{"id":9307,"date":"2026-10-06T11:53:37","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T11:53:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/internships\/?p=9307"},"modified":"2026-10-06T11:53:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T11:53:39","slug":"student-case-study-devon-community-foundation-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/internships\/2026\/10\/06\/student-case-study-devon-community-foundation-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Case Study: Devon Community Foundation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Picture taken by Tillie during her internship.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Student Name:<\/strong> Tillie<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pathways Programme:<\/strong> Pathways to Charity and Development (2026 Cohort)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Internship Role<\/strong>: Research Assistant (Social Needs Analysis) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Internship Employer:<\/strong> Devon Community Foundation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summary of Organisation<\/strong>: Devon Community Foundation is the largest independent grant funder for charities and community organisations in the county, created by our communities and for our communities. We inspire giving from individual and family donors, businesses and other organisations who want their money to support real change for Devon\u2019s communities. We make grants to grassroots organisations across Devon that share our mission of strengthening communities and tackling inequalities. We also develop knowledge of the voluntary and community sector by capturing insight, learning and data that helps us to shape local philanthropy and advocate for wider action. This role was within the Insight team, where Tillie worked alongside two very experienced social researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please briefly outline the project\/tasks\/responsibilities you worked on during your Professional Pathways internship. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Conducted thematic analysis of qualitative data to support the development of a future Social Needs Analysis publication. Engaged with a range of VCSE organisations (in-person across both Exeter and Plymouth) to gather insights into local social needs and challenges, ultimately producing case studies which documented organisational experiences and represented stakeholder perspectives. Synthesised findings to identify cross-cutting themes alongside place-specific challenges affecting communities, and identified gaps and opportunities for further qualitative and quantitative desk research to strengthen evidence and contextualise findings at local, county and national levels.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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Pictured: Tillie meeting and working with organisations during her internship.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

How has the Professional Pathways programme helped you in taking the next steps in your career?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I have since gone on to study an MA in Governance, Development & Public Policy at the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex. My internship experience with DCF has enabled me to bring a local, community-centred perspective into my academic work, and the ability to connect my studies with practical examples of development approaches and understanding of community lived experience. The training element of the programme broadened my horizons of the varied types of roles available within the charity and development sector, making me feel more optimistic about a future career in the sector.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What achievement(s) were you particularly proud of during your Pathways internship?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I am proud of the confidence I gained while taking part in the internship. I conducted informal in-person interviews with staff and volunteers at various organisations in Plymouth and Exeter, a new experience for me that pushed me out of my comfort zone. From this, I produced four written case studies that documented and analysed the local needs and challenges facing these organisations, and identified cross-cutting analytical themes. I feel very proud to have produced work that will go on to contribute to a broader piece of social needs analysis in Devon, it feels very rewarding that my insights will add, even just a small bit, to a better understanding of local communities in order to hopefully bring about positive social change.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why would you recommend the Professional Pathways programme to other students?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is an excellent opportunity to connect with likeminded people, improve your networking skills and learn from experienced professionals in the charity and development sector. The perspective you gain from people who have worked across various roles in the field is a really valuable addition to your existing academic understandings, and can help locate your interests in a way which informs the direction of your future studies or career path. The training also is an brilliant chance to strengthen teamwork and collaboration skills during the group project, as well as grow confidence in your ability to present your findings and ideas to a panel, a skill which is really important when entering the graduate job market.”<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Student Name: Tillie Pathways Programme: Pathways to Charity and Development (2026 Cohort) Internship Role: Research Assistant (Social Needs Analysis) Internship Employer: Devon Community Foundation Summary […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2755,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[51],"tags":[405,427,439,343,369],"class_list":["post-9307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pathways-to-charity-and-development","tag-pathwaystocharityanddevelopment-2","tag-professionalpathways-2","tag-professionalpathways2026","tag-southwest","tag-uk"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nStudent Case Study: Devon Community Foundation - 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