UWA McCusker Centre for Citizenship student Nhi Tran has supported Girl Guides WA with valuable grant research to help the organisation seek and apply for critical funding for programs that empower girls and young women to discover their leadership potential.
Nhi, who is studying a Master of International Relations, was matched with the project at Girl Guides WA through UWA’s McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship program.
“Being an intern enabled me to understand the real-world challenges facing communities. I got to know more about the work that people in the not-for-profit sector are doing to support and empower others in need,” said Nhi.
The role saw Nhi complete 100 hours of intensive work over the semester break, gathering information, researching, brainstorming ideas and tracking data to support grant applications, and assisting with the development of a database that will help the organisation apply for funding that is critical to their valuable programs.
“Although I had heard about donors and sponsorship for the not-for-profit sector before, it still blew my mind how critical external funding is for organisations to keep doing the good things they are working on,” said Nhi.
“Applying for grants is really competitive. Many organisations have great ideas but lack the necessary resources to put those ideas in practice. Imagine how many people could benefit from those brilliant ideas if they were funded and implemented,” said Nhi.
“The internship motivated me to think more broadly about governance in charity and non-governmental organisation. It has encouraged me to pursue a profession in the future that can assist more organisations through human resources, grants and beneficiaries,” she said.
Girl Guides WA Guide Support Officer and internship supervisor, Phoebe Crofts, said it was a “delight” to have Nhi in the Girl Guides WA office.
“Nhi conducted invaluable research into grants and how our organisation can source grants. She also developed a calendar of grants that are applicable to our organisation, which we can use going forward to ensure we can obtain the funding we require as a not-for-profit organisation. We are currently using her research to complete a grant application for an event we wish to hold in 2023,” said Phoebe.
Although Nhi gained a suite of professional skills and experiences during her internship, she said the highlight was the people she met and the support from the Girl Guides and McCusker Centre for Citizenship team.
“Everyone was so supportive, cheerful and reliable. I could ask anyone about anything at any time, and I was grateful for the support I had during the internship,” she said.
Nhi recommends other UWA students undertake a McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship to broaden their perspective and learn more about themselves.
“Through the internship, you may realise the things you have in everyday life are privileges and you can unlock potentials you didn’t know you had,” she says.