Graduate School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Exeter.
Through conversations withĀ the Director of Operations, I gained great insight into how BNF approaches Darwin Initiative grant applications, building on what I learnt in my conservation practice module.”
Given the Professional Pathways internship is 35 hours in total, what advice would you give to other students to ensure they gain as much as possible from the experience?
“My advice is to ask questions, as it provokes conversation and allows you to get a real understanding of the charity. This is how I expanded my role as I asked questions about the demographic of enrolment into their field trips and they said they hadnāt expanded into Australia yet but wanted to.”
Why would you recommend the Professional Pathways programme to other students?
“Professional Pathways provides you with the opportunity to work in a competitive industry that without this initiative, these charities probably wouldnāt have the time or funds to provide on their own.
Iāve come away inspired by the incredible work being done to protect Borneoās biodiversity and rainforests š“