Date of Award
Spring 2010
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Department
Political Science
Abstract
I believe that the roles played by civil society or nongovernmental organizations are key components of the positive transformations that my country, Tajikistan in particular, and our Central Asian neighbors as a whole, can and are in one degree to another experiencing. Therefore it was a great opportunity to learn how the nonprofit organizations function in the United States and how they handle the challenges of economic recession and maintain financial sustainability.
This report is based on my internship at The Edge Connection, a nonprofit organization that delivers best practices in microenterprise and business development in Metro Atlanta Area. During my internship project at The Edge Connection, I was responsible for the further development of the "Financial Edge" Economic Literacy Program. My job included providing assistance to the Vice President of Operations with research on the best practices in microenterprise and micro lending programs. The scope of the research included grant opportunities for further funding of the "Financial Edge" program, Individual Development Account saving program and others. Furthermore, I was responsible for communicating with the clients as well as assisting in the clients’ progress evaluation. In addition, I spent significant time assisting with marketing and communication support for the Business Forward Breakfast, the annual fundraising event.
This internship provided me with vast insights into the field of nonprofit administration. Working under the direct supervision of Ms. Rachel Davis, the VP of Operations, my work included conducting research about best practices of other microloan projects in the country, maintaining and updating the Vista Share files with employees and client files, attending and keeping minutes of the Board of Directors meeting, and other administrative support for the staff. In addition to my main responsibilities, I also conducted different research on best practices in micro loans programs.