Professional Experiences

Here is a collection of artifacts that display the professional experience I gained as an intern with IndyAdopts!

IndyAdopts is a grassroots animal welfare nonprofit based in Fountain Square, a historic cultural district in Indianapolis. Operations began in early 2021, however, this organization officially got its 501(c)3 status a few months before the start date of my internship. This organization was originally created to facilitate the adoption of cats at Nine Lives Cat Cafe, but the founder, Kelley Niiyama, is now looking for ways to expand the operations of IndyAdopts to have a larger impact on the community.

My learning plan for this internship included three main goals: (1) I will plan one fundraising event for June 25, (2) I will improve the IndyAdopts website to make it more readable and professional, and (3) I will implement a system in the IndyAdopts website so that the organization can easily start operations. Overall, I was successful in all of these goals.

Adoption Appreciation Weekend Flyer

This flyer was created to announce the annual fundraising event that I was asked to plan. I spent a lot of time designing it, posting it to various social media sites, hanging it up around Fountain Square, and talking to business owners in Fountain Square about IndyAdopts's mission/event. This event ended up being very successful! I raised $1,426 over this two-day period. We received fifteen donations for the silent auction, which were from Fountain Square businesses, the Indianapolis Indians, myself and my family members, and local artists.

Creating this flyer allowed me to develop my graphic design skills and interact with the community. I was also able to utilize my creativity to make a flyer that catches the eye and effectively communicates information to the viewer.

June Newsletter

I created this newsletter towards the end of my internship to recap everything that happened at the fundraising event, introduce the new FIV program, educate the public about the reality of FIV+ cats, and announce other updates. This also allowed me to utilize my creativity and design skills. Additionally, I practiced my communication skills by adapting my writing to be appropriate to varied audiences, which was especially important for the educational article.

On Shore Foundation Grant Proposal

This letter was created to apply for a grant opportunity I found online, and it was one of many grants I applied to. In the letter, I describe what IndyAdopts’s mission is, our programs, what the money would go towards, and how much we were asking for. As a result of this letter, the On Shore Foundation graciously awarded us $1,000.

This artifact shows my ability to communicate through writing, which I did by effectively communicating the mission and goals of IndyAdopts, expressing the need for funding, and by making an appropriate ask of the grant organization.

Tattoo Giveaway

I hosted this fundraiser on my tattoo business Instagram in conjunction with the fundraiser I planned for Adoption Appreciation Weekend (the event I planned for my internship). This artifact is the Instagram post I created and the rules one had to follow to enter the giveaway for a free tattoo. I raised over $600 with this giveaway.

This allowed me to investigate different approaches to fundraising with the help of past course materials, and it encouraged me to think critically about my client base to discover what kind of tactics would be most successful to raise money. I connected creative and academic disciplines, and I adapted my communication to the different audiences I was addressing.

Volunteer Flyer

This flyer was created to find more volunteers to work with the cats at Nine Lives Cat Cafe. Volunteer retention had been suffering, so we decided to create a flyer to advertise this opportunity. In the flyer, I included a brief version of IndyAdopts’s mission, what volunteers would be asked to do, and how to sign up. I think hung these flyers up around campus and posted it online on several platforms.

This flyer allowed me to practice more design and marketing techniques, and it encouraged me to find innovative solutions to this problem. I also utilized fundraising tactics by creating an effective emotional appeal for the headline.